Hanging Gate Leaves and Setting Hinges
On a heavy leaf, every hinge decision is a weight decision. The running record gate installation georgetown inside michigan politics holds shows that a gate installation in Georgetown, TX goes fastest when the hinges are chosen for the leaf before it ever leaves the shop.
How is a leaf lifted into place?
Two people can carry a short picket leaf, and anything longer goes on blocks, with a jack or a lift. The leaf is raised on wood shims to the height it will hang, with a gap under it that matches the clearance on the drawing. Setting it on blocks first lets the crew mark the hinge positions on the post before a single bolt goes in.
What types of hinges are used?
Steel gates hang on weld-on barrel hinges, adjustable bolt-on hinges or a pin and sleeve set. A pin and sleeve is the strongest and lets the leaf be lifted off for service. An adjustable hinge lets the leaf be tuned after it is hung, which is useful on a post that may settle in clay. Hinges are sized to the weight, and a six foot picket leaf and a twelve foot solid leaf do not share the same hardware.
How is the hinge line set?
Both hinges sit on one vertical line, checked with a plumb bob or a laser. A hinge line that leans a hair will make the gate swing open or closed on its own. The top hinge carries the pull, and the bottom hinge carries the weight, so the top one is set a few inches below the top rail and the bottom one a few inches above the bottom rail.
How is the leaf welded or bolted on?
On a weld-on set, the hinge is tacked, the gate is swung through its arc and only then is the weld finished. Bolts are tightened evenly and locked with a nut or thread compound. A fresh weld on a galvanized or powder coat surface is cleaned and touched up with a zinc-rich primer, because heat burns the finish off right at the joint.
What does the crew check after hanging?
The leaf is swung slowly through the full arc, with the crew watching the bottom rail for contact with the ground. Gaps are measured at the latch side, top and bottom, and they should match. A gate that is tight at the top and open at the bottom has a post that is out of plumb or a hinge that is out of line, and the fix is made now, not at the next service call.
Near Interstate 35 and other busy roads, a gate that slams on its own is a real hazard, so the arc is tested with the gate opened to a stop and released.