Fences and Gates - Metal posts to support 6' x 8' wood gate
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racolton
06-24-09, 12:48 PM
I'm building a 6' tall privacy fence with PostMaster (http://homeowners.masterhalco.com/homeown.nsf/woodpostmaster) metal posts, but I'm wondering what to use for the gate posts. It will be a double gate, two 6' tall x 8' wide panels matching the rest of the fence. One gate post will be only 1' from a corner post (so I can't really run a brace from the top of the gate post to the bottom of the next post to help support it), and the other one will be at the end of a 40' line of fence. How big of a metal post would I need, and where would I find it? (I assume it needs to be galvanized?) Also, the post hole is going down 5'+, should there be rebar in there to keep that big chunk of concrete together?
lefty
06-25-09, 09:22 PM
First off, unless you have a piece of farm equipment that requires that wide of a gate opening, I can't imagine any reason in the world why you think it needs to be that wide. (My posts are 11' apart, which leaves a net opening of 10-1/2', and I've never had a problem backing my 8-1/2' wide trailer thru them!)
If you need an opening that wide, use 3 rail steel gates or chain link panels so you don't have the weight of wood gate panels.
If you insist on using wood gate panels that wide, go with MINIMUM 6" schedule 80 steel posts, and fill them with concrete. Also, use steel frames for the gate panels, rather than wood frames. Wood frames at that width will be sagged before you get the last fence board attached!
If you need an opening that wide, use 3 rail steel gates or chain link panels so you don't have the weight of wood gate panels.
If you insist on using wood gate panels that wide, go with MINIMUM 6" schedule 80 steel posts, and fill them with concrete. Also, use steel frames for the gate panels, rather than wood frames. Wood frames at that width will be sagged before you get the last fence board attached!
racolton
06-25-09, 09:59 PM
I'm not sure if it *needs* to be 16' - I just saw that the metal gate frame went to 96", so thought a double wide gate would make it easier to back trailers through. (27' Airstream and 17' flatbed, I can easily see myself wiping out a fence post.) :) Would the supporting posts need to be the same size if I reduced the gate to 10'? (Still with 6' tall cedar privacy panels)
lefty
06-26-09, 07:04 PM
My gate panels are 6' high X 5-1/2' vinyl panels attached to a steel frame. For the posts, I embedded 2-3/8" steel posts in footings that are 30" deep (18" square), and once the slab was poured, wrapped the steel posts with 12" slump column blocks.
(Those panels are light enough that I can pick one up by myself. I couldn't pick up a wood gate panel that size.)
At 8' wide, wood panels will exert a LOT of pressure on whatever you use for posts, and will probably tip them.
I wouldn't make the opening any less than 11' wide between the posts given the trailers that you will be backing through the gate. The thickness of the gate panels will reduce the net opening by about 6". I'm perfectly comfortable backing my 20' X 102" wide trailer through my 10'1/2' wide opening, using nothing but the mirrors on the truck to do it with. I've put it through there a couple thousand times and have yet to touch anything.
(Those panels are light enough that I can pick one up by myself. I couldn't pick up a wood gate panel that size.)
At 8' wide, wood panels will exert a LOT of pressure on whatever you use for posts, and will probably tip them.
I wouldn't make the opening any less than 11' wide between the posts given the trailers that you will be backing through the gate. The thickness of the gate panels will reduce the net opening by about 6". I'm perfectly comfortable backing my 20' X 102" wide trailer through my 10'1/2' wide opening, using nothing but the mirrors on the truck to do it with. I've put it through there a couple thousand times and have yet to touch anything.