Can I easily fix the gap in my backyard gate myself, or do I need to hire professionals for a complete fence overhaul?
Asked by Amy Simmons 
2 months ago
Last Updated: September 26, 2024
Hey, so the gate in our backyard has been like this since we moved in 3 years ago. Do you know of any easy or budget-friendly ways to fix this gap without compromising the function of the gate? Or should I just bite the bullet and hire a fencing company to start from scratch?
That is strange. I work on fences and I’m trying to understand it. Constructed as if it was once connected.
I’m willing to bet that it was recycled.
The part on the right-hand side where the privacy fence is leaning, I think that’s what caused the gap
Oh no, the gap is consistent from top to bottom. The hinge post must be leaning for the gates to tilt, usually inwards towards each other. My best guess is that someone either used secondhand fencing or couldn’t make gates wide enough, so they bought pre-made ones and just chained them together. The strange part is the latch post on the right side of the left gate. There’s no post for it to lock onto, which makes me think it’s made from recycled fence material.
Hey, that’s interesting! We moved into the house only 3 years back, but our neighbors have been here for 30 years. They knew the original owner and mentioned that things have changed over time. I’m a bit confused about how fencing actually works. I just want to get it fixed so my dog stops running out of the yard. 😅
What is the closest distance they can be? In the photo, the gates are slightly angled outwards. Would it be better if they were aligned with each other? It’s hard to tell from the angle of the photo if there is any independent leaning or not
Honestly, you might want to look up how to construct chain link gates and simply extend one gate to match the desired width. It’s best to divide the extra space evenly between the two gates, but it’s okay if one ends up wider than the other.
Depending on your expertise or ask someone for help to shift the pole to the right and move it closer to the left side fence then secure it in the ground.. after that, purchase a new piece of fence to replace the one on the right side
The rusted links clearly indicate that this has been an ongoing issue for a long time.
Replace the section with the correct size.
Typically, I would recommend checking if one side has shifted away from the center, but since both gate halves are resting on the ground, that seems unlikely.
You could try taking one side of the gate off, adding a narrow section of fencing (such as putting in one more pole and connecting it to the other fence), mounting the gate half on that pole, and it should work fine.
It’s quite strange though; gates aren’t known to wander off from their other halves. Haha
What’s the appearance of the hinge on the left side? If the clamps for the hinge brackets have turned around the left side post, they could easily be causing the gate to open up by several inches. It appears that the hinges are slightly rotated on the right side post and there may be about an inch of gate length that can be regained from that side.
Include additional chain link. Or construct a larger gate.
The hinges attached to the post are all twisted. Align them back with the fence.
You can definitely do this for the cost of materials and a post hole digger. Start by removing the bolts from the clamps along the blue line. Dig up the gate post and shift it in the direction of the red arrow at the bottom. It might be held in place with concrete, but with some hammering, you can remove the concrete and reuse the post. Position the gate, dig a new hole, and secure your post with a bag of quick-set concrete. Plumb the gate post before it sets. You can find a new top rail (red line) at a big box store. Cut it to length or use a coupling to extend it. Make sure to get enough fence material to fill the new gap. Look for options in a marketplace or a scrap yard. The wires are secured with loops on each end that can be twisted in or out to adjust the length. There are probably videos available online that can guide you through the process.
For removing every chain link fence, I have always used a post driver. I even created my own. You could also use an old style car jack and strap it to a pole.
Sure, let’s add another corner post that the panel swings on, located eight inches inside of the current corner. Hang the panel on the new corner by moving the hinge mounts to the new inside corner. Fill the area between the old corner and the new corner with 2×4 or fence pole material.
If you’re not too worried about how it looks, you can grab a pre-made gate piece from Home Depot or Lowe’s. They have a variety of options available. Simply fasten it to one side using cable ties at the appropriate depth. There will be some overlap, but you’ll solve the problem for under $50.
I’m really into this. The main idea is to keep the dog contained, and this accomplishes that with minimal effort.
There are plastic cable ties that can last a couple of seasons, but Amazon also offers ones with a metal backbone that might be worth a few extra bucks for longer durability.
You can easily see that it’s a double wide swing gate by looking at the “L” shaped gate pin on the right gate. Do you need more pictures to understand what’s happening at the left gate hinge point?