Gate Post Bracing

How to brace a post for an automatic swing gates posts for swing gates should ideally be larger and strong so they don t bend with the weight of the gate causing the gate to drag on the ground but these can be expensive so lighter weight posts can be used if braced correctly.

Gate post bracing.

A tension brace would channel water away from the gate post helping to keep the soil there dry and prolonging the life of the post. Brace the gate hinge post to the f rst line post. Drive 12 inch galvanized spikes into those two holes. Drill holes through the hinge post as well as the first fencepost and into the beginning of both ends of the brace post.

We strongly suggest that the bracing between the hinge post and f rst line post for larger and heavier rail or driveway gates should be done as shown above. Often used in conjunction with counter bracing which is pictured below but is not categorized as a type of gate bracing since it has a main purpose of supporting and reinforcing the strength of the hinge post and not effecting weight transference from the gate itself. To give strong support to the gate and the fencing make sure to add lengths of strainer wire to the first pair of posts on either side of the gates. A general rule of thumb is to sink a third of the total length of the post into the ground two thirds above grade.

Use post anchors where termites are common or in very damp soils. No sagging gates please. The cross brace acts just like an enormous shelf bracket that holds the gate s structure at a 90 degree angle to the post on which it s mounted. Set gate posts in a concrete encasement typically three times the diameter of the post.

A compression brace would channel water that hits the back of the gate down towards the gate post where it would saturate the soil encourage rot and result in the premature failure of the post. The traditional farm gate or ranch gate utilizes horizontal bracing. The hinge post must be of suff cient size to support the weight of the gate. Designed by adjust a gate a steel frame no sag gate building kit will fit wooden gates from 36 to 60 inches wide and up to 84 inches high.

A cross brace will usually be constructed of a 2 x 4 material and acts as a compression load that keeps the gate nice and square. A 4 x 4 is not suff cient for a drive gate for example. You can now brace your gate by tightening the adjustable eye in the middle by twisting it. The more you twist it the tighter the wire will get lifting the bottom of your gate up as it goes.