Frost forgiving gate latch?

Feb 16, 2008 7 Replies

We had a new fence and two gates installed last fall and despite the spiel about 4' holes and two bags of cement per 6" post they have moved. This means that the gates no longer latch on any given day, as the peg won't allow the catch to close. The frost ripped the screws out of one peg at one point. There must be gate latches that are more forgiving to movement?



TIA


Reposition and/or align the latch?

-- Oren

"Bill Stock" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@mid.individual.net:

I have one of those peg type latches. It's a pain, I know. I had a feeling it was because ice was settling in the hinges. Whenever there is the threat of freezing rain I spray the hinges with Bare Ground and cover them with aluminum foil. If you have a few family members coming and going, this may not work for you.

Problem is they move with the frost. Some days they close, some days they don't. I'm thinking spring loaded hinges and a stopper might be the way to go.

Use a rubber bungee cord till spring, then dig up the gates and set both posts in the SAME hunk of rebarred concrete, hidden below sod or sidewalk level if you don't want to look at it. (Although I have always found that a flush patch of concrete helps avoid mud puddles at gates.)

The gate will still move around with frost heave, but the posts will stay fixed relative to each other, which should keep the latch working.

aem sends...

Why not a single, sliding gate?

Thanks, they're in the mail.

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