Question for Gate builders

[monte55]

Update .......I have talked to some local gate people and as I thought just boring a hole for a 4" post and filling with concrete to hold a 10 foot gate will not be sufficient. One said to use a 6" sq post and make a 3ft x 3ft x 3ft hole and fill with concrete. Isn't that a yard of mix? Another said they would set a 4" sq post .250 wall in a 12" diameter hole 36-42" deep with concrete. I am more inclined to go with the 12" hole.
Input???????????????

[Jim-TX]

I've never hung a gate on a post that wasn't braced. I suppose if you put enough concrete around it and the hole is deep enough you could hang the gate but, to me, it's not practical. It doesn't take much of a brace to add a tremendous amount of strength to the post. That guy that said to put it in a 3 x 3 x 3 hole must sell concrete. Yep, that would be a yard of concrete less what the post itself displaced. I'll bet that the gate would still sag over time. Now, IF the area the gate will swing over is level concrete, you might use a wheel and get by w/out having as strong a post. Otherwise, I don't think a wheel will help much.

What is going to be on each side of this gate? Can you post a simple sketch?

[tacmig]

I may be going against the grain here but for the past 25 years all I have done is build gates, railings and misc bars.. i.e. grab, pull and support. If there is one thing I learned from all my experience setting posts is that you can't have to much concrete. This mainly applies to stand alone installations where you are not using any secondary support. I have done more repairs to single and double swing gates where the post was falling due to inadequate support mainly the foundation and ground rust/moisture penetration points. Even with the installation drawing I have attached it still my be required to add slope (angle) to your closed position should it be free standing or double. A dry fit will determine this. Also the use of adjustable hinges in my work is not an option. I start by using solid weld-on's but cut 2 parallel slits with my plasma to give me up and down on one side and 2 horizontal on the other side for tilt. This is really a fail proof system that has worked for me trouble free for years, I'm happy to share it with all and hope it helps.

TacMig

[man of steel]

hey monte,when i do the heavier gates i usually go with a 10 or 12 inch sono tube, you dig a bigger hole than needed then put your snotube in the hole ,backfill and tamp around the hole ,then put 3/4 crush gravel in to the bottom to pack and put in your post and fill around it with concrete.Your hole has to be deeper than what i read on some of the previous replies also dependant on the weight and compaction and type of soil in the area. i usually make my own hinges and put gussetts on each side on the bottom of the hinge plate for strength.hang the top one first and then get your helper to hold and prop the gate level and plumb to measure up for the bottom hinge or just prefab both and be prepared with a couple of heavy shims that you can weld on to get your gate true. If you need a drawing just ask and ill forwrd one to you . hope that helped

[Jim-TX]

When I made the remark about the yard of concrete and that the guy must sell concrete, I was trying to convey the message that a little proper design and bracing will offset the need for massive amounts of concrete. I've built a lot of gates and never hung one off of an unsupported post. I'm sure it's possible and probably done all the time, but I don't do it that way. If any of us knew what, if any, structure (support) was going to be on each side of the gate it would help a lot in recommending how to hang the gate.

[monte55]

I may be going against the grain here but for the past 25 years all I have done is build gates, railings and misc bars.. i.e. grab, pull and support. If there is one thing I learned from all my experience setting posts is that you can't have to much concrete. This mainly applies to stand alone installations where you are not using any secondary support. I have done more repairs to single and double swing gates where the post was falling due to inadequate support mainly the foundation and ground rust/moisture penetration points. Even with the installation drawing I have attached it still my be required to add slope (angle) to your closed position should it be free standing or double. A dry fit will determine this. Also the use of adjustable hinges in my work is not an option. I start by using solid weld-on's but cut 2 parallel slits with my plasma to give me up and down on one side and 2 horizontal on the other side for tilt. This is really a fail proof system that has worked for me trouble free for years, I'm happy to share it with all and hope it helps.

TacMig

Your drawing came across so small, I couldn't read it. Also, can you explain the part of your post about adding slope and the part about cutting slits in something. I just didn't get it.

Thanks all for their replies guys.


I figure the 10 foot gate should only be around 200 lbs or so f I did my math correctly. I talked to the homeowner and she said the hinge post will be close enough to the house that I can add top support which will go a long way for strength.
My local steel supplier sells a 24ft 4" x 4" post .250 wall for $182. They don't sell drops anymore. Does that price sound average?
I have a small gas posthole digger with a 8" auger but no way to bore a 12" or larger hole without farming that part out or just use manual labor. This person says do it as economicaly as possible but some corners you just can't cut and do it properly. I feel this way. If she wants a Mickey Mouse job.......
she needs to call Mickey. She still has to make up her mind. I checked with two local fence companies and for a 10ft single gate, nice but not super ornate and two posts set.........$3800-$5500. She seems to think it can be
done for around $1200-$1500. I have a 10ft farm gate I'll sell her for $50.

[dabar39]

Monte, seeing we are in different regions of the states I know steel prices vary but that is about double what I am paying down here in Fl.

I bought 2 sticks a few weeks ago and the price was right close to $4 per foot, your quote comes to about $7.50 per foot.

Also seeing that you can tie off of the house with an upper post support, boring an 8" hole and cementing the post will be more than sufficient in my opinion.

If the gate is only 10' wide and has a 4" clearance from the ground I see no need for building the gate off kilter or using adjustable hinges. Square it, plumb it, level it, set it and forget it.

One more thing, the quotes you got from other companies are going to be much higher than what you can do the job for, simply because they have a lot more overhead to consider in their pricing. Looking at your basic drawing, I can estimate 1-2 days build time and maybe a day for installation. When I say build time I'm talking about from the time you start making your first cut until it's ready to be delivered. Going by the rates and materials costs down here I could do the job at 12- 1500 hundred and make a decent profit, depending on your choice of finish. If you get it powder coated that will be a large chunk of change to figure into the price. Powder coaters in this area are getting $9 per linear foot of material covered, it adds up quick. If she is o.k. with painting the gate then you may still be o.k. with the 12-15 hundred price tag

These are just my thoughts and may not necessarily apply to you in your region, and although I have built and installed a number of types and styles of gates I don't do this for a living as some of the others and should be taken into consideration when reading my reply. Dave

[tacmig]

Your drawing came across so small, I couldn't read it. Also, can you explain the part of your post about adding slope and the part about cutting slits in something. I just didn't get it.

Thanks all for their replies guys.



I figure the 10 foot gate should only be around 200 lbs or so f I did my math correctly. I talked to the homeowner and she said the hinge post will be close enough to the house that I can add top support which will go a long way for strength.
My local steel supplier sells a 24ft 4" x 4" post .250 wall for $182. They don't sell drops anymore. Does that price sound average?
I have a small gas posthole digger with a 8" auger but no way to bore a 12" or larger hole without farming that part out or just use manual labor. This person says do it as economicaly as possible but some corners you just can't cut and do it properly. I feel this way. If she wants a Mickey Mouse job.......
she needs to call Mickey. She still has to make up her mind. I checked with two local fence companies and for a 10ft single gate, nice but not super ornate and two posts set.........$3800-$5500. She seems to think it can be
done for around $1200-$1500. I have a 10ft farm gate I'll sell her for $50.

As far as the slits, I get solid weld-on hinges with no holes. To aid in tilt on one side and up and down on the other. In other words don't weld them on but rather bolt them in. I drill a hole for this completely through my post and weld all-thread in both holes grinding smooth the back section and mounting the hinges with the slits in them. Slope is where you follow the couture of the entry/exit point. In other words if the drive or entry-way is at 5% slope, be sure to angle your post in that direction. This generally applies to a fast slope and with a gate swing over 10 feet, otherwise it's not worth it a may look goofy. That is why I mentioned the dry fit. I will get some pictures of all this jar-gen for you as soon as I can. The problem is that, even on a good day I would have to improve just to suck at photography and using my computer. I will also see what I can do for you on getting the picture I posted enlarged.

Till then, good luck...tacmig