# Gap size between cedar post and gate?



## jmeander (Jul 4, 2012)

I just had a cedar board-on-board style fence installed. The gate is board-on-board also. On the latch side there is gap between the post and gate of about 1-1/2". On the hinge side the gap is minimal. The gap seems extraordinarily large to me. I went to install a hook-eye to prevent accidental openings by my dog and found that anyone could easily slide their hand through the gap and slide the hook off the eye. 

I haven't paid in full yet. Is it reasonable to request that this be fixed and is rebuilding the entire gate the only way to do this? They already fixed an installation issue that rendered the latch locking function nearly unusable and unfortunately I did not notice the gap - I was too focused on the latch itself! 

Thanks for any advice.


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## GBrackins (Apr 26, 2012)

I would express my concerns to the person building your fence and gate, they may be able to come up with a solution that would make you both winners. Maybe moving the gate over 3/4" of an inch/center the gate in the opening would work. 

Good luck!


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## ratherbefishing (Jan 13, 2011)

How about adding a 2x2 to the latch side to fill the gap and act as a stop?


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## Joe Carola (Apr 14, 2006)

jmeander said:


> I just had a cedar board-on-board style fence installed. The gate is board-on-board also. On the latch side there is gap between the post and gate of about 1-1/2". On the hinge side the gap is minimal. The gap seems extraordinarily large to me. I went to install a hook-eye to prevent accidental openings by my dog and found that anyone could easily slide their hand through the gap and slide the hook off the eye.
> 
> I haven't paid in full yet. Is it reasonable to request that this be fixed and is rebuilding the entire gate the only way to do this? They already fixed an installation issue that rendered the latch locking function nearly unusable and unfortunately I did not notice the gap - I was too focused on the latch itself!
> 
> Thanks for any advice.


Can you take a close-up picture of both sides of the gate and post it here.


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

The gap will only be a 1/4" at the top once the gate stops sagging. :laughing:


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Without a picture it's anyones guess.
You will need a real gate latch not a hook and eye.


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## Joe Carola (Apr 14, 2006)

Aaronjohn said:


> The frost line is the key factor in the depth of the post placement. The gravel is the best way to allow the drainage that causes the deterioration of the wood.


And what the that have to do with the gap in his gate?


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## jmeander (Jul 4, 2012)

Thanks for the replies. Here are the photos. FWIW, I'm on a corner and this gap is right along the sidewalk where there is a great deal of foot traffic, and the gate opens directly into the patio area. 

Fence 1: Inside view of latch-side gap.
Fence 2: Outside view of hinge side. 
Fence 3: View looking down over hinge side.
Fence 4: Outside view of latch-side gap.
Fence 5: Outside view of hinge side.
Fence 6: Inside full view.

As I was taking these I noticed that the hinge is probably too wide for the board-on-board style gate - the farthest screw is beyond the first board. The original quote specified solid gate, however during installation there were a couple minor site adjustments made and within that the installer asked if I wanted solid or shadowbox. I like that this style makes the gate more 'invisible' -- and said shadowbox would be great. 

That change has wrought these problems. When the owner visited last week to address the latch repair he said they only install solid gates and it never should have been board-on-board, thus it's my fault that they had to fix the latch, but he would take care of it. Fine, then the installer never should have offered board-on-board as an option if he wasn't equipped to install it properly.

If this gap is within reason, irrespective of gate style, then fine. I'll pay up today and move on. Unlike everyone else I've met or spoken with at this company, the owner is not a particularly pleasant person to deal with. 

I like the suggestion that the gate be rehung, centered. That would take care of the too-wide hinge strap issue as well. Would it be reasonable to ask that the board to which the hinge is screwed be replaced as well, as the old/new holes would really be too close to each other for long-term stability? 

Thanks again. I hate the thought of being a problem customer but on the other hand, a walk through the neighborhood revealed that nobody else's gap is this great so I don't feel like I'm out in left field. I just wish I'd noticed this last week when they came to fix the latch. Maybe I should just tell him about the issue, ask for a board and rehang the thing myself.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Did he install three hindges? If not there should have been.
I see a few things I would have done differant.
I would have used hindges with shorter straps so the last one is not just hanging in the air.
On the back side of the gate I would have installed the boards by installing the first and last ones first. (the ones on the far left and right) then installed the rest trying to keep them evenly spaced.
That way the ends look even and the latch would be sitting on a fill board.

One trick I've leaned is that style latch comes several differant ways.
There's one that the locking rod floats (not just fixed in one position).
What it does is it self adjust when the gate sags or the post move.


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## jmeander (Jul 4, 2012)

There are only two hinges, and I believe they probably only carry (at least on the truck) the longer ones as they "only install solid gates" and therefore the screw placement isn't an issue. It's a three-rail fence so ostensibly, three hinges makes sense. It also probably makes sense not to unscrew the existing hinge from the post and weaken that connection, so if I get them to replace the board behind the hinges and rehang the gate centered in the opening I think I'd be reasonably happy. If I can get him to install a third hinge at the same time, that'd be a great bonus but I highly doubt it based on my previous conversation with him. But thanks for the tip and at the very least, I can probably buy a third hinge from their shop and add it to the middle rail.


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

It seems completely reasonable to expect the gate to "fit" the opening, which, in my mind, includes reasonably centered, so I would not consider that to be the request of a "problem customer". I agree that it should have 3 hinges, and not to change the picture dramatically, but you alluded to a possible concern of "anyone easily sliding their hand through the gap and sliding the hook off the eye", so, with that in mind, I think that I would have either used a butt hinge, or otherwise mounted the hinges such that they and the latch were not visible from the street side, effectively blending the gate into the fence, at least from the standpoint of anyone who was not invited in; one of those cases of "out of sight, out of mind". Also, in my experience, all gates eventually warp, so you might consider adding stops as someone mentioned, one in the upper third and one in the lower third, and positioning corresponding eyes and hooks such that they draw the gate to the stops, which may give it some additional life.


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