subject: How To Choose A Professional Fencing And Gates Installation Company [print this page] installing a gate is relatively simple to do, and if you are reasonably confident, you should not require a professional gate installer. Similar to fence posts, gate posts are typically sunk into the ground. But because of the nature of a metal gate or wooden gate, these need to be installed even more sturdily.
Step 1 Make sure that the gate posts are at least 3 feet longer than their finished height.
Step 2 Lay the gate on the ground with the posts on each side of it in the correct position.
Step 3 Nail three slats of wood across the gate area onto the posts. This will keep them the same distance apart when you pick them up.
Step 4 Dig a trench across the space where the gate will eventually hang. It should be about 6 inches wider than the posts, a foot across, and 3 feet deep at the ends.
Step 5 Put two to three inches of gravel in the bottom of the trench for drainage.
Step 6 Set the posts into the trench.
Step 7 Use a bubble level to check that the posts are vertical, then brace them with 2-by-4s. Nail one end of each 2-by-4 to the post and the other end to a short stake driven into the ground - the idea is to hold the post firmly in place (see Tips).
Step 8 Mix the concrete: one part cement, two parts sand, three parts gravel. Add enough water to make it thick but not chunky.
Step 9 Pour concrete into the trench up to ground level.
Step 10 Poke the air bubbles out of the concrete with a 1-by-2 board.
Step 11 Check the level and adjust the posts if necessary.
Step 12 Use a trowel to add some more concrete around the base of each post, making it mound-shaped.
This will allow water to run off and not pool around the posts.
Step 13 Level the concrete in the center part of the trench with the ground, sloping in one direction just slightly for water runoff.
Hints and Tips:
When bracing the gate posts, two boards nailed to adjoining sides of the post should keep it steady and vertical. An old wheelbarrow and a shovel work well for mixing concrete. Be sure to rinse them thoroughly before the concrete dries.
