How to Straighten a Wooden Gate
Straightening a warped wooden gate frame can be accomplished in a number of ways. Using a cable and turnbuckle is an easy and popular method, but it only corrects a frame that is warped in two dimensions. Removing the gate from the gate post and securing it with triangular wooden corner braces ensures that the gate is flat and has squared corners and strong joints. Repairing a warped gate frame takes only an hour or so an can be accomplished by the novice handyman, using common carpentry tools. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 1 by 6-inch pressure-treated plank or decking board
- Chop saw
- Carpenter's square
- Measuring tape
- Drill with drilling and driving bits
- Coated wood screws, 1 1/2 inches long
- Socket wrench (optional)
- Wooden toothpicks
- Wood glue
- Small dish
Instructions
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1
Remove the gate from the gate post using a drill and driver bit or socket wrench, depending on the hardware used for installation. Lay the gate on a flat surface, frame-side up.
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2
Reinforce the holes in the gate or gate post where the screws were removed. Dip a toothpick in wood glue that has been poured onto a dish. Put the glued end of the toothpick into the screw hole as far as it will go. Continue coating toothpicks with glue and pushing them into the screw hole until no more will fit in the hole. Fill all of the screw holes with toothpicks and glue and allow them to dry as you repair the gate. Once the glue has dried, snap off the ends of the toothpicks.
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3
Rotate the blade on the chop saw to make 45-degree cuts. Cut a trapezoid-shaped wood plank on the chop saw, approximately 