Few things are more frustrating than a wooden fence gate that drags across the dirt, scrapes against the latch post, and refuses to latch shut. Over time, gravity, moisture expansion, and the repeated shock of slamming cause rectangular gate frames to rack into parallelograms.
Fortunately, you rarely need to rebuild the entire gate. With an inexpensive anti-sag turnbuckle kit or a diagonal wooden cross-brace, you can restore your gate to smooth, level operation in under an hour.
The 3 Primary Causes of Gate Sag
- Racked Frame: The gate's square corners have shifted out of 90 degrees due to gravity pulling down on the unhinged latch corner.
- Loose Hinge Fasteners: Screws anchoring the top hinge to the post have stripped or pulled loose under tension.
- Leaning Hinge Post: The 4x4 hinge post itself has tilted slightly toward the opening under the weight of the cantilevered gate leaf.
