Today, a variety of materials are used in construction. Diversity has led some resources to become much more popular than others, pushing them out of the market. However, wood has always been and remains a common material, despite the fact that it has been used for a very, very long time. Wooden gates and wickets will never lose their appeal.
Why wood?
Many may ask why wood, if there are many other, more modern materials. The answer here is pretty simple. Firstly, making and installing wood gates with your own hands is a task that almost anyone can handle. To do the same, but from metal or other material will be much more difficult. Secondly, it is much easier to process such raw materials. It is possible to apply a wide variety of artistic carvings, patterns and other things. All this cannot be done on metal and other material.
Types of gates
Before you start making wooden gates with your own hands, you should decide on the type of this product. In total, there are three main types of gates: swing, retractable, lifting.
The most common type is, of course, swing. Such gates can have either one or two doors that open inward or outward. In order to lock the gate, most often a padlock or a latch is used. The big disadvantage of such a fence will be that it will take a lot of space to open them. In addition, the wider the leaves of the wooden gate, the more space will be needed. It is also worth adding that it is best to carry out installation in such a way that they open inward. Then they will not block, for example, the sidewalk on the street or the roadway, if the site is adjacent to the road.
The second option is rollback. Naturally, the main difference and advantage of this type over the previous one is that they take up much less space. This is mainly due to the fact that they will open with the help of rollers. The gate leaves will move apart, close to the fence. However, for the normal operation of such wooden gates at any time of the year, it will be necessary to clean the paths along which the rollers move from dirt, debris, leaves, snow, etc. Naturally, the installation of this type of fence is only possible if there is a sufficiently straight section on the sides so that the wings can diverge to the sides.
The third and rarest type, perhaps, is the lifting gate. openthey are with the help of a cord or a rope that lifts a monolithic wooden canvas up. However, it is fair to note here that it is not advisable to install such wooden gates to enter the site. They are best suited to a garage, for example.
Swing gate option
Since this option is considered the most common, it is worth considering how to make a wooden gate of this particular type. Naturally, the work begins with what makes up the drawing. This can be done manually or on a computer. The final scheme should look something like this: frame image, canvas image, canvas fastening method. It is also worth applying all the small details, such as handles, bolts, latches, etc.
Choosing wood for construction
This question is about half of the successful implementation of the entire construction. There are many photos of wooden gates that amaze with their beauty, but few people know that it was the right choice of raw materials that became the key to success. It should be noted right away that buying expensive wood species is not always necessary. A product even from ordinary cheap pine can look beautiful. The texture of such wood is quite pleasant, the tree itself is very soft, and therefore there will be no problems during processing. Further, regardless of which type of wood will be chosen, it is important to ensure that the percentage of moisture does not exceed 18. If this value is higher, then after completion of construction, the wood is likely todries up and the gate warps. Another necessary step that must be completed before starting construction is the impregnation of raw materials with antiseptic and fire retardant substances. This will significantly extend the life of the material, protecting it from pests and rot.
Gate supports
You can find many photos of wooden gates for a private house, which will seem quite impressive. This is mainly achieved through powerful supports. Of course, they can also be made from wood, but we must not forget that they will be under significant load all the time.
In order to further increase the service life, it is necessary to cover that part of the support that goes underground with bitumen, and cover it with roofing material on top. All this will help protect the tree from moisture. Some prefer a combination of wood and metal. Metal poles, of course, will be more durable, however, they will also have to be carefully processed, otherwise they will become rusty. To avoid this, you need to clean the surface, degrease, paint with anti-corrosion paint or cover with two layers of anti-corrosion primer.
Materials and tools
In order to make a wooden gate for a private house on your own, you will need the following tools:
- roulette, plumb line, level;
- drill, screwdriver;
- drill, grinder, hacksaw;
- welding machine.
You'll need a welder, sohow metal poles will be used. To work, you will need minimal knowledge and skills to work with this tool. However, if there are not even them, then you can replace metal with wood. Of the basic materials for construction you will need:
- 150 mm pipes are used as supports;
- pipes are also used for the frame, but already 50 mm;
- reinforcement bars 10 mm will be used to reinforce the frame;
- steel corners;
- loops in the amount of 6 pieces;
- you will need 4 beams 50 x 50 mm;
- boards for sheathing gates;
- paint or varnish to coat wood;
- cement, sand, gravel;
- necessary fittings (latches, bolts, handles).
Installation of gate supports
In order to successfully make wooden swing gates with your own hands, you must follow the instructions.
- Work begins with the installation of support pillars. To do this, 150 mm pipes are cut to the desired length, cleaned and coated with an anti-corrosion compound. The height of these parts should be greater than the gate itself, at least 1 m. That is how much you need to dig into the ground. If the fence is planned to be made heavy and bulky, then it is better to increase it to 1.5 m.
- Pits are dug, the diameter of which is larger than the diameter of the pillars by about 20-25 cm. You can use a drill or a shovel.
- At the bottom of the pit, you need to pour a layer of rubble 15 cm. The layer must be carefully tamped. To do this, crushed stone can be slightly moistened with water.
- Inside the holea formwork is installed, in the center of which a pillar is placed. Here it is advisable to work together to successfully install the pole.
- Next, a regular mortar is prepared from cement and sand in a ratio of 2:3. The resulting mixture is filled with the entire space between the support and the formwork. If you need to get a stronger mixture, you can add crushed stone. Then the proportions will be 2:2:3.
Continuation of work
After the pillars have been concreted, work stops until the mortar is completely dry.
- After the concrete is completely dry, loops are welded to the posts at the desired height. The ends of these devices are closed with plugs to prevent debris from getting inside. For reliable fastening of the sash, three loops are required for each post. It is important that each loop is at the same distance from each other. The top and bottom loops should be 20-25 cm away from the end of the post.
- In order to assemble the frame, 50 mm pipes are taken for the first sash and cut into the required number of parts. After that, all the resulting segments are laid out on a flat surface in the way they will be installed on the gate. After checking all the verticals and evenness of the corners, you can begin to weld the structure.
- The frame for the second door is assembled in a similar way. It is important that the diagonals match the first one.
- A steel bar is welded diagonally across the entire frame. This is done to increase the strength of the gate.
- After that, they are welded"ears" to the frame, of course, in accordance with the hinges on the pillars. Some help is needed here to have someone hold the sashes while the other one does the markings.
Finish mounting
After completing all the above steps, installation is almost complete.
- Steel corners are welded on top and bottom of the frame. This should be done at a small distance from the side elements (20-30 cm).
- Next, you need to attach the boards to the bars. This will be the door trim. There may be two options here. Either the boards are placed close to each other, forming a continuous canvas, or with a small gap. If the installation goes according to the second method, then it is better to first make a markup so that the boards have an equal distance between each other. A small nuance - the boards should be slightly longer than the frame at the bottom and top.
- After that, it remains only to hang the sashes on the hinges. The last step is the fastening of the selected fittings. It is worth varnishing and painting the gate before attaching handles, bolts, etc. It is recommended to check the quality of the coating annually so that the wood lasts a long time and reliably.
A little decoration
The use of wood as the main material has one significant plus, the possibility of decorating the surface. Here you can show maximum imagination. For example, if pine was used for construction, you can use stain to give it a more attractive appearance by changing the texture of the wood.
If you have the desire and ability to carve wood, then you should think about decorating the gatein exactly this way. You can also decorate the doors with colorful mosaics, for example.
