Replace a New Gate in a Wooden Fence

Just like other things around your property, there comes a time when your wooden fence will need a repair job. The gate can sag, become rotted, and come apart. Once it stops swinging properly, it’s time to replace the old gate with a brand new one.

You have two choices when you’re replacing your wooden gate. You can either construct a new one, or you can purchase a premade one instead. Just make sure that the replacement is the same width, length, and thickness as the old one. The gate must be approximately two inches shorter in width than the width of the opening in your fence. The two inches will allow room for the hinges.

Once you have either constructed or purchased the new wooden gate, you’ll want it to match the color of the fence. It’s much easier to paint or stain the gate now before you hang it up. If you’re going to install new hinges and other hardware on the gate, the time to do it is after the paint or stain has completely dried. Otherwise, if you’re going to reuse the hardware that’s on the existing gate, you’ll need to wait until it’s taken down.

In the meantime, while the paint or stain is drying, you can remove the existing wooden gate. It’s probably attached to your fence with hinges and screws. Or, it may be bolted on. Either way, once you have it off the fence, check the opening to make sure it’s in good shape. Make sure that it’s square, that none of the wood is sagging, rotting, or coming apart. Make any repairs that you need to so the opening will be ready for the new gate.

Before you begin the first step in this project, you’ll need to remove the hardware from the old gate if you’re going to reuse it. Just make sure that you carefully measure the locations of the hardware and that you place it in the same places on the new gate.

The first step in replacing the new wooden gate is to set it inside the fence opening. Check again to make sure it’s the right height and width. If it’s not, you’ll need to correct the problem. Otherwise, you can move on with this project. Raise the wooden gate up by placing a piece of wood underneath it. You’ll need to make sure the gate is raised high enough so the top of the wooden fence and the top of the gate are equal. (If your wooden gate is very long or wide, you’ll need to enlist the aid of a helper at this point.)

You’ll also need to measure and mark the height of your wooden fence too. Then, measure and mark a line across the top and the bottom of where each hinge will be placed on the fence.

The next step in this project is to attach the hinges that are already connected to the wooden gate, onto the fence. Again, it will probably be attached to your fence with hinges and screws. Or, it may be bolted on. Whichever method you use, make sure to install the screws or bolts securely.

The final step in replacing your wooden gate is to remove the wood that you placed underneath the gate to raise it up. Move the gate back and forth and make sure it swings freely. It would be a good idea at this time to spray the hinges with WD-40�. The WD-40 will help the metal hinges resist rust. It will also lubricate the hinges as well and keep them moving smoothly.