Installing gates slope

So always hinge the gate from a post on the low side of the slope. Just like parallel slopes, perpendicular slopes also determine the direction a gate must swing. In this scenario, the gate should always swing towards to low side of the slope. Just like the gate swinging away from the high side on a parallel slope, a gate swinging away from the high side on a perpendicular slope will also provide more distance between the bottom of the gate and the ground when opened.

If the gate were to swing towards the high side of the slope, it would result in the gate dragging the ground before it was ever fully able to open.

That is unless the gate is elevated enough to allow clearance. However, at that point, the space below the gate would be much higher than acceptable for most applications. Even when the slope is subtle enough that you may not think it matters, it does. When grass gets long, or winter comes and snow accumulates, every extra inch of clearance matters.

We just learned how the type of slope impacts what side a gate should hinge on and the direction is opens. But what changes when the type of gate changes? Is there a difference between a single man gate, a double gate or even driveway gates on a slope? For single gates, the answer remains the same. The slope of the land determines what direction the gate swings and what side to hinge it on. However, other factors effect double gates and driveway gates on a slope.

A double gate is two single gates that meet in the middle without the need of a center support post. This means that one gate will have to hinge on the low side as recommended above.

However, this means the other gate will have to hinge on the post located on the high side of the slope. If you absolutely have to have a double gate and it absolutely has to be located on a slope, there are a few potential issues that will come into play. First, as discussed, the gate hinged on the high side of a parallel slope will most likely not open much past 90 degrees. Second, and probably a problem for most, is the amount of space or gap created beneath the low side of a double gate when on a slope.

The gate hangs level, but the slope drops one half of an inch per foot. That amount of space is normally too much for customers to live with. Either because they have a pet they are trying to contain or because they simply do not care for the look. If you absolutely must install a gate on a hillside consider the following.

Try and keep the gate as narrow as possible. The wider the gate, the more likely you are to run into operational problems. When installing the gate, think long and hard about how it will be swinging open and closing. In some cases this may not work but it is another option.

In conclusion, it is best to try and avoid installing a gate on a hillside but if unavoidable, test every option and consider interferences before finalizing the installation. If you are having difficulty accessing information on this website or need materials in an alternate format, please contact sales pacificfence. Skip to content sales pacificfence. Contact Us. This will leave you with a leveled plateau surrounding the gate. When you build your gate, keep the top level but build the bottom so that it is at the same angle as the lay of the land, as demonstrated in this video.

You can build a racked gate in which all of the horizontal poles or boards follow the angle of the slope. Such gate can be lifted in either direction to accommodate the lay of the land, as demonstrated in this video. Wide gates will pose a whole lot more problems. This can add up to immediate and ongoing problems as well as ever-increasing complications in the long run.

Farm gates take a beating.