Rear Garden Gate/Access

[TheScullster]

Hi all

Trying to get my thoughts straight on a garden gate would you believe?

We have obtained planning permission for a fence around our back garden, the fence bordering a public footpath. My indecision is around the size (and position) of a single full height gate which will provide the only access into the rear garden. Has anyone attempted jobs and been thwarted by this level of access? The current gate which we may re-use gives about 850mm clear width. Does anyone have a motorbike these days? I expect this may be a future purchase, but wonder if a decent size machine will pass through a garden gate.

Also, the "easy way" to complete the fence works will be to hinge the gate off the house and panel up to the other edge of the gate IYSWIM. However, I do feel this is likely to be restrictive and was thinking along the lines of a double or 1.5 gate arrangement. Can these be made suitably secure? With a 1.5 gate arrangement, the 1/2 gate would need to be semi-fixed and only opened for wide equipment passage. Due to the location of all this it will need to be neat and in keeping with dome top feather board panels, concrete posts and gravel board.

Any brain waves out there?

TIA

Phil

[Andrew]

Can#t comment on the 1 1/2 gate but wuld it be possible to use the gate you have but have an adjacent fence panel easily removable for larger access? Obviously that would be instead of and not in addition to the gate because of the fence post but its still a lot wider than you are thinking about at the moment and would be fine for occasional use.

Andrew

[TheScullster]

"Andrew" wrote

Can#t comment on the 1 1/2 gate but wuld it be possible to use the gate you have but have an adjacent fence panel easily removable for larger access? Obviously that would be instead of and not in addition to the gate because of the fence post but its still a lot wider than you are thinking about at the moment and would be fine for occasional use.

Andrew

Thanks Andrew

Yes that idea had crossed my mind some time ago. Trouble is, the only appropriate panel would be one that SWMBO is bound to want to grow screening plants in front of. Will give this option some more thought though.

Phil

[Ian & Hilda Dedic]

Could you grow the screening plants in a long, low trough, and have detachable trellis on the fence panel, so the whole lot could be moved temporarily? Like a room divider but made of plants.

dedics

[Harry Bloomfield]

Yes.

Not the usual person width of a garden gate, especially if you intend riding through at a reasonable speed - remember a bike can wobble all over the place at low speed, that is how you balance them. I have to open one side of the drive gates to get mine in and out.

I built an extension on my garage specially for the bike, which has its own entrance. I made the door and frame myself, with a 1m width which makes it fairly 'comfortable' to get in and out.

Is there some reason why you could not make a garden gate?

Remember you may be breaking the law riding over the foot path to get through the gate, unless there is a dropped kerb.

[<me9]

If you use the grooved concrete posts the panels (and gravel board) can be lifted out for wider access. Not very secure, unless additional fixing used, but handy for the odd time you need wider access.

[Rod]

Even easier with clips. Just undo the screws holding the panel into them and slide it up. The big advantage is that you can tilt it once the bopttom is above the lower clips - reduces required headroom and awkwardness when doing so without help.

(Not so good if the posts/panels have swollen or twisted badly, I grant you.)

[Chris J Dixon]

Thunderbirds are GO!!!

Chris

[TheScullster]

"Rod" wrote

Yes thanks Rod

I have already discovered this. Trouble is that a condition of planning approval for the fence is that there is planting in front to screen it. Putting the plants in pots/troughs which are moveable would make your idea feasible, but with the local oiks these are likely to go walkabout or get trashed.

Phil

[TheScullster]

"Harry Bloomfield" wrote

Thanks Harry

It would not be necessary to ride through the gate at speed and I could "weave" through if necessary IYSWIM. The gate is accessed from the front drive, so no problem over kerb mounting. The possibility of making a gate hadn't really occurred to me! In the course of your extension building and other works, have you had cause to get machinery into the back which was wider than 1m? My concern is excluding equipment necessary for tree felling and removal, as well as compacting kit for block paving of paths etc.

Thanks

Phil

[Harry Bloomfield]

TheScullster formulated on Friday :

The garage has three entrances, a 'people' door, a 7' x 7' roller for the car and the wide door for the bike. If you image a 24' x 12' normal garage, with my extension built onto the rear which is much wider than the 12' width of the garage - the extra width is a door facing in the same direction as the roller door, down the drive. I just ride the bike up the drive, alongside the garage and straight into the extension at it's rear. I designed it to be deep enough to take the bike ridden straight in and reversed back out. It is a heavy bike and I would not fancy trying to waggle it in, so made the opening with plenty of room to spare.

The width of the above still leaves plenty of room to get a truck past it if necessary and beyond into the back garden.

I would be inclined to plan some provision to do this via removable panels.