[miamicuse]

I hired a fence company to install a new wood gate.

When they are done I noticed the filler picket on the left side had to be cut unevenly to close the gap. At first I thought may be the post was not plumb, but I measured it and it was plumb.



I outlined the piece in red below. That piece is 1-3/4" at the top, and 5/8" at the bottom, so it's quite noticeable.

When I stepped back and looked at the whole thing, I think the problem is the pickets are crooked. At first I was not going to worry about it, but every time I walked by it's jumping out at me LOL.


Am I being too picky or should I get it fixed?

 

[de-nagorg]

Never hire that company again.

I see uneven spacing in the pickets of the gate.

They all need to be removed, and properly put back with even spacing.

That wedged one should be put where " the sun don't shine", on the foreman of that crew.


ED

 

[miamicuse]

The pickets are held in place by screwing hex head sheet metal screws onto the metal frame, six screws per picket. If I remove them and reposition them I will vacate 36 screw holes on the metal frame and create 36 new screw holes next to the existing holes and probably in some cases end up being partially overlapping the existing holes will they create a problem with a bunch of "figure 8" holes that the screws can't bite well onto the metal?

 

[de-nagorg]

It might.

How hard would it be to replace those rails with new ones, or turn them one notch, to where the top of each rail, is now the face?

Or overlay a new face on the rails?

It looks like the neighbors fence could use some "love", also.


ED

 

[miamicuse]

The rail frame was custom built and welded together. I guess they could flip the entire frame and use the front as the back, and leave the side full of holes exposed. I can grind the blurs down and fill them with bondo or whatever...just not sure which is more unsightly. The wedged piece in the front or the exposed holes towards the back or having new pickets driven with holes on top of old holes...

 

[SPS-1]

Is the post plumb ?

Was the post existing or new ?

If the post is not plumb, then at least one of those pickets is going to be tapered - no way around that. But cutting a taper on a 4" piece is less visible than cutting it on a 1.75" piece.

Is there any paint on that frame ? If its not stainless, it should have been painted before installation.


.

 

[de-nagorg]

If you flip the frame front to back, you could use the holes to hang small decorative pots on to hold moss roses, or other small plants.

It's a shame that the crew did not care enough to make this right the first time.


ED

 

[de-nagorg]

Is the post plumb ?



.

One should read before asking this.

It plainly states in the middle, that he measured the post, and it is plumb.


ED

 

[Nealtw]

I would quit looking at it and it won't bother you next year.

Each board should have been spaced just like deck boards and a level should be used after the first screw on every board.

 

[HILLCREST]

I would quit looking at it and it won't bother you next year.

Each board should have been spaced just like deck boards and a level should be used after the first screw on every board.

I agree; if anything have them move the filler piece to the far left. The fence on the left probably isn’t plumb and sagged over the years. It’s almost impossible to get a filler piece to be perfect. New wood shrinks and fence boards are typically installed as tight as possible on the level. But sometimes there’s a trade off for unsightly gaps and you have a filler like that. Wood isn’t perfect. There’s always something. If it was mine I’d move that filler to the far left and have the full board moved over. But I’m picky. Once you’re onto the next project that fence will be a thing of the past.

 

[HILLCREST]

The pickets are held in place by screwing hex head sheet metal screws onto the metal frame, six screws per picket. If I remove them and reposition them I will vacate 36 screw holes on the metal frame and create 36 new screw holes next to the existing holes and probably in some cases end up being partially overlapping the existing holes will they create a problem with a bunch of "figure 8" holes that the screws can't bite well onto the metal?

Don’t take em off that metal frame. One way or another something will always have to give. I believe it’s the old fence that creates the issue or the fact that wood isn’t all prefect. It never could be. Let the fence company deal with it if anything. I posted below what I’d do. Call them tell them to take that splinter piece out move a full one over and cut a larger filler for the left. I think that’s ur best bet and should simmer that feeling when u see it.

 

[miamicuse]

Don’t take em off that metal frame. One way or another something will always have to give. I believe it’s the old fence that creates the issue or the fact that wood isn’t all prefect. It never could be. Let the fence company deal with it if anything. I posted below what I’d do. Call them tell them to take that splinter piece out move a full one over and cut a larger filler for the left. I think that’s ur best bet and should simmer that feeling when u see it.

It is not related to the old fence. The old fence is leaning and out of plumb, which needs to be adjusted one day between my neighbor and I.


This gate is free standing, in other words the post to the left (hinge side) is a new 4X6 with 2' set below grade with concrete. The right (latch side) is a 2X4 secured to the exterior wall with Tapcon screws.


