How to Build a Wood Fence Gate

If you are building a fence, you will need to build a wood fence gate. This is the part of the fence that allows for entry and exit. How to build your gate depends on what kind of fence you are constructing. The two basic types of wooden fences are boundary fences and privacy fences. A boundary fence does just what it sounds like — it marks a boundary around your land. It is not the best choice if you are seeking to keep animals contained or perhaps keep them out because many animals can fit through the spaces or jump over the fence depending on its height. Privacy fences are great not just for privacy but for keeping children and pets safely contained on your land because of their height and the lack of space between the rails.

Your gate can be mounted to swing one way or both ways. It all depends on your preference. When you are building a gate you will first need to gather your supplies. Supplies needed for this construction task include a carpenter’s square, power drill, approximately five 2×4 pieces of wood, stainless steel nails or screws, heavy duty hinges, wood screws that will be used to attach the hinges, and of course your gate latch. There are different types of gate latches which you will discover when shopping.

The gate posts should be six to twelve inches deeper than your other posts to provide for greater stability. You will want to put the frame together with the boards and secure them with the wood screws. Use the carpenter’s square to make sure they are positioned correctly. One of the 2×4 boards should be positioned diagonally across the frame to provide a cross brace. You will want to test the gate by opening and closing it before installing your latch to make sure the positioning is correct. You don’t want to install your latch then discover the gate is constructed incorrectly.

You will want to refer to detailed fence building plans when constructing your fence and gate. Your plans will not only tell you exactly how to build the fence, but also how to build the wood fence gate. There are plans offered for sale at most hardware and home improvement stores. If you like shopping online, you can find downloadable plans on the Internet that can be printed.