Nail the tongue and groove boards to the 6-inch-wide horizontal brace boards underneath with the 3/8-inch galvanized nails. These are readily available at Home Depot and other large home improvement stores (see resources for additional online suppliers). We always set the gate posts and corner posts with concrete so over time the fence doesn't drift and move out of alignment. Black long slide latches with matching screws, 1

This allows enough swing room at the bottom of the gate to deal with terrain challenges. Start your pickets with a string line.

Hold the rails for support during this process. If you are uncomfortable working with a skil saw use the type of saw you prefer. Plus, the tongue and groove cedar boards ensure privacy, as no one will be able to peek through slats in the gate, and the black hardware beautifully contrasts with the red cedar. Lay the remaining 6-inch-wide cedar board diagonally across the horizontal braces. Lay Out the Boards.

Remove the temporary nails.

It's helpful to have an assistant hold the gate in place at this point. When it comes to the order in which you build, start with the fence first. 3" and 2" Galvanized (ring shank) nails or deck screws. Attach the pickets, if nailing the pickets on without a nail gun do so by supporting the rails from behind. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Gardening & Plant Care Review Board, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board, 12

9/16 and 7/16 sockets with drill adapter or hand wrench.

My father owned a custom fence company for over 30 years. If you need less than a picket to fill the balance, rip one to the correct width. On a level, flat surface, such as a driveway or garage floor, lay out the three 6-inch-wide boards. Or screw the pickets on keeping the screw pattern straight.

Measure your opening and cut your gate rails to length. This process might disarrange the 6-inch-wide boards underneath. Get daily tips and tricks for making your best home. I used cedar fence slats and do not plan to finish them in any way. This project provides instructions to create a 42-inch-wide cedar wood gate that will add style and function to a fence.

Hold the gate with your foot and use your skill saw to remove the excess wood.

Black heavy duty gate flip latch with matching screws. Pre-start a nail in the brace before you position it on the rail, while holding the rail firmly, attach the brace to the rails. Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for over 12 years. Then, mount the flip latch in a similar fashion at the center of the gate. On a level, flat surface, such as a driveway or garage floor, lay out the three 6 … (4) 2x4's if built from scratch (1) if with a panel. Gates are essential if you want outdoor access in and out of a fenced area. Rail Position Line the gate rails up with your fence rails if possible.

Next, lay the tongue and groove boards on top of the three boards. Measure and Cut the Tongue and Groove Boards, How to Make Faux Wood Beams That Look Original to Your House, How to Build a Temporary Wall Inside Your Home, How to Build a DIY Retractable Pergola Canopy. I grew up working with my hands building fence. For a 6 foot the middle rail is halfway in-between the two. These items are available at Home Depot and other home improvement stores. By creating an account you agree to the Hunker, How to Stain a Deck or Fence Professionally. If you want a convex top to your gate be sure to allow at least 8" of extra picket to rise above your top rail to give you enough wood to shape cut. After the glue has dried, flip over the gate. Check with your local permitting agency about heights and whether you need to obtain a fence building permit.

Using the cordless drill and the screws included with the hinges, screw the hinges in place at the top, middle, and bottom of the gate and to the gate frame.

A brace support should be positioned bottom up from the hinge side of the gate. Nail the diagonal brace pieces in place with the 3/8-inch nails. Build your gates as light as you can to prevent gravity from causing failure.

Lay your straight edge ruler over this diagonal brace, staying parallel with the lines of the horizontal braces. These instructions can be adapted for construction of custom, hidden, panel, lattice, or driveway gates. Then, cut the diagonal brace with your miter saw at those six marks. If necessary, adjust the hinges to level, tighten, or loosen the gate. Hand driving nails into the braces will sometimes dislodge the rails. Cedar tongue and groove boards (1/4 inch x 3 1/2 inches x 96 inches), 3 This will give you a smooth face to mount your hinges on once the pickets are applied. Make six pencil marks on the diagonal brace parallel to the top and bottom of each horizontal brace. I live in a fairly dry climate so wood fences like this turn gray in a few years, and then just last until they're deemed too ugly and someone tears them down.

Place two nails in the top of each picket and stretch a string line. Place a long cut off across your rails and mark the brace piece for cutting. Mark the rail positions on the posts with a pencil using a long level prior to securing your rails. And the third board should be parallel to the other two and exactly in the middle of them. Leave about 1/4 inch of distance on the hinge side of the gate. Take a second picket and mark it at the same height as the first and temporarily attach it to the rails at the latch post (leave the nails or screws half driven, for easy removal). Two of the boards should be parallel to each other and 5 feet apart. Three cut pieces will eventually be discarded (the two ends and the middle), leaving two cut pieces that you will use as the diagonal brace. While this tutorial creates a 42-inch-wide gate, you can scale the gate width up or down as needed by adding or subtracting boards. Let the glue dry for about two hours. With the measuring tape, measure three 42-inch segments on two of the 6-inch-wide cedar boards (not the tongue and groove boards). The last board may need to be cut down to fit flush with the edge of the gate frame.

Cut the brace and nail it in place at the tick mark. The key is understanding a few basics about gate building and you can build any design gate you want. Remove the string line.