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Fencing around your yard can make your place look more beautiful than ever and it needs a well-designed gate. You can use an extra part of your wood fence panel to create a gate. That guarantees the new gate will blend well with the rest of the fencing.
A gate hardware kit makes it easy to create the gate from a wood fence panel. You’ll need a measuring tape and a power drill to get a durable, no sagging gate.
The best part is if you’ve got the right size fence panel, you are likely to finish the gate installation in 30 minutes.
Read on for the guide to how to build your own gate out of a fence panel.
How to Make a Gate Out of a Fence Panel
Step 1: Measure the width of your gate
First, take the measurements of the gate opening. Use a measuring tape to determine how wide the entrance will be.
Keep in your mind that the gate opening you want will be about 1 inch larger in width than the fence panel.
This 1-inch gap allows for the swinging movement and fittings of the gate.
Step 2: Optional, Cut the fence according to the size
You can skip this step if your fence panel is the correct size for the gate opening.
If you’re creating only part of the panel as a gate, or the opening is smaller, you will need to cut the fence panel where you want the gate.
Use a circular saw. Small fences can be cut with a hack saw. Use the saw in between the vertical pallets to make a smooth cut.
Step 3: Attach brackets to make the gate stronger
From the gate hardware kit, attach the brackets to the top rails and bottom rails.
Use a power drill to attach the screws on the brackets into the wooden gate panel.
If you have cut the fence panel to make it smaller, you will want to add diagonal plates that will prevent the fence panel from falling apart.
Step 4: Attach hinges to the gate and fence
Get the hinges and measure where you will be attaching the fence panel. Use a pencil to mark where the holes are to line up on the gate and the fence panel post that it will attach to.
With a power drill, attach the screws and hinges to the fence panel gate.
Drill the holes into the fence panel post that will be holding the gate.
For this step, you may want someone to help hold up the gate. When the gate is steady, attach the hinges to the fence panel post.
Your gate is now installed!
Step 5: Attach a latch to finish up the gate
Now that you have installed the gate to the fence, you will want to attach a latch to it. Connecting a latch to the gate on your lawn gives you control and privacy.
First, you want to choose the right latch for you.
The most popular is a simple hook and eye latch. You will have to manually put the hook in.
For convenience, a personal favorite is a self-locking latch. The gravity lever closes automatically. You can add a standard size padlock for when you want more security.
Consider the measurements and weight of your gate. If you’ve got a big gate or heavy steel gate, make sure you have the big gate latch.
Finally, the other option is a decorative pull with a latch.
The latch comes in two pieces. One part is to be placed on the fence, and the other part is to be placed on the gate.
Place the latch on the closed gate door and mark the holes with a pencil.
Use a power drill to put the screws into the gate, and then the fence panel post.
Congrats, now you’ve got a fully functional gate with your fence.
Keeping up with the beauty of the fence will require some maintenance. Wash stains and mold away with a mixture of water and vinegar or use a pressure washer. Squeaky gate parts can work like new again by adding lubrication to the joints.
The section below will be about different material fences and double fence gates.
Convert Vinyl Fence Panel into Gate
The vinyl fences or PVC fences are more resilient than wood fence panels. They come in more color choices such as the white cottage picket fence.
Because of its sturdiness, you will likely not need to add braces. This is assuming you are not cutting or shortening the panel.
If you are cutting or shortening the panel, use a steel frame gate kit to support the resized fence panel.
Otherwise, making a gate out of a vinyl fence is much like making a wood fence panel gate.
You will need a gate installation kit, measuring tape, and a power drill.
With white picket fences, the contrast of black hinges is trendy. You can also choose white hinges for a less noticeable gate.
Hold up the hinges and measure them against the gate. Mark with a pencil or marker where the holes will be drilled.
With a power drill, attach the hinges to the fence panel gate.
You may want someone to help steady the gate while you attach the gate to the fence panel post.
Finally, mark the holes of the latch. Attach the latch with the screws.
How to Build a Double Fence Gate?
A double fence is made for the bigger entrance to your lawn or countryside home.
You can use two fence panels and they will open and close like french doors for the lawn.
Attach two anti-sag gate braces, one to each fence panel. This improves the strength of the double panel design so that it will not sag in the future.
You will need to attach at least 4 hinges. That is 2 hinges per gate. The hinges of the double gate should be attached to the opposite sides of the fence posts.
Then attach a double gate latch. Common double gate latches are drop rods and self-locking latches.
Takeaway
Making a gate out of a fence panel is easy with a gate bracket kit and simple gates can be put up in 30 minutes.
For double gates and cut wood panels, add a gate brace on each panel for extra support. The telescoping brace will adjust to many gate sizes.
You can also restore an old sagging gate by installing a steel frame.
Get ready to build a gate made out of a fence panel for your lawn and amaze everyone around with functional beauty.
