Deck Gates: a Simple Wood Working Project How To!
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How to build a simple outdoor deck gate! With my deck railings finally complete it was time to figure out how I was going to build the gates across the two entrances I have to my deck. My first issue was pretty obvious to me, I wanted them to swing entirely out of the way and remain open year around. I also wanted them to “match” the deck rails I had already made. So, I built my gate frames out of wood first!
Using 1×6 green treated deck boards I built two separate gates.
One of the entrances is over five feet wide but I decided to go ahead and make a gate big enough to span the distance anyway.
I cut four boards per gate at a 45 degree angle. I almost used my jig kit for this situation but green treated lumber is pretty soft and forgiving so I just really carefully drove 3″ deck screws through the side and down the middle of my mitered corners.
With them built I hung them first using outdoor hinges before adding the conduit.
I made both gates just tall enough so the top of the gates hit just underneath the top rail both for looks and so that I could put a bracket there to grab and hold them so their weight would be entirely off of the hinges when not in use.
I could only have one of the gates swing out like I wanted them both to because of the railing I had already built on one of the staircases. With both gates hung I then lined up my conduit to run exactly in line with the deck conduit and attached it with conduit straps.
I got a little creative with my latch situation because I didn’t want to have to buy extra latches. I bought three latches and then one gate got two tongues and one latch while the other gate got one tongue and two latches… Did that make any sense at all? It means both gates have a place to latch to whether they’re closed or open to take the weight off the hinges… and, in the end, I didn’t have any extra parts that I wasted money on.
They work great for what I need right now!
Enjoyed the project?
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GrandmasHouseDIY on May 24, 2018
Thanks!
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Amy Pete-Ochoa on Jun 02, 2019
I have been trying to find gate ideas for my deck. I have two entrances as well. This idea is by far the easiest one I have found so far. So, I'm going to give it a go. I'll let you know how it goes. Thank you for sharing.
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GrandmasHouseDIY on Jun 03, 2019
Hi Amy, so far they're still holding up pretty good for me. I made sure to have a latch to have hold them open or closed and I think that's helped them keep their integrity over the years.
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Looks great, good for keeping out/in large dogs or deer, but what about cats, coons ? Maybe I could put more strips of conduit for them. I live in the middle of the woods and have many visitors, especially squirrels who come for the birdseed. The deer come for my houseplants and vegies.