My son has a sagging gate across his entry way and I would like to have information in pulling the sag out of the gate. The gate is approximately 10-12 feet wide and about four feet high and drags on the swinging side. I have suggested using a six-strand wire connected in the center with a turnbuckle. the wire secured on the end that drags and diagonally to the top of the gate. When he turns the turnbuckle the wire(s) will lift the dragging in as he shortens the diagonal wire(s). Will this answer his problem?????
Salisbury , NC
| Reply: You hit the problem right squarely on the head. It's called a diagonal truss. (fig 1) Most hi-tensile light gauge wire will work. Hi-tensile simply means it can stretch a long way before it snaps. A lot of hardware stores sell what is commonly called a "non-sag gate kit" or something similar. We sell them also. Those typically use a wound, stranded cable instead of a wire. This type is used for wood gates normally. The hardware that comes with the kit is set up for wood. Replace the lag bolts with self tap screws or weld the steel plate fastener onto a steel gate. |
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| On heavy or large gates, we use a
3/8" diameter galvanized steel rod, threaded about 6-12" on the end. The plain
end is welded or bent to loop though the top hinge side of the gate and the other end is
passed through a hole in a turnbuckle that is nothing more than a "L" shaped
steel piece fastened to the low sagging corner. A nut is placed on the threaded rod. As it
is tightened, the gate rises. (fig 2) On very large gates (over 18'), several trusses are placed, if needed. The first starts at the top, hinge side and secures at the bottom of the first vertical brace. The second fastens at the top of that vertical brace and goes to the bottom of the next vertical brace. And so it goes until each section of the gate has it's own truss. Each truss can be tightened individually so the gate does not have a chance to sag in the center. Only one truss would lift the end, but the center could sag. |
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