How it's done
Gate Hardware: Hinges, Latches and Getting It Right
Gates fail at the ironmongery and the post long before the joinery gives up. Rate the hinges for the leaf, and set the post for the swing.
A well-built gate hung on undersized hinges will drop within a year. Hardware is not the place to save money — it is a small fraction of the job and the entire reason a gate keeps working.
Choosing gate hinges and latches by gate type
The right hinge depends on the weight and width of the leaf. Light garden gates are fine on tee hinges, framed timber side gates suit heavy strap hinges fixed with coach screws, and heavy metal or hardwood gates are best on ball race or adjustable hinges so they can be trued as they settle.
Latches follow the same logic. A thumb latch works from both sides of a side gate, a ring latch suits a front gate, and double gates need a drop bolt or cane bolt on the fixed leaf so the latch has something solid to close against. Where security matters, choose a latch that takes a padlock or fit a lock that works from the garden side.
- Tee hinges: light garden and picket gates
- Heavy strap hinges: framed and braced timber gates
- Ball race or adjustable hinges: heavy metal and hardwood gates
- Drop bolts and cane bolts: fixed leaf of double gates
Hinge types and where they belong
- Band-and-gudgeon: the workhorse for closeboard and heavy timber side gates
- Adjustable bolt-through hinges: allow re-levelling later without unhanging the gate
- Butt hinges: only for light, small gates in a rebated frame
- Ball-bearing or gudgeon-on-plate for double driveway leaves, sized to leaf weight
Latches, locks and security
A thumb latch suits a garden side gate; a long-throw lock or hasp and closed-shackle padlock is what we fit where the gate is a security boundary. For double gates, a drop bolt into a socket set in the drive is essential — it converts two swinging leaves into a fixed post plus one opening leaf.
The post is part of the hardware
Gate posts carry a dynamic load that fence posts never see. We size them up, base them deeper, and on wide double gates use steel-cored posts or brick piers. A gate hung on a standard fence post is the most common cause of the sagging gates we get called to.
Detailing that adds years
- Galvanised or stainless fixings throughout — plated screws bleed rust within a season
- A ground clearance that still works when the path frosts or the drive gets resurfaced
- A diagonal brace running from the bottom hinge corner upwards, not the other way
- A capped top or drip detail so end grain isn't drinking rainwater
Frequently asked
Why does my gate drag on the ground?
Nearly always the post has moved or the hinges have sagged under the leaf weight. Both are fixable without a new gate in most cases.
Can hinges be adjusted later?
If adjustable hinges were fitted, yes — which is exactly why we prefer them on heavier gates.
What lock do you recommend for a side gate?
A long-throw lock or a closed-shackle padlock on a strong hasp; both resist the levering that beats a thumb latch.
Do you fit hardware to gates you didn't build?
Yes, we re-hang and re-hardware existing gates as a repair job.
Want this priced properly for your garden?
Photos first, then a written estimate across London and Hertfordshire, a written specification, and a fixed price. No obligation.