handles for high gates and outside doors (e.g. sheds)

Apr 23, 2007 9 Replies

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tinnews 19 years ago

We have a number of high gates and shed doors which have a mottley collection of cabin hooks and similar devices holding them closed at the moment. I'm looking for something better that would be easier to use, requirements are:-

Possible to operate from both sides, these are not gates you can reach over or through.

Easy to close, I'd really like them to latch when pushed but this isn't absolutely vital.

Able to cope with fairly poor 'registration' of gate/door with post/frame.

I.e. what we want is something like the following:-

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which can be worked from both sides. We have lots of the above gate latches and they're just about ideal for gates you can reach over but not where you can't.

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Cicero 19 years ago

=============================== Since security is apparently not a major issue you could cut a handhole in each gate / door at appropriate points and use the item from Screwfix.

Cic.

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Bob Eager 19 years ago

What about:

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even use one of these on an inside door!

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Lobster 19 years ago

You need a Suffolk latch surely:

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(or )

David

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nightjar 19 years ago

The traditional answer is a thumb latch e.g.:

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bit on the left fits to the gate post. The bit next to that is the latch, which goes on the inside of the gate and engages with the bit on the gate post. The handle goes on the outside of the gate. It has a lever, which passes through the gate and fits underneath the latch. It lifts that either directly from the inside or by a thumb operated lever from the outside. The pin on a chain can be used to stop the latch lifting, which makes it impossible to open with the thumb lever from the outside.

They are also available as galvanised steel items, from most ironmongers.

Colin Bignell

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The Medway Handyman 19 years ago

Yup. Thats the one. Shame you cant lock them like an Auto Gate Latch though.

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tinnews 19 years ago

Well, maybe, but it's not an ideal solution as "cutting a hole" would involve quite a bit of extra structure to hold the doors together.

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tinnews 19 years ago

We have one like that (on a shed) and it's a disaster, the metal loop is always in the way of the door when you try to close it. I suspect this is because it's positioned a bit to close to the edge of the door but there's no choice in this particular case.

It's a possibility but not ideal, it certainly doesn't satisfy the "latch when pushed" bit.

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tinnews 19 years ago

That's definitely a possibility, thank you.

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tinnews 19 years ago

Essentially a 'prettified' Suffolk Latch, but yes, it's the sort of thing I'm after, thank you.

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