Framing the Gate

I have been working on the gate for about a week. The main posts are holding up well and it was a slow process of building the rails, roofs, and supporting posts a bit at a a time - usually after work. We have not had much rain and the days warmed up, so it was easy to get working as soon as I got home. It is also staying lighter into the evening each day.


Below you can see the gate just after I finished installing the rails and roofing. The dimensions match the rest of the fence elsewhere in the garden.

I also had to climb up onto the ladder and saw off the top section of the main posts - down to about 84 inches, the hight I used on the back gate. It was tricky, but Catherine came out and held the ladder steady while I sawed away.

Below is the posts at the intended height. It will not look so high once the main arbor rails are installed. I can't install them until after they are pre-stained on both sides and I have had a chance to stain the entire gate structure.

Below is a shot looking in from the street. Most of this work was done between Monday (April 16)  and Friday (April 20) after work.

On Saturday, I spent most of the day working on installing the supporting posts and the support rails. First, I had to establish the proper high and get things level. I used the back gate as a model. As a result,  the dimensions are the same (except the width of the entry way).

The supporting posts were not cemented in - in case I need to remove them at some point - however, they rest on a bed of gravel for drainage and are at least 3 feet in the ground.

The supporting rails are attached with lag bolts and small screws. Adding these posts have ensured that the gate will not budge. The same design was used on the back gate, and it has held up remarkably well after its first winter.

I finished with all the posts and rails just before the rain came on Friday afternoon. The garden plants welcome the rain after a long dry spring/winter. My next step is to stain this structure and pre-stain the arbor rails in the garage. I will now need to wait for the weather to dry up again - it could be a while.