Choosing and Fitting a Garden Gate That Lasts

Start with the job. A side access gate needs to pass a wheelbarrow, a bin and a bicycle — 900mm clear is comfortable, and anything under 750mm becomes an irritation every week.

A single driveway gate wider than about 1.2 metres puts substantial leverage on its hinges and post. Beyond that, a pair of gates or a sliding gate is the sensible approach. A pair of 1.5m leaves is far easier to hang and keep true than a single three-metre gate.

Consider the swing. Gates opening outwards over a pavement are not acceptable, and gates opening inwards need clear ground with no rising slope in the arc. On a driveway that rises from the road, this is the detail most often overlooked and it usually forces a sliding gate.

Height should generally match the surrounding boundary. A gate noticeably lower than the fence beside it defeats the purpose for both security and for containing a dog.

Softwood gates are inexpensive and look right on most Essex properties. Pressure-treated and well maintained they last a reasonable time, but they absorb moisture and are prone to warping, particularly on wide leaves.

Hardwood — oak, iroko or similar — is far more stable, holds its shape and ages beautifully. It costs considerably more and needs oiling rather than painting to look its best.

Metal gates, whether galvanised and powder-coated steel or aluminium, are dimensionally stable, need almost no maintenance and suit both period and contemporary properties. Near the estuary, specify hot-dip galvanised steel or aluminium; a painted mild steel gate in salt air will show rust within a couple of years.

Composite gates match composite fencing and share its benefits — no rot, no painting, stable colour — at a premium price. They are heavy, so post and hinge specification matters even more.

A gate is a lever. All of its weight acts at a distance from the hinge post, and the further the latch edge is from the hinge, the greater the force trying to tip that post over.

The hinge post therefore has to be substantially stronger than an ordinary fence post. For a typical timber gate, a 100mm by 100mm post is a minimum and 125mm or 150mm is better, set at least 750mm into a generous concrete footing — deeper and wider than the fence posts either side of it.

Steel gate posts, or timber posts bolted to a concrete or steel core, are the reliable solution for heavier gates and wide openings. On a driveway with a pair of gates, both posts should be built to the same standard.

Hinges must be rated for the weight and adjustable. Cheap strap hinges on a heavy gate will elongate their fixing holes within a year. Use through-bolts rather than screws wherever the leaf thickness allows, and specify galvanised or stainless ironmongery throughout.

A diagonal brace within the gate frame is essential on any braced timber gate, and it must run from the bottom hinge corner up towards the latch corner. Fitted the other way round it does nothing, and a surprising number of gates are hung upside down for exactly this reason.

For a side gate, a simple thumb latch with a bolt on the inside is adequate for most homes. Where security matters, a lockable gate latch or a deadlocking mechanism operated by key from outside is the better choice, and it should be complemented by hinge bolts so the gate cannot be lifted off.

Fitting a gate to open away from the street with hinges on the inside removes the easiest attack. Where hinges must be exposed, use hinges with fixed pins or add security studs.

Ground clearance is a compromise. Too little and the gate catches on a raised paving slab or a frozen puddle; too much and it defeats the purpose of a dog-proof boundary. Around 25mm to 40mm is usually the right range, with the ground beneath the swing kept level.

For a driveway, consider what happens in a power cut if the gate is automated, and where the pedestrian access sits. A separate pedestrian gate is far more convenient than opening a vehicle gate every time someone walks in.

Automated gates need to be planned before the gates and posts are built, not afterwards. Swing gate motors need clearance behind the hinge, underground motors need a drainage detail in their housing, and sliding gates need a level run and space for the gate to travel into.

Power has to reach the gate posts, usually as armoured cable in ducting laid before the driveway surface goes down. Intercom, keypad and induction loop cabling follows the same routes. Retrofitting all of this through a finished resin or block driveway is expensive.

Safety is a regulated matter. Automated gates are machinery, and they must have force limitation, safety edges or photocells, and manual release. There have been fatalities involving poorly installed automatic gates, and installation and risk assessment should be carried out by a competent specialist.

Sliding gates suit sloping driveways and narrow frontages where a swing gate has nowhere to go, but they need a clear run alongside the opening equal to the gate width.

Check and tighten hinge fixings annually, and oil moving parts. A hinge that is beginning to work loose is a two-minute fix; the same hinge left for two years elongates its holes and needs relocating.

On timber gates, treat all faces including the top and bottom edges. The bottom edge of a gate is the most exposed and the most commonly missed, and it is where rot usually starts.

If a gate begins to drop, act immediately. Adjusting the hinges or fitting an anti-sag brace early is straightforward. Once the post itself has tipped, the fix is a new post, which means taking the gate off and digging out the old footing.

Keep the ground beneath the swing clear. Gravel migrating into the arc, a lifting slab or a build-up of soil will catch the leading edge and put load through the hinges every time the gate is forced.