How To: Build a Fence Gate
The last thing needed to finish my summer fence project was three gates; two entrance gates on each side of the house, and a larger gate at the corner of the yard for being able to get a lawn mower in. After researching many designs, I decided to veer away from the metal panel look so that the gates would stand out a bit. I decided to use horizontal cedar boards to continue the wood theme, but keep them modern looking. As I knew the amount of wood needed for the gates would make them quite heavy, I did a lot of research on how to build them strong so they did not sag over time. Here’s how I did it!
Design
After doing some research, I decided I would use an overlap joint at each corner of the gate frame. Overlapping the corners gives the frame inherently more strength, decreasing the risk of sag later. I would also add a diagonal support beam, ensure this support would go from the bottom hinge to the opposite top corner. This is what the finished frame looked like.
Overlap Joints
There are a few steps I took to create the overlap joints. The goal is to trim the end of the board to half the thickness so that the adjacent board when placed on top can overlap to form a uniform thickness. These are then glued and screwed together creating a very strong joint.
Supplies Used: Miter saw, hammer, sander, wood glue, drill, 5/8” screws
Steps to creating overlap joint:
1) Mark how far board must be trimmed in correspondence with adjacent board width
2) Used miter saw with blade stop set to exactly half thickness of the board, making multiple cuts
3) Use hammer to break away residual pieces
4) Turn board 180 on saw and repeat process so that each side is cut to even depth
5) Sand surface so that it is level (does not need to be smooth)
6) Repeat for all boards, then lay out so everything is square
7) Go corner by corner; applying ample amount of glue, checking square, and screwing in place (be sure to drill pilot hole in order to decrease risk of splitting the board)
Diagonal Support
Once the frame is together, you can slide the board for diagonal support underneath so it spans corner to corner. Mark the inside corners on the board, then use a circular saw to cut the exact corners marked. I used the Kreg jig to drill two diagonal screws into the support when put back in place. The created a very secure attachment between the frame and the support piece.
Cosmetic Finish
Once you have a solid frame, there are many options for how you “dress” it for a cosmetic finish. I decided on horizontal cedar boards spaced ¾” apart. I built the frame slightly shorter than the finished height I wanted, so the cedar boards hung above and below covering the frame completely.
Once the gate was complete, all that was left was to hang it! I used simple hinges and latches to keep a very clean look. Be sure to pay attention to how much weight your hinges can take and use enough hinges to ensure they do not sag over time. Now I can finally call my fence finished!
