How to Design a Gate for a Deck
Deck gates are convenient to keep things both on and off the deck. A gate deck makes the deck more secure for small children and animals to play on, preventing falls down deck stairs or escapes into a yard or pool area. A deck gate also provides a safe location for small children and pets because most other animals are unable to get onto the deck. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Deck Building Manuals or Books
- Sketch or graph paper
- Pencil
Instructions
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Measure the opening where the deck gate will be placed. If the opening is more than six feet long or oddly shaped, in relation to the deck flooring, you may want to consider extending the porch railing to make the gate shorter and ensure the final design will be a single, straight gate.
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Consider the reasons you must add a gate to your deck to assist you in coming up with a design idea. If you want to keep small children in, you will need to remember to use a self-locking gate latch on your new gate design. Also, consider whether a tall or short gate is necessary. You may choose a gate design that is a different height than your deck rails.
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Research deck gate designs. Look at different gate designs as you drive through your community or as you commute back and forth to work each day. Thumb through deck building books at local hardware or building supply stores, and purchase any books with designs you like.
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Sketch out your own design. You can make a deck gate that looks identical to the sections and railing of your deck. Keep your own skills in mind if you are going to be building the deck gate. If you are not experienced with woodworking or carpentry, you may want to avoid making a very detailed, elaborate deck gate design.
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Draw out several designs and take them to a local hardware or building supply store. Ask sales representatives to help you in narrowing down your design choices. An experienced sales representative will be able to tell you how difficult a gate design will be to build and even be able to assist you with a materials list so you can consider cost in addition to the difficulty of the design.
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