Issue:
~12 foot gate (two 6 foot gates). One gate post leans just a little too much toward the center.
A little history:
Bought the house about six years ago. Originally the fence post was attached to a short (15 inch) fence segment that, itself, was attached to the garage (bolts through the siding). About a year after purchase we had new siding. The contractors separated the fence from the garage, but said they would not, nor recommend, re-attach the fence section.
Now the gates are out of alignment, have to be closed together, and I'm sure you can picture it.
So, (hopefully without removing and resetting the gate post), how can I straightened it up? It's just a little off. About an inch between five feet.
I have seen something called EZ Mender. Would you think something like that might work?
I think the biggest reason the siding contractors didn't want to was that they didn't know where the studs were (the lag bolts weren't just through the sheeting, the OSB just beneath the siding, but into wall studs). That area of the inside of the garage is buried in junk, and the section of wall can't be seen.
On the other hand, I've been watching many a YouTube video and most say you shouldn't attach to a siding wall.
It is true it is not a good idea but sometimes unavoidable, even with a post deep enough in the ground posts will bend under weight
So they removed screws that were doing the job and didn't know where to put screws.
Has the gate post bent or has the whole section of fence moved in that direction?
It's a standard cedar 4x4. Not bent, just leaning a bit. Just an inch, give or take, over the height of the post. It also feels solid in the ground, not mushy. I mean, it's not like I can shake it back and forth.
Well, I disassembled most of the structure. There was some rot, and it could do with some new wood. However, I am replacing that small section with pressure treated. The fence (and gate) are the offset slat type. The cedar slats will be kept, only the structure is being replaced.
That still didn't answer the question, did that section pull apart at the top?
If it pulled apart at the top and post next to the house is still solid, making that section a wall may help it support the gate.
I wish we could see what you have out there.
My instant thinking is to separate the 4x4 from the fence, re-attach it to the house in a way that it will be connected to the framing. Then re-attach the fence/gate.
There is no post next to the wall. There is the gate post and a narrow (15 inches wide) 2x4 frame, the 2x4 opposite the gate post was originally attached to the garage wall through the siding. When the siding contractors cut the lag bolts attaching the fence frame to the garage wall, it was l was left hanging free from the wall but (of course) still attached to the gate post.
What we usually do is put a spacer between the post and the foundation and bolt it the foundation.
Maybe you could just bolt a chain and turnbuckle to the foundation and higher on the post.
Oh, yeah, there are horizontal rails at the top and bottom of the fence for the vertical slats to get attached to. The whole structure (including the gate post) forms a rectangle that would seat the above mentioned cross brace.
I think I'm going to have to ponder this for a bit. I may be able to drill through the foundation to bolt the 2x4 (or 4x4), although that's about a foot wide (thick?), give or take.
I'm picturing the cross brace idea and feel that's a direction I need to explore, as long as I can figure out how to install the 2x4.
Thanks for your help. I'll let you know what came from all this.
If you dig around the post and give it a good soaking you might get it to stand up straight with less effort.
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