Driveway Gates Installation Tips and Ideas

Welcome to the amazing gate  installation series, installing the amazing driveway gate is easy but even so please use common sense and thinks safety first at all times during installation.

The first step is that in the post in concrete you will need a post hole diggers and Digging bar as well as a shovel you will also want to have a trenching shovel and sledgehammer candy. Other tools including level, line level, tape measure and of course a wheel.        Layout the holes across your driveway the proper distance apart, be sure to take in the consideration the angle of the gate in the close position, usually this angle will be perpendicular to the Drive, but sometimes more authority needed.

In this case we are installing a 14 foot Gate in so we will dig the hole 14 feet apart from center to center depending on the soil dig a hole to 12 inches in diameter for rocky conditions and 18 inches in diameter for sandy or lose soil, it is a good idea to bail out the bottom and dig a few doglegs so the post does not tip, 34 inches is the standard depth. Use a sledgehammer to pound two stakes into the ground just pass the holes and in-line with the angle you determine earlier and then tie on a string line nice and tight.

Using a line level, level and adjust the string so that it is the same height that you want the Bottom at the gate to be when it is hang, you will want the gate 2 inches to 4 inches off the  ground and that adjustment will be made when setting the post to hunt. Open up the first of about three sacks of concrete per hole and begin mixing, it is easier to have two people mixing it one time, add the water a little at a time, you wanted stiff enough to hold the post in place but still be enough to settle into the hole and around the posts.


Drop the first hinge post into one of the hole, there’s a label on the post the noting in the bottom of the gate. Put that line exactly even with your level string line. One person will shovel concrete and the other to hold a level on the post checking each side of the post several times to be sure that it is plugged. Then put the  second hinge post in the other hole and there’s one person hold it level the other checks with the tape measure to be sure the post are exactly 14 feet apart inside to inside, Set this post for proper height to the string level as will, double check all measurements and then fill the hole with concrete. After the second post is plant recheck the distance of 14 feet between the bottom of the post, there is a tolerance of ½ inch with this measurement then measure between the top of the posts, the distance between the top and the bottom of the post should be exactly the same even if not quite 14 feet, adjust the height of the second post to match the height of the first post, the line level will gotten it very close but it is a good idea to double check with the laser level take some time with this step or the gate might not hang exactly even in the center.

Day two Hanging your driveway Gate

The hard part is over and the next step hanging the gate really is easy, the hinges bolt to the post and the gate bolts to the hinges you make final adjustments and that’s all there’s to it. Hinges and pinion come prepackage the post have not insert fastening the hinges. Bolton all four hinges tighten them, but not too tight or the knot insert might turn inside the post, be sure to find a grease speeding for each hinge threaded in place. Hinges grease once a year to keep the bearing lubricated, back up the outside hinge knots and the run the top and bottom hinge bolt trough the hole in the gate, put the hinge knot back on and finger tight. Then attach the other gate left the same way. Well they don’t come together properly so level the gates and make proper adjustment when you are finished, there should e ½ inch gap between the gate leaps, apply some liquid nails or silicone caulk to the inside of the ball finial not too much and put one on each post.

 That it’s,  your gates are hang with the right distance apart, everything is plum, level and square.