The wall is plumb, kind of, because it's textured but it's close enough. The new post to the left is also plumb, the metal frame is square, and the top rail is level and the side rails are plumb. Everything lines up except the pickets.


Here is a picture from the inside showing the metal frame. You can clearly see the left most picket is even from the frame's left edge, but by the time you get to the right side (hinge side) the last picket is no longer even. The pickets are not cut evenly and as it progresses from one side to the other it gets worse and worse.

Heck I will even take it off myself and remount the pickets, I wouldn't even mind gaps between pickets the size of a pencil and line them up evenly from one end to the other. I just didn't want to create so many new holes or worse yet create ovals out of the old holes.

 

[Nealtw]

It is not related to the old fence. The old fence is leaning and out of plumb, which needs to be adjusted one day between my neighbor and I.


This gate is free standing, in other words the post to the left (hinge side) is a new 4X6 with 2' set below grade with concrete. The right (latch side) is a 2X4 secured to the exterior wall with Tapcon screws.


The wall is plumb, kind of, because it's textured but it's close enough. The new post to the left is also plumb, the metal frame is square, and the top rail is level and the side rails are plumb. Everything lines up except the pickets.


Here is a picture from the inside showing the metal frame. You can clearly see the left most picket is even from the frame's left edge, but by the time you get to the right side (hinge side) the last picket is no longer even. The pickets are not cut evenly and as it progresses from one side to the other it gets worse and worse.

Heck I will even take it off myself and remount the pickets, I wouldn't even mind gaps between pickets the size of a pencil and line them up evenly from one end to the other. I just didn't want to create so many new holes or worse yet create ovals out of the old holes.

If you re did them maybe you could raise or lower them 1/4 or 1/2 so the holes don't mess with you.
If you measure right at the top screws how wide are the 12 boards as is and how wide is the gate.



gate width - 12 boards= space/11=space between boards.

 

[de-nagorg]

Neal has a point.

Remove all the pickets from the frame.

Discard that wedged one.

Measure the distance from edge to edge of the frame.

Measure the width of all your remaining pickets.

Subtract the pickets # (-1) from the frame #.

This number is your number to divide by your picket count.

This total is now your spacing of the pickets.

Get a precise thickness gauge to measure each space with from now on.

Mount your first picket back where it belongs.

Now use your thickness gauge to place the next picket.

And use the awl pointer from your combination square, as a mark maker through the existing holes of the second picket, scratch a mark on the frame for each hole already in picket #2, then take #2 away, and examine where each hole will be in the frame.

If any holes are too close to the old ones, move it's position in the picket.

Yes this will leave all the old holes in the frame, but it will be negligible in the strength of the frame, unless you want to ride the gate as it swings.

This will take time, but time is cheap, if you want perfection.

You could even fill each old hole with a POP RIVET to plug them off if you want to.


ED

 

[HILLCREST]

Neal has a point.

Remove all the pickets from the frame.

Discard that wedged one.

Measure the distance from edge to edge of the frame.

Measure the width of all your remaining pickets.

Subtract the pickets # (-1) from the frame #.

This number is your number to divide by your picket count.

This total is now your spacing of the pickets.

Get a precise thickness gauge to measure each space with from now on.

Mount your first picket back where it belongs.

Now use your thickness gauge to place the next picket.

And use the awl pointer from your combination square, as a mark maker through the existing holes of the second picket, scratch a mark on the frame for each hole already in picket #2, then take #2 away, and examine where each hole will be in the frame.

If any holes are too close to the old ones, move it's position in the picket.

Yes this will leave all the old holes in the frame, but it will be negligible in the strength of the frame, unless you want to ride the gate as it swings.

This will take time, but time is cheap, if you want perfection.

You could even fill each old hole with a POP RIVET to plug them off if you want to.


ED

On second thought... and after looking at it again... just leave it and move on to the next project. It’s never going to be perfect!!! If your out there with a gauge checking distance and pop riveting holes you’re really wasting your life and time. Wood swells and shrinks. It’s not perfect and will weather and patina with time. Shave the top of the wedge piece to make it look somewhat more uniform. In the future when u look at the piece remind urself there’s more important things to life. Expect perfection, accept the results. Let it go...

 

[dj3]

Measure from wall to post at: Top and bottom. Same?
Measure the gate from right top to bottom left, then from top left to bottom right. Same?

 

[dj3]

Also, looking at the top photo, I see a gap at the bottom right between the gate and the 2x4 on the wall.