Why custom gates beat store-bought alternatives for a cohesive backyard look
In short: When a homeowner with two young children needed a way to keep them safely away from the street, a standard home center gate wouldn't suffice. To match an existing horizontal wood fence, carpenter Nathan Gilbert turned to custom construction, utilizing specialized materials and rapid-curing techniques to create a seamless architectural fit.
Building a custom gate allows for a precise aesthetic match, particularly when dealing with non-standard designs like horizontal paneling. In this instance, carpenter Nathan Gilbert avoided the generic options found at home centers to ensure the new gate mirrored the existing horizontal wood fence. To achieve this, he utilized standard stock pressure-treated lumber, including 4x4-inch posts, 2x4-inch boards for the door frames, and a combination of 1x4-inch and 1x8-inch boards for the horizontal panels.
The structural integrity of the gate relies heavily on the stability of the posts. To prevent tilting during installation, Gilbert employed a method involving two 2x4-inch boards mounted on either side of the post locations, secured with strapping. A string line is used to ensure both posts are cut to the exact same height. Once the posts are positioned—with approximately one-third of the post sitting in a hole dug roughly 2 feet deep—a specialized two-component expanding foam mix is used for securing them.
This expanding foam is a significant departure from traditional concrete; once the two components are mixed for 15 seconds, the material cures in just three minutes, eliminating the need for manual support. For the gate itself, the frames are constructed using 2x4-inch boards with butt joints, and a 3/4-inch spacer is used to ensure the hinges are mounted evenly with the post. For a polished finish, the horizontal panels should remain consistent across both sides of the gate, whether the layout is sporadic or uniform.
Once the construction is complete, the wood can be painted or left plain to allow the pressure-treated lumber to age naturally.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: How to Build a Custom Fence Gate | Ask This Old House
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/society-how-to-build-a-custom-fence-gate-ask-this-old-house.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in DIY & home improvement · More in Society · Latest · A–Z · All topics
