gate post depth?

[knighty]

new front gates for the house

they're Iroko, 3.7m wide (1.85m each), 2.3m tall

so pretty heavy

I'll upgrade the gate posts, I'm thinking 200mm box section, H frame, so they're joined just under ground level

digger so digging deep isn't a problem, I've not dug around there before but pretty sure I'll hit clay not far down

I'm thinking each post 1.2m deep underground

everyone think that is enough?

 

[sako243]

That would be plenty I'd have thought particularly with the H beam. One thing would be, if you can, to go wider either side so you can add some bracing to the post.

I made some gates about 14ft wide (7ft each) by 6 or so foot tall. The frame was 150x5 box and once I added the (admittedly quite large) post box to the back of one it's flexing the corresponding post. I think the posts were only 2ft underground but concreted in as was the horizontal tie.

 

[Kram]

I dont know how small a hole you can get with a digger, unless your using a lot of concrete filler, the deep bit may be better to drill with an engine auger?

 

[addjunkie]

Id be wary digging you might find services entering through the gate.

 

[knighty]

I've got all the room in the world on one side.. and naff all on the other side :-(

my mini digger is knackered right now so it'll be the 3cx with a way too big digger bucket

loads of rubble here I can toss in the hole tho


lucky no services through there!

:-)

 

[addjunkie]

lucky no services through there!

:-)

You hope!

 

[Mick Annick]

!.2m will be plenty

 

[knighty]

You hope!

power comes in overhead at other corner of garden
drains go out the back
water main comes in 20ft along from the gate
phone lines overhead
no mains gas around here

I think that's everything?... but now I kind of have my fingers crossed too :-o

 

[knighty]

I don’t know how small a hole you can get with a digger, unless your using a lot of concrete filler, the deep bit may be better to drill with an engine auger?

current gate has metal posts tight up against brick posts... no room to get an auger in (shame, would be much easier!)

the brick posts/walls are rendered... I'm not sure what with... I drilled into one to mount a postbox and it was like I was drilling into damp rotten wood, so don't fancy fixing anything to them

 

[Olderisbetter]

We ended up digging 1.2 cubic metre hole for one 200mm box post that is 2.4m high and that survived a car crashing into it, the opposite post is in less concrete but is against a building so is also bolted to that so I think you should be ok

 

[gaz1]

the victorians never needed so deep with there stone gates and cast iron hanging gates and they was heavy

all they did was bury a nice piece of stone 2-3ft deep and use a curved slide piece in the middle

Dia 2200mm H X 18" X 11"



whilst the top hinge is just a hook the bottom hinge is actually within the ground not on the gate post itself

its just a cast iron eyelet that the gate hinge drops into so the weight of the gate is actually on the plate within the ground

 

[gaz1]

these gates are older than i am

double cast iron gates

cast iron cup holder with a cast iron peg that goes into them encased with lead within the stone

 

[gaz1]

single gate

 

[knighty]

^^^

first pair have sodding great stone posts, no idea how deep they are

2nd paid are a lot lighter than mine


I'd look at other options but I'm limited on what I can do... I guess it's limited by how much I can be bothered... and there's a lot of more important things to be getting on with

I'll have the hinges as high/low as possible

 

[knighty]

bit off topic... paint... should I paint the underground bit?

my thinking is, it's encased on concrete so it'll surface rust and stop.... but the point where it comes out of the ground will be the most rust prone bit... and no chance to get any paint right in there?

also open to recommendations for the above ground paint, I quite like bilt hamber - https://bilthamber.com/product/electrox/ but open to sugestions

 

[gaz1]

id rather get it galvanised than painted as it lasts longer with it

 

[knighty]

problem is welding a giant H frame together then getting it sent away to galvanise when it's too big to fit on a truck

they delivered the 200mm box section today.... as one length instead of 3 cut to length :-(

 

[gaz1]

so could build it in sections and bolt it as a h frame would be my suggestion

to me that cross bar is only as a spacer piece between them

yes it maybe welded to each side but that can be done with just bolts as its all under ground anyway filled with cement

 

[sako243]

I just painted mine, the steel is thick enough it'll take years to rot out even if it wasn't protected.

Can always wax the inside as well.

 

[knighty]

so could build it in sections and bolt it as a h frame would be my suggestion

to me that cross bar is only as a spacer piece between them

yes it maybe welded to each side but that can be done with just bolts as its all under ground anyway filled with cement

I've gone with the cross bar H frame to help keep the upright posts vertical... stop them tilting in over the years