A driveway gate can be made from a simple wood or wrought iron structure that can be opened manually or even automatically depending on your budget. No matter what it is made of, it will have a few common things which are essential parts of the gate\’s operation. A driveway gate is not just the main entrance to your house but it also keeps your driveway private and ensures safety to your house. Below are some guides on how to make driveway gates.
What you need:
- Safety glasses
- Gloves
- 2 treated posts (8-by-8-inch by 10 feet)
- 3 treated boards (2-by-10-inch by 14 feet)
- 3 treated boards ( 2-by-10-inch by 8 feet)
- Saw
- Hammer
- Tape measure
- 12-inch carpenter\’s square
- 1 pound 16d framing nails
- 2 hinges
- 1 hasp
- 1 padlock
- Shovel
- 4 bags concrete mix
- Water
Method:
- Dig a 3-feet deep and 2-feet wide hole on both sides of driveway. Insert the gate post (8-by-8-inch gate post) into the hole on each side, add 1 foot of dirt and compress the dirt around it.
- Pour two bags of concrete mix to each post hole with the recommended amount of water using a shovel and let it dry thoroughly (24 hours).
- Cut the 14-foot boards using a saw measuring 13-feet-by-6-inch and then cut the 8-foot boards to 6-feet.
- Lay the 13-feet-by-6-inch board on driveway with two of them 6-feet apart and the third in the middle. These will be the horizontal boards to the gate.
- Place a short board to the top of the long boards enabling it to touch the edge of all three boards. Then, lay the last 6-foot board across the middle of the three longer boards before nailing the boards together using five nails where each board meets one another.
- Nail one side of the hinges to one of the short boards and place them 1-foot from the top and bottom of gate. Mark a spot at least 2-feet from ground on one post and nail the bottom hinge at the spot followed by the top hinge.
- Nail the hasp to gate in the middle of the short board opposite the hinges and nail the other side of the hasp on post. Finally, place the lock on the hasp.
When it will be completed, you will have your own gate which is way better than nothing. Now you no longer have to worry on who\’s trespassing your property.
Additional Reading:
http://drivewaygateguide.com/
http://ezinearticles.com/?Tips-For-Designing-Durable-Driveway-Gates&id=4131959
http://www.targetwoman.com/articles/driveway-gates.html
http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_4842512_make-driveway-gates.html
Image Credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brizo_the_scot/3716958536/
