gate question

[cat fever]

I would suggest buying your gates first. Then mark out where you need the post to be. Also consider what might happen in the future as far as needs go. (bigger opening)

 

[bcp]

I can make a gate fit better if I put in the hinge post, hang the gate, then put in the latch post. Measuring never seems to be as close a fit. I believe there is quantum dirt underneath all my gates, that is changed in size by the act of measuring.

Bruce

 

[Thall303]

How deep should the hinge post be planted for a 16 foot gate?

 

[flyerdan]

Depends on how heavy the gate is. If it's a 1.625" tube or CQ chain link that's 5 feet tall, a three foot set would probably do. If it's a 2" square .188" wall picketed gate that's 6 feet tall you probably need a 4.5 or better set, possibly an H post arrangement.

 

[Stimw]

I always put posts 4' deep.
And I always paint a line on the post so when I put it in the hole I know I didn't knock dirt in and only be 3 1/2'.
Also I paint treated posts with old motor oil thinned with mineral spirits where it goes in the ground. A couple coats and let it soak in.

 

[QRTRHRS]

As mentioned, buy your gates first. Some makes figure in the hardware to make that 16 foot length while some are 16 feet without the hardware. A 16 foot gate is pretty heavy even in a light guage and will sag over time unless your latching hardware supports the gate. There are pricey but nice latches that have a pin that bolts onto the gate and a sort of box shaped bracket for the post side. They are available to open from one side or both. The galvanized or anodized makes resist rust better than the powder coated ones.

The galvanized light gauge steel gates are going to rust over time. A little wire brushing and some cold galvanized touchup will help preserve them. The best galvanized gate for resisting rust I know of used to be made by Roan (sp?). They sold out to another company as I recall because the last time I bought any was around 1998. I used to pick them up somewhere around the Lancaster, PA. area. They were heavy gauge and hot dipped with notching to allow the galvanizing to flow inside the tubing.
kencove.com is a good source for all things fencing. They are in PA as well as other states.

I have some double gates including a double set of 16 footers. They are set on single "H" braces and their weight helps with the high tensile wire tension pulling on the braces. I used doubles on sloping terrain with one longer than the other. For doubles, get four pinless hinge brackets (those flat steel hinges that bolt over the gate tubing), two for each gate. Set the gates so the brackets line up and drop a galvanized gate rod (one of those ~3/8 inch rods with about a 3 or 4 inch long bend) into the brackets. That's about as secure as it gets to tie the gates together and allow easy opening.

If looks don't matter, you can always fasten woven wire fencing to tube gates. The wire can be larger than you gate to cover gaps if you have smaller animals trying to squeeze out through any gaps.

The area I live in now bills itself as the gate capital of the country (or at least one of them). I can go in most any direction and buy gates.

Lastly, look your gates over when you buy them. Watch for rusty welds, excessive, sharp "globs" of weld, pieces of welding wire sticking out here and there and "eyeball" the gates from one end to make sure they are square.

 

[DieselBound]

Appreciate the replies!

I bought 5 gates. Two are for my front entrance: one a 10' and the other 6'- I'll use a cane and latch for the middle of them, keeping the 6' one closed unless I need the extra width. These two gates are higher quality: should look pretty nice. The other three gates are each 12' and will be pasture gates. Turns out that all of these gates state that their sizing is based on an allowance of an additional 4" for hardware. The front gates come with through-bolts, so these should be able to be snugged up fairly close to the posts (closer than with the lag type, I think).

Everything will be hanging from H-braces: eventually there will be woven wire fencing connected, so all should be well supported; for the fronts I may hang them before I have the woven wire fencing up (won't be able to get around to putting it up until late next spring).

I built a gate for some of my fowl out of cattle panel and woven wire stretched over it. Made for a nice gate. Getting hinges on it was a bit tricky.

Thall303, it all depends on the weight of the gate (16' has got to be pretty heavy out on the end though), the height of the gate and what kind of ground you have. As a general rule it's nearly 50% in-ground as above-ground: maybe 45% to 55%. I'm going with a 4' fence and will be setting my posts roughly 3 1/2' in the ground.- 8' posts (6-7 inches in diameter). All my gate posts will be accompanied by (proper) H-braces; with H-braces you're pretty well supported; and, if you're stretching fencing on it that'll provide a LOT of pull to support strains from the gate.

 

[Thall303]

Thanks