How to Build a Swinging Wood Gate
A swinging wood gate is attached to a post on one side with hinges, allowing it to swing open on the other end. It is a common way to provide access to a private driveway or yard. A swinging wood gate is a relatively simple construction project, given some basic carpentry knowledge.
- Shovel
- Concrete mix
- Gate posts
- Boards
- Screwdriver
- Wood screws
- Dig a post hole on each end of the swinging gate with a shovel. The holes should be two feet deep and one foot wide.
- Set a post into the hole and mix concrete according to the instructions. Pour the concrete into the hole, keeping the post verticle until the concrete dries. Repeat this step with the other post.
- Determine the dimensions of the swinging wooden gate. It will typically be one inch shorter than the distance between the two posts to allow the gate to swing on its hinges. A swinging gate will usually be three inches shorter than the height of the fence. This will allow the gate to be one inch shorter than the fence with two inches of clearance above the ground.
- Construct a gate frame of the correct dimensions. The frame will have two side pieces and two cross pieces. One cross piece will connect the side pieces at the top and the other cross pieces will connect the side pieces at the bottom.
- Add a diagonal piece between the cross pieces. Attach slats to the frame with 1/2 inch of space between the slats to keep the wind from moving the gate.
- Attach one end of the gate to a post with three hinges. Attach the latch to the other end of the gate with the matching hardware on the other post.