A garden gate gets used every single day, which is precisely why so many of them drop, drag and stop latching within a year. Ben makes and hangs garden and side gates across South Wales on posts sized for the job.
Almost every failed gate is a post problem, not a gate problem. Every swing puts leverage on the hinge post, so if that post is shallow, undersized or not concreted properly it works loose, the gate drops, and then it catches on the ground and misses the latch. Setting the hinge post deeper and heavier than a normal fence post is what stops that happening.
Made to fit beats off-the-shelf on an opening that is rarely square. Older properties, sloping paths and gaps between houses almost never match a standard gate width, and forcing a stock gate into an odd opening leaves gaps at one side or a gate that fouls the ground as it swings. A gate built to the actual opening sits right and stays right.
Side gates also do a security job, so the latch, the hinges and the height matter as much as the look. Ben checks the opening, the ground fall, the swing direction and the latch side on the free site visit, then quotes a written fixed price — and can tie the gate into a matching fence run so it reads as one job rather than a gate bolted on afterwards.
Nearly always because the hinge post was not set deep or strong enough. Every open and close levers on that post, so a shallow or undersized one works loose over time and the gate drops, drags and misses the latch. Re-setting the post properly fixes it for good.
Yes — most openings are not a standard size, especially on older properties and sloping paths. Ben measures the actual opening and the ground fall and builds the gate to fit it, rather than forcing a stock size in and leaving gaps or catching.
Yes, and it looks far better when it does. Ben can build the gate in the same timber and style as a new or existing fence run so the boundary reads as one continuous job instead of a gate added as an afterthought.
More on our common questions page.
Side gates, garden gates and access gates — made, hung and set to swing true and latch first time.
Garden gates →See this service in your area.
driveway gates near me →Made-to-measure timber gates — driveway, side and garden, built solid and hung to last.
Wooden gates →See all the areas we cover, or read our common questions.
No call-out fee, no obligation. Tell Ben what you are after and he will arrange a free site visit, then quote you a fixed price.