What you need to know about your gates

Each day we enter through many doors without giving a second thought to the precision that goes into a door and jamb.  To just effortlessly swing a door open and or slam it shut. And every time the strike hits the strike plate with a high level of accuracy. However, your gate is another story.

Gates will often get out of adjustment over time and will not properly close. Unlike a door which is set into a jamb that completely surrounds the door allowing the door to move in unison with the jamb, a gate is set with two independent gate posts on opposite sides of your gate opening.  Because gate posts can move independently with the unsettling of soil, frost, or extreme change in temperatures. Even a small change in the vertical or horizontal position of the hinge post will result in an exponential movement of the latch hasp on the gate causing your gate to not latch properly.

Not all is lost, your Madison fence contractor has a simple solution. A standard drop fork latch is not impacted by movement in your gate posts.  These latches look like two-prong pitchforks that move up and down.  They are common on chain link and ornamental fencing.  If you have this type of latch; you should be fine.  For latches that use a horizontal rod that strikes or falls into a receiver when the gate is closed, we have another solution. Because these types of latches will require adjustment, we recommend adding 4-way adjustable hinges. With these hinges, you will be able to adjust your gate to changing conditions.

If that sounds like too much to figure out; you should ask your salesman “What do I do if my gate does not shut?”  This should prompt your fence salesman to provide you with some guarantees and options.