How Do You Keep A Fence Gate From Sagging?

Whether your fencing installation is made of chain link mesh, aluminum bars, or even wood boards or pickets, a problem that could affect any of them is a sagging gate. Gate sagging happens when the weight of the gate, which is unsupported on the opening side, is too heavy for the hardware it is hung on or the supporting post is not strong enough. Knowing this, here are a few tips for hanging a sturdy gate and preventing that annoying sagging that will make it hard to use.

  1. Make sure your support post is sturdy enough. If the fence is wood, use an oversized, cemented post like a 6”x6” or a utility pole. If the fence is metal, choose a metal gate mount pole or support that is thick and strong enough to support the weight of the gate and set and cemented deeper into the ground than the standard gate poles.
  2. Regardless of whether it is wood or metal, use heavy-duty hardware on the gate itself to hold its shape and prevent it from listing and drooping under its own weight. Support with gate corners and clamps as necessary to prevent racking, which makes sagging more likely.
  3. Choose shorter gates whenever possible, as they are easier to support and less likely to sag. If a short gate is not wide enough consider installing two gates that come together in the middle to work over a wider span.
  4. Support heavy gates with whatever method is most suitable:
  • Gate braces that support some of the bottom weight
  • Overhead gate rollers to support the gate while allowing them to roll open and closed on a track
  • Gate wheels on the ground to support the gate while allowing them to roll open on the ground

5. Use high-quality gate hardware from Hearne Steel. A gate is only as strong as its stress points. Our gate hardware is designed for heavy-duty use when the gate is properly installed.

Have questions about your sagging gate, or need to just build another one? Reach out to us at Hearne Steels and we’ll be happy to help you design a gate that will last. We sell all the gate hinges, latches, corners, clamps, and bolts needed for many types of gates, plus braces, wheel kits, and much more. Make your gate as strong as the rest of the fence with gate hardware from Hearne!