Garden gates

[bluenose]

Hello folks, I am just about to build a couple of garden gates. They will be about 1900mm by 800mm and will be constructed in the ledge and brace manner. I will be using pressure treated tongue and groove that is 85mm wide by 15mm thick and the ledge and braces are again pressure treated and are approximately 88mm by 38mm.

One of my major concerns is, should I push the tongue and groove planks right up tight or do I leave an amount to allow for expansion, and if so, how much should I leave. My obvious concern is to try to avoid the 'cupping' effect when the gates are constantly wet and dry.

Do I fit the braces diagonally from the hinge side of the gate?

How much of a gap should I leave between the actual gate and the frame opening?

This is my first attempt at gate making and so any advice and guidance will be much appreciated. Thank you.

 

[G S Haydon]

Hello Bluenose

Because the timber is pressure treated it would most likely shrink. I would gently squeeze them up tightish which would allow them to swell a little or if they shrink it would allow plenty of tongue to still cover. The 38mm Ledges and braces would help control the cupping as they are a good thickness.

Imagine the hinge side as a wall, imagine the ledge as a shelf. To stop the shelf dropping your would brace it from the wall to the front edge of the shelf. Same principle with a door.

On a gate like this 5mm top and each side and 15mm at the bottom should be just fine. You can go a bit tighter if you want on the width as it may shrink.

If you are feeling really old school you could clench nail too. Unsightly to some perhaps but very strong. To do this use nails longer than the combined thickness of the door, and bend them over using a nail punch on the ledge side. I would recommend trialing this on and off cut as not everyone like the look.

 

[rafezetter]

I've pulled apart a few old ledge and brace doors to salvage the wood and almost without exception they were reasonably tight together planks and nailed twice at the edges diagonally into the brace behind.

As for the gap from frame to door - more than normal for an interior door - my shed door (which I didn't construct) used to stick top and side regularly after a few wet days even though it was not getting directly wet and I had to plane several mm's off it to get it ok, even with it being treated with some ghastly orange stuff or other - so for one in constant weather I'd guess at 5mm - google ledge and brace gate and look at some pictures of fitted ones, the gap is quite obvious even at a distance.

these might help

http://backgates.bttradespace.com/our-galleries/making-a-door-quick-steps

http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?title=Making_a_framed_ledge_and_brace_door

giving the whole thing a good covering of protection of some sort will help, don't just rely on the pressure treatment - if painting; a good coat of aluminium primer first and really work it in the nooks, then several coats of good exterior paint.

varnish use an outdoor grade - yacht varnish is good as it moves with the wood and is designed for harsh weather extremes without cracking - again work it right in - a thinned more penetrating soak coat first then several full strength.

Obviously there's outdoor oils / cuprinol etc etc depending on the look you're after - a search in the forum should bring up more details advice threads on them as I've not used them myself.

 

[bluenose]

Some great advice there so many thanks to G S Haydon and rafezetter, I think I know where I'm going now. Thanks again.

 

[twothumbs]

Hi . You might consider painting all the hidden faces ie rebates, the board tongues, and so on before you assemble. It will extend the life span. Also,don't know your bottom detail but you don't want the boards sitting in a bottom rebate but being free to drain at the bottom edge. Best wsihes