Gate Repairs

Gate Repairs — Sagging, Sticking and Failing Ironmongery

Almost every failing gate comes down to one of three things — the hinge side, the frame, or the ironmongery — and fixing the right one avoids paying for a new gate you didn't need.

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A gate that drags on the ground, won't latch, or has started leaning is very rarely a sign the whole gate needs replacing. In most cases the timber itself is fine and the problem is the hinge side sagging under years of opening and closing, the frame it's hung from moving, or ironmongery that's simply worn out.

We diagnose before we quote — a hinge repair costs a fraction of a new gate, and we'd rather tell you that than sell you a replacement you don't need.

Drop and sag

Gate drop happens gradually — the hinge side takes the full weight of the gate every time it swings, and over years that pulls the top hinge screws loose or racks the frame out of square. The tell-tale sign is a gate that used to close cleanly but now catches on the ground or the latch post on one side only.

The fix depends on how far it's gone: re-fixing hinges into sound timber with longer screws or coach bolts is often enough on an early-stage sag; a gate that's badly racked usually needs a diagonal brace added to the frame to stop it happening again.

Hinge and ironmongery failure

Hinges, drop bolts, latches and hasps are wear items — galvanised steel ironmongery lasts years longer than the cheap zinc-plated fittings often supplied as standard, and swapping to a heavier-duty hinge at repair time is one of the best-value upgrades we do.

We look at the whole ironmongery set on a repair visit, not just the part that's obviously failed — a worn hinge often means the latch and bolt on the same gate aren't far behind, and doing them together saves a second callout.

Re-hanging on heavier-duty galvanised hinges where the original fittings were undersized
Replacing worn drop bolts, thumb latches and hasps
Adding a diagonal brace where the frame has racked out of square

Frame rot

Timber gate frames rot from the bottom rail and the hinge stile first — the two places that trap moisture longest. Where rot is confined to the bottom rail we can often replace just that section and re-hang the existing gate face; where it's reached the hinge stile itself, the frame usually needs rebuilding around the salvageable boards.

Sticking latches

A gate that sticks on the latch side is usually either a frame that's moved slightly (common after a wet winter as ground moves), a swollen timber edge that needs planing back, or a latch that's simply misaligned after the gate has dropped a few millimetres. We check which before doing anything — planing a gate that's actually dropped just gives you a shorter-lived version of the same problem.

Automation faults referred on

Where a gate has electric or automated opening fitted and the fault is in the motor, control board or sensors rather than the gate itself, we refer that on to a specialist automation engineer — that's outside what a fencing and gate carpentry team should be diagnosing. We're happy to handle the timber or metal gate side of a combined job while a specialist deals with the automation.

What we don't do

We don't repair or fault-find electric gate automation, motors or control systems — that work goes to a specialist automation engineer, and we'll say so on site rather than guess at a fix. We also won't recommend a full gate replacement where a hinge, brace or ironmongery repair would fix the actual problem.

Gate repairs by town

Find your town below for the property types and access issues that shape the repair on your street.

Frequently asked

My gate drags on the ground — does it need replacing?

Usually not. Dragging is almost always a hinge-side sag, which is fixed by re-fixing or upgrading the hinges and, if needed, adding a diagonal brace — far cheaper than a new gate.

Can you fix a gate without replacing the whole frame?

Often yes — if rot is confined to the bottom rail we can replace that section alone. A full frame rebuild is only needed where rot has reached the hinge stile.

Do you fit automated or electric gates?

We fit and repair the timber or metal gate itself; motor, control board and sensor faults on automated gates are referred to a specialist automation engineer.

Why does my gate stick only in winter?

That's usually timber swelling with moisture or ground movement shifting the frame slightly — both are different fixes from a genuinely dropped gate, so we check which it is before planing anything.

How long does a hinge or latch repair take?

Most single-gate hinge, latch or brace repairs are a same-visit job once we've diagnosed the cause.

Is it worth upgrading ironmongery while you're repairing?

Usually yes — galvanised heavy-duty hinges and latches cost little more than the standard fittings and last considerably longer, so we default to recommending the upgrade at repair time.

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