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I’m planning a 4’x10′ driveway gate. The post will be adjacent to a brick wall on my house. This is obviously a large gate, and I’m planning on attaching an automatic opener. So, I’m trying to ensure the integrity of the gate post and I’m considering various options.
A 6×6 post sunk in concrete is one option, but I have my doubts about the long term integrity of any wooden gatepost. I’m considering sinking a large PVC pipe (6″ or 8″ Diameter?) into a narrow hole with a flared bottom, running some rebar up the inside of the PVC, backfilling tightly and then filling the whole thing with concrete. I’d run some smaller PVC across the pipe to make holes for bolts to attach the hinges, etc. I’m concerned, however, about the long term UV stability of normal PVC, although it is the north side of the house on a shaded lot.
Another option would be to attach the gate post to the house, but that would put a strong lateral load on the brick, which I don’t believe is the strength of brick construction.
Does anyone have any experience with large, strong gate posts, or any comments on my plans? Thanks in advance for your help.
Rob
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Put a wheel on the far end of your gate and the strength of the post isn't as critical and your gate won't rack after ten years either.
When installing vinyl fence, the gate posts (both hinge side and strike side) get two pieces of repar and are filled with concrete. The post is also set in concrete to a depth of about 30 inches. I like to dig the hole a little deeper so the concrete base is deeper.
Oh, the hinges and other hardware get attached to the post before it's filled with concrete.
*raining here...starting to feel just like fall..are you sure a 10 ft. gate is gonna do it ?the opening will be less than 10 ft.. and any turning will reduce the effective opening....any way you can use a 12 ft. gate? ... i like the wheel ryan...the forces on a 10 ft gate are amazing....how about a pair of 6 ft . gates ?
*The wheel is a good idea i ifgrade is level and your driveway is paved. With an irregular grade and/or gravel, it gets more difficult.Why not use a 4 x 4 tubular steel column fabricated to bolt to a sonotube concrete footing? Then you can drop a cased wood post over it if you want. You could weld on threaded studs to protrude through the wood post for bolting on hinges, or tabs that would allow the hinges to be welded on. The cost of fabricating something like this in a steel shop is not that high.
*Rob,I just finished putting up a bi-parting gate across my driveway. I got the gate from Amazing Gates. They were easy to work with. For the posts, they supplied 4*4 tubular steel that I sunk into concrete 4' deep.They say not to use round holes for fear of the opener torque twisting the whole thing. I sunk 2 sonotubes a few feet apart and connected between them with rebar and concrete ( I need a pad for columns anyway). I suspect this is overkill, but I don't want to worry about anything moving. Good Luck, John
*Thanks for all your comments so far.Ryan C - 07:22am Oct 31, 2000 EST (#1 of 4) Said: Put a wheel on the far end of your gate and the strength of the post isn't as critical and your gate won't rack after ten years either. RML Responds:A wheel was my first inclination for the reasons you said, but, oddly enough, the gate operator manual says: Page 7, Step 1 The gate must be in proper working order, plumb, level and swinging freely on its hinges. Do not use wheels on gate. The gate must move smoothly and evenly throughout its swing without binding or dragging on the ground. Gates over 250 lbs. must have ball bearing hinges with grease fittings. http://www.gtoinc.com/pdffiles/mmule.pdfI haven't figured out the problem with a wheel, unless it significantly increases the drag of the gate thus making the opener's job more difficult. And where am I supposed to get the greased ball bearing gate hinges? (I won't be surprised if the gate is over 250 pounds)Ryan C - 07:22am Oct 31, 2000 EST (#1 of 4) Said: When installing vinyl fence, the gate posts (both hinge side and strike side) get two pieces of repar and are filled with concrete. The post is also set in concrete to a depth of about 30 inches. I like to dig the hole a little deeper so the concrete base is deeper. Oh, the hinges and other hardware get attached to the post before it's filled with concrete.RML Responds:I've seen these instructions. I agree the depth seems inadequate, but the vinyl gates I've seen don't span beyond 6' or 8'. And I worry that embedding the hinge hardware complicates the inevitable repair job.Thanks again for your comments.Rob
*Thanks for your comments.I'm using 10' now for preliminary design thinking. I believe 10' is probably enough, although I've got room for about 11'. Of course, 11' is a custom size (if I don't build the gate myself).A pair of gates almost doubles the gate opener cost and means I need to install two (albeit less robust) gate posts.Rob
*Thanks for your comments.The driveway isn't paved now (but I'll build in enough height to allow for any future paving) and is/will be flat, very solid ground/gravel.For the column, you mean a setup like a light post with four bolts set into a concrete pier? That's not a bad idea . . .Rob
*I have a GTO opener on a 14' steel tube "bull gate", long, but not very heavy (~60-70 lbs?). Some observations:--a wheel will introduce too much drag for the opener, especially on an unpaved surface.--as was mentioned, think carefully about the width. Will you want to get a cement truck or a bulldozer through it some day?--Mine is on a 6"x8" PT wood post, tied to an adjacent outbuilding. After a few years the post is coming apart. IMHO the opener puts ALOT of torque on the mounting post; too much for wood. The distance from the gate hangers to the mounting bracket for the opener is only a few inches, to the amount of force applied by the opener is very high.--My solution planned for next summer: get a big (6"-8" dia.) steel pipe from the local scrap steel dealer. Have gate hangers and opener brackets welded on. Put pipe in hole in ground and fill hole and pipe with concrete.
*In response to: BarryO 10/31/00 4:17pmI hadn't thought too much about large vehicle access; that's a good point.What kind of hardware do you use on the gate. GTO recommends ball bearing hinges for heavy (>250 lbs) gates. The typical gate hardware I see at home centers or in catalogs just seems inadequate for long term exterior use, and I've not seen anything designed to smooth the opening/closing action.At this point I'm leaning toward a concrete filled steel pipe also, though I'd hate to ever have to remove something like that. Of course, with luck that's the next homeowner's problem.Thanks for your comments.Rob
*Around here I think you are supposed to have the driveway and the gate wide enough to accomodate the fire service vehicles. If your gate is right next to the road, you may need some extra width for the wide turn of the ladder truck or whatever.
*Unless your ground is perfectly smooth, the wheel will lift the gate up and really strain your hinges. Wheels work best when the hinging system is really sloppy, allowing the gate to flex.
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I'm planning a 4'x10' driveway gate. The post will be adjacent to a brick wall on my house. This is obviously a large gate, and I'm planning on attaching an automatic opener. So, I'm trying to ensure the integrity of the gate post and I'm considering various options.
A 6x6 post sunk in concrete is one option, but I have my doubts about the long term integrity of any wooden gatepost. I'm considering sinking a large PVC pipe (6" or 8" Diameter?) into a narrow hole with a flared bottom, running some rebar up the inside of the PVC, backfilling tightly and then filling the whole thing with concrete. I'd run some smaller PVC across the pipe to make holes for bolts to attach the hinges, etc. I'm concerned, however, about the long term UV stability of normal PVC, although it is the north side of the house on a shaded lot.
Another option would be to attach the gate post to the house, but that would put a strong lateral load on the brick, which I don't believe is the strength of brick construction.
Does anyone have any experience with large, strong gate posts, or any comments on my plans? Thanks in advance for your help.
Rob