I am building a garden gate and my design prevents me from using a diagonal brace. I am planning on using mortise and tenon joinery (with pins) for the frame. (The design is somethig like this:
My question is: Are glued and pinned mortise and tenon joints enough to prevent sag? Has anyone built a heavy gate using mortise and tenon joinery who can tell me how they hold up?
Secondly, what if there was a diagonal brace only on the bottom half of the gate? (The top portion will be lattice.) Would that serve the same purpose, or does a diagonal brace have to go all the way across the gate? I really don't want any diagonal brace at all, but I might be willing to compromise design for structural integrity.
Thanks in advance for any input.
Bert