Use a gate to provide security for your driveway.
Having a gate across your driveway can be quite useful, especially if you live near a stadium or other high-traffic area and want to keep people from parking in your driveway. There are many styles of gates out there, from simple to ornate. If your goal is to simply create a barrier to keep cars out of your driveway, a simple wooden gate is the solution to your needs. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
Creating the Support Posts
1. Dig two holes, one on either end of your driveway. Each should be six feet away from the center of your driveway. The holes should be 18 inches deep and one foot across.
2. Stand a 4-by-4 in one of the holes, with a flat side parallel to the driveway.
3. Pack just enough dirt back into the hole to allow the 4-by-4 to stand without support. Use a level to make sure it is perfectly horizontal.
4. Mix a batch of cement by adding water according to the instructions on the package.
5. Pour the cement into the hole around the 4-by-4, filling the hole until the cement is two inches below ground level.
6. Allow the cement to dry. Continue to occasionally check the level during this time to make sure the post is not leaning in any direction.
7. Repeat this procedure with the other hole.
8. Fill the last two inches of the holes with dirt and grass seed.
Building the Gates
9. 45-degree cuts have been made on all four sides of the frame.
Make a 45-degree cut along both sides of each 6-foot 2-by-4 board, which will allow them to fit together like a picture frame.
10. Connect four of the 6-foot 2-by-4 boards with four corner braces, screwed into the wood with 1-inch screws. You can reduce the risk of screws splitting wood by drilling pilot holes (holes slightly narrower than the screw) first.
11. Diagonal reinforcement
Lay an 8-foot 2-by-4 diagonally across the door frame. Draw a cut line on the both sides of the board that matches the frame, then cut the board along those lines. Set the board back inside of the frame and connect it with braces.
12. Flip the frame over so that the braces are facing the ground.
13. Cover the frame with 12 vertical 1-by-6 boards.
14. Screw the 1-by-6 boards in place with 1 1/2-inch wood screws.
15. Screw a caster wheel to the bottom right underside corner of the gate.
16. Repeat this procedure to create the other door, this time screwing the caster wheel to the bottom-left corner.
Attaching the Gates
17.Position one of the gates next to a post. With the surface of the gate facing outward, the caster wheel should be toward the center of the driveway.
18. Use scrap lumber to support the side of the gate that does not have a wheel. As you add and subtract lumber, use a level to make sure that the gate is even.
19. Attach the gate to the post using three heavy-duty strap hinges, positioned at the front of the post and gate (the gate will swing outward).
20. Repeat this procedure for the other gate.
21. Remove the scrap wood and test the swing of the gates. If they do not close all the way, trim a bit of wood from the 2-by-4s that meet in the middle.
22. Attach a gate latch so that the gates can stay closed.
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