Building Large Gates

Advice From James at the Front Counter:  

Here at CFC Fences and Decks I am in charge of materials sales and I sell materials to Contractors and homeowners. Customers often come to our showroom asking advice on gates bigger than normal sized walk gates. Something to keep in mind is with a wider gate the heavier the panel is going to be which will cause more stress on the post that is supporting it. If the post is not sturdy enough to support the gate panel; over time it will pull the post out of plumb (not vertical), causing the gate to not work properly.

We stock 4’ and 5’ wide Fortress Iron gates that are 4’ and 6’ tall. The 2” posts we have are strong enough for these stock gates. Let’s say you need a wider gate like a 12’ wide driveway gate. We can build 2- 6’ wide gates to make a double swing gate. We can build custom size gate panels up to 8’ wide that is our restriction because we make them out of the fence panels which are just under 8’ wide.

If your hanging a gate that is 6’ or larger I would suggest using a larger post like a 2.5” or 3” post. Also for larger gates we build them with what is called a truss rod. It is a steel bar that extends from the bottom of the latch side up to the top of the hinge side of the gate. This truss rod will keep the gate square which will keep it from hitting the ground.  The truss rod has an adjustable nut at the top that you can tighten over time as the gate sags.

For gate panels larger than 8’ wide or for decorative gates with arches we go to Fortress who manufactures them for us. For Commercial projects they also make large Swing Gates, Roll Gates, and Cantilever Gates.  The largest swing gate panel they can make is 18’ wide; two can be combined to make a 36’ double gate. Roll and Cantilever gates can be made up to 40’ wide, two can be use to make a double gate up to 80’ wide.