Trying to get this gate to sit level and swing freely. I used an adjust-a-gate kit. The width is 92", height is 6’. I have used the lightest possible wood, and I can’t get this damn thing to hang straight. The turnbuckle that came with it bent straight and came flying out of the holes, so I used a different one I had on hand. Clearly the wheel isn’t doing anything except causing the gate to warp since it isn’t centered under the weight.
I want to add a diagonal cross brace from the bottom hinge to the top corner, but I’m not sure how exactly to do it with the 3 horizontal boards.
I’m also considered replacing the hinges with 3 extra long strap hinges, one on each horizontal board.
What do you guys think?
Looking at the images you’ve attached, this appears to be an 8 ft wide by 6 ft tall fence. That’s a good amount of weight in just the wood, and there isn’t any part of the design that diagonally braces the frame, except the steel cable… which tore from its mounts.
My layman’s view is that you absolutely need diagonal wood elements, which should only be installed after unloading the fence, either by removing the boards or by propping up the wheel-end so the frame returns to being squared. If the wheel interferes with this, remove it for the time being.
But I think you’d still need the steel cable, and if that has broken from its originally designed mooring, then this gate is already compromised. You may have to start over with a new Adjust-A-Gate kit or repair the current one so the cable will mount to the steel parts, rather than the wood.
I would say to rectify the diagonal supports first, before doing anything with the hinges, since if the hinges were actually the root problem, this gate would have already fallen over. That said, it seems to me that such a wide gate might have called for more substantial hinges.
The other commenter’s suggestion to consider a pair of less-wide gates is also sound, if the goal is a minimal-fuss gate that will last at least a decade of additional sagging and weather.
Thank you for this very detailed response. Unfortunately I can’t use narrower gates, since both 8 ft gates close in the middle as this is a driveway gate.
I am absolutely planning on putting diagonal brace boards in, but since the front material is only 5/8 in thick, and the back has three horizontal boards, I didn’t know the best way to put the diagonal brace boards in.