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Choose a level area for your gate opening; if the ground slopes, regrade it or plan to hang the gate so it will clear the highest point. Before you dig, be sure that you know the location of any buried electric, gas, water, or cable lines. Your utility company will locate and mark them for you. Also, check local building codes for any restrictions that might affect your plan, such as setback requirements from property lines.
Making the Gate
1. Build the frame for the gate from 2 by 4s.
photography: Jane Colclasure
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2. Determine the gate's width (a 3-foot minimum is recommended) as well as its height (match fence, shrubs, or elements on either side of gate). Allow a 1- to 4-inch clearance from the bottom of the gate to the ground.
3. Cut and prime the boards. Assemble the frame using glue and wood screws. Measure the frame from corner to corner in each direction. The frame is square when the measurements are the same.
4. To make the X-shape centerpiece braces, lay a 2 by 4 across the diagonal corners of the frame. Mark the internal corner angles at both ends of the brace with a pencil. Cut and prime the board. Fasten with glue and wood screws. Repeat procedure for the two shorter pieces, attaching them to both the outer frame and the set cross brace.
photography: Jane Colclasure
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5. Buy ready-made pickets, or make your own by cutting the tips of 1 by 2 lumber at a 78-degree angle with a miter saw. Start with two pickets the same height as your fence to serve as the outer pickets.
6. On a flat surface, nail the two outer pickets in place. Fasten a straight edge to the bottom of the pickets as a guide. Lay out the rest of the pickets on the frame using a spacer to keep the gap size consistent. Make a pencil mark on each side of the pickets on both rails.
7. Tie a string a few inches below the top of the two outer pickets with enough slack to create a gentle upward arch. Use a pencil to pull the slack tight and gently mark the height of the tallest center picket. Slide the pencil down the string, while still keeping the string taught, and mark the center of each picket. Experiment with the string slackness and tie-off points to achieve the desired amount of arch.
8. Attach the pickets using two offset nails on both upper and lower rails. Remove the straight edge.
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