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My gate used to be a single very large gate, but a local handyman cut in half about 3 years ago and made it a double-sided gate with a latch in the middle and a ground rode on one side. Both sides have cross bracing.

One gate has held up pretty well (Right Gate). The other gate is sagging at the top inner side (Left Gate), which is causing the latch to be misaligned and also causing a gap at the bottom which the bankyard chickens like to escape through.

Reviewing the images below, does anyone have any recommendations on how to improve the Left Gate sagging issue? Should I remove/ re-add the cross bracing? I noticed there were some gaps between the horizontal beam and the cross braces; maybe a tighter fit would help? Should I implement the "X" pattern as seen on the Right Gate? I also noticed there are products out there; they're a bit price, does anyone recommend these?

I'm not much of a carpenter or handyman, but I could get some 2x4 wood and put my straight edge and jigsaw to work on cutting some cross braces. Any suggestions would be appreciated. If you could provide photos or sketches, that would be very helpful! Thanks!

My sagging gate is of a similar nature this posted question (How can I fix the issues I'm having with large double gates?).

Product links: EZ Brace - Anti Sag Gate Brace $50... or Gate Brace No Sag Gate Kit $40... or Rocky Mountain Goods Anti Sag Gate Kit - Extra Strength zinc plated steel $18

Images

  • Image1: Cross brace design of both gates (Left=sagging / Right=stable)

  • Image2: Ouside view of gates (Left / Right inverted view)

  • Image3: Center latch & Left ground rod with gap problem

  • Image4: Left side angle (sag) & Right side angle (stable)

Image 1

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Image 2

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Image 3

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Image 4

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SherlockSpreadsheets
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3 Answers3

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The left side gate is not made correctly.

The cross brace is supposed to prop up the swinging end of the gate. In other words, you want to go from the lower hinge (in this case the lower left) to the upper end of the horizontal brace (in this case the upper right).

The diagonal on the right is oriented correctly, the diagonal on the left is not.

batsplatsterson
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Without the photos working from your description it is the frame of the gate not the post that is sagging. The 18$ kit is exactly what I use (I have similar pieces) to in stable the cable and turnbuckle. Tighten the turnbuckle and the sag can be reversed. If the sag is severe you might want to tighten a little and wiggle the gate opening several times then tighten some more, if you just crank it into position it may crack some wood where the original fasteners are, by going slowly and moving and wiggling the gate it allows the boards to move without compromise to the frame.

Ed Beal
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No part of this design makes any sense. The gate should be disassembled and burned and the builder should be kicked in the balls.

Just visualize the post planted in the ground securely with concrete. Then a 2x4 mounted to it vertically with hinges - obviously this will swing and not sag.

Now visualize fastening one side of another 2x4 horizontally to the top of the swinging 2x4. The "weight" of this horizontal piece distributed along that length will be enough to tear the fasteners right out of the boards and will add stress to the hinges while it is attached. This "weight" is actually a force that is directed downward AND towards to post.

To counter this force, you need a cross brace to transfer this force toward the mighty post. Therefore the cross should go from the far edge of the horizontal 2x4 to the lower hinge area of the vertical 2x4.

That's it. That's all the support we need to make the gate swing without sagging. The rest of the gate is just to close up the hole in the fence.

Chardo Beni
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