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Had a customer point out my gates were all off level - fixed it with a simple trick
This older guy named Frank called me out on a gate I hung last spring. He said the top rail sagged maybe half an inch on the latch side. I was sure I leveled the posts but he was right, I could see it once he pointed it out. Turns out I was just setting the top hinge too tight and not accounting for the weight pulling down over time. Now I pre-load the gate by lifting the latch side about 3/4 inch before I set the hinges. Tried it on my last four gates and they all close perfect after a month. Anyone else run into this or have a different way to handle gate sag?
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miam755mo ago
Nah. 3/4 inch is too much pre-load. That'll strain your hinges.
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troy8324mo ago
Honestly @miam75 I gotta push back a little here. I've been running heavy commercial doors for years and 3/4 inch pre-load is pretty standard on most spring hinges I've worked with. It's not like we're cranking them to an inch where you're actually risking warping the barrel or stressing the knuckles. Quality hinges from brands like Stanley or McKinney are designed to handle that much tension without issue, especially if you're using the right weight class for the door. I think what a lot of people miss is that under-loading is actually worse because the door doesn't close fully and that's when you get binding and wear on the latch and frame. As long as you're not exceeding what the hinge is rated for, 3/4 inch is totally fine and honestly preferred for a solid self-close action.
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karen_west595mo ago
Oh PLEASE, a little pre-load ain't gonna hurt those hinges if they're decent quality.
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