Vinyl fencing has become a popular fencing material throughout the years due to its numerous advantageous qualities that homeowners appreciate. Vinyl fencing is designed and produced to satisfy the expectations of homeowners in terms of quality, minimal maintenance, and durability, which can be lacking in other fences. A wood fence will deteriorate and require numerous hours and dollars of upkeep over the course of the year. As a result, vinyl has become the ideal fencing solution for the majority of properties and homeowners today. Even though there are numerous benefits to a vinyl fence, there are some downfalls.
Sagging fence gates can cause a variety of issues, including difficulty opening and closing, which drives homeowners insane. This is usually due to inexpensive vinyl gate materials and bad installation. The gate is essential for a fence since it is used every day by numerous individuals. In this blog post, we will discuss the causes of drooping fence gates as well as how we can have a gate that not only looks good but also operates well.
Weak Gate Post
Gate posts that are well-built play an important role in the durability of gates. Although it may not be a visible concern, you must have a solid foundation for the gates. For added strength, make sure your gate’s hinge side has an aluminum gate post embedded in the ground. Always ensure that your professional fence contractor adheres to the required depth of the post below the ground. This depth is usually at least four feet deep. Connect the gate to the vinyl post without the aluminum gate post first. The gate pillar will be the meat on which your hinges will be hung. Without this aluminum, your gate would be hung from vinyl, which will deteriorate over time.
Weak Gate Bracing
Bracing may be required to withstand the weight of big vinyl gates. Its goal is to balance the load in the opposite direction. Sagging will occur if the gate is heavy and does not have bracing. This can be done in a variety of methods, including the use of gate braces. A huge swinging gate can also be supported by gate wheels.
Absence of a Gate Frame
A sturdy gate post? What is gate bracing? What about the gate frame? What exactly is it? The addition of a gate frame doubles or even triples the overall strength of the bracing and gate. Your total vinyl fence cost may rise, but it is not money wasted. It will increase your gate’s sag resistance. The greater strength offsets the extra cost, and you’ll be glad you did when you have a strong gate for years to come.
Broken Hinges
When purchasing fence hardware or employing fence professionals, make sure the gate hinges are made of heavy-duty stainless steel. The gates must be fastened, thus the hinges must be robust enough to support them. All of the following are meaningless if the hardware employed for the fence project is subpar and inadequate.
That’s all! We hope you found this post on preventing sagging fence gates useful. If you have any additional inquiries about vinyl fence products, please contact Milton Fencing. We are a Canadian supplier of high-quality vinyl fences.