I am having to build a privacy fence and gate at the bottom of my driveway to hide my Travel Trailer. the fence and gate need to be 8 feet high. The gate will be a double gate, with a total width of 10 feet. Can this be done? Each gate will be 5 feet wide and 8 feet tall. I want the gate to open out, and there is a slant of about 10 inches from one side to the other. Not sure where to start. Anyone with any tips, or ideas would be great. Thanks.
Darren
With strong enough posts and some heavy duty T strap hinges you shouldn't have any problem as long as the gate frame is braced well. Use an X or Z bracing configuration and be sure to attach the slats or sheeting at the perimeter AND to the braces to develop some shear strength to keep it from racking. You could also consider adding a wheel to each gate, although this is not always possible depending on the grade situation.
Hi Darren,
I built a 7' privacy fence and a 7' x 4' gate. You could build a gate like mine, it has survived one new england winter so far.
Its made from 2x4 clear fir, with 3 coats of sikkens marine varnish.
Here are some pictures:
If you live in a town that has a good fence company you can have them weld you a metal frame. They can make it to run at the angle of your yard or driveway and fit between your posts. You then drill holes and screw your boards directly to the frame. They will never sag unless your posts move. It costs a little more than building totally from wood but IMO it's well worth it.
Mike O.
Build a torsion box using 1x4 braces covered with 1/8 particle board. Cap all four sides with a molding wide enough to span the 1" width (and maybe a bit extra. Put it together with ss or hdg screws plus some glue on the caps (you can also use some construction adhesive on the hardboard). The paint with a good quality primer and ext. color coats. The idea here is to keep water out of the interior of the door (hence the caps). It is a very rigid structure and is fairly light in weight. You should be able to get away without having wheels. Strap hinges bolted to the frame are a good idea. Buena suerte. mahalo, jo4hn
Darren I had a similar situation. Only I made a 3 foot gate and a 7 foot gate. I used the smaller one all the time and both of them when I needed to move my RV
My gates are 6 feet high and about 6 feet wide. Put it up about four years ago and so far so good. I used two of these:
And just used standard fence boards.
I had a minor slant - about 1-2 inches. I used a board the width of the gate - leveled for the high side - as a base while nailing on the fence boards. You'll need some fence boards a foot longer than your high end for the low end. Then cut the top even with a skil saw. If you use the brackets, make sure you get your hinges placed right and that you leave a gap at the bottom for any sag due to the boards absorbing moisture. Using a 'base' board as you put on the fence boards should help with that.
Good luck.
LD
"Darren" wrote in news:1120077574.751839.168810 @f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:
Metal framing and posts. Strong hinges. Everything else is cosmetics.
If you don't weld yet, make a friend of someone who does.
Patriarch
Sounds similar to what was done at our house (before we moved in). The previous owner built two similar gates, but put in a removable post between them. So when he needed the full span, it was a pretty quick process to pull out the post, and move stuff in and out. But most of the time, the post and large gate stay in place, and the small gate is used for access. Of course, if the OP was putting in the gates strictly for the trailer/RV, it wouldn't make much sense to go through that trouble.
My guess (having not done something like that before) is that 5' wide by 8' tall wouldn't be a problem, so long as your supporting posts are solidly anchored. It would be the ones that are 5' tall by 8' wide that would be more of an issue. The further you move the center of gravity out, the more difficult it gets to keep things steady. Moving the center of gravity up isn't an issue. If you think of it logically, if you grab a 2x6 (8') and try to hold it steady vertically by holding on to one side, no problem. Try to hold it steady horizontally from one end, good luck.
Clint
Another approach I have seen done is to simply build the gate with a wheel attached. Let the wheel hold up most of the weight. When you need to open or close the gate, you just roll it on the wheel.
One friend who had this loved it. He did have to replace the wheel from time to time though.
I took 4 cheap $1 lawnmower wheels and glued them together to make one 8" wide fat tire for my gate. It works great and never ruts.
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