Choosing a width that suits a narrow garden
Start with what has to go through the opening. A person on foot needs far less than someone pushing a loaded wheelbarrow, and a wheelie bin or a bicycle sits somewhere in between. In a long, narrow garden the gate is often the only way for bins and tools to reach the road, so it is worth measuring the widest thing you will ever carry through and adding a little room either side.
Many householders pick the narrowest gate that looks neat, then regret it the first time a lawnmower or a flat-pack delivery needs to pass. A slightly wider opening costs very little extra in timber and saves years of scraped knuckles. If space is tight between a house wall and a boundary, we can talk through whether a single or a double leaf makes more sense. Think about the whole life of the garden, from pushing a pram to hauling a skip bag.
Posts do the real work
A gate swings on its posts, and everything depends on them. The hanging post carries the whole weight of the leaf and gets pulled sideways every time the gate opens, so it needs to be heavier than the posts in the rest of the run and set deep in firm concrete. A thin post that looks fine on day one will lean and let the gate drop.
The latch post matters too, though it carries less load. Both posts must stay parallel, with the same gap top and bottom, or the gate will bind in wet weather and rattle in dry. Where the new gate joins an older fence, we often replace the neighbouring post as well, because an old post that has softened at ground level cannot hold a gate square for long. It is often simpler to replace both posts together than to patch one, and the finished run looks better for it.
Hinges, latches, bracing and ground clearance
Use strong hinges that match the weight of the gate, fixed with coach bolts or long screws rather than short ones that pull out of the end grain. A braced frame, with the diagonal running up from the hinge side to the latch side, stops the leaf sagging into a parallelogram. Fit the brace the right way round, because the wrong way does nothing useful. Check the screws are not short for the job.
Leave a gap under the gate so it clears the ground, plus a little extra if the path slopes towards the opening or gets wet leaves and mud. Finally, match the gate to the fence beside it in height, board style and finish, so it looks like part of the run and not something added on afterwards. Painting or staining the cut ends before fitting adds years to the timber.
Quick tips
- Measure the widest thing you will carry through, such as a wheelbarrow or bin, and choose a gate a little wider than that.
- Hang the gate so it opens onto the garden or the path you use most, and check nothing blocks the swing.
- Ask for a heavier hanging post than the rest of the run and make sure it is set in firm concrete.
- Check the clearance under the gate across the full swing, because paths that rise or slope can catch the bottom rail.
If you have a gate to fit or a sagging one to put right in Kings Heath, B14, call us or send a photo with the fence location. We also work in Moseley and Kings Norton, so tell us roughly where you are and we will talk it through with no pressure.
Frequently asked questions
How wide should a back garden gate be in a long, narrow garden?
Measure the widest thing you will ever take through, such as a wheelbarrow, bin or lawnmower, then add a little room each side. In Kings Heath, where the gate is often the only route to the road, a slightly wider opening avoids regret later.
Why does the hanging post need to be heavier than the rest of the run?
The hanging post carries the whole weight of the leaf and is pulled sideways every time the gate opens. It needs to be sturdier than the line posts and set deep in firm concrete, otherwise it leans and the gate drops.
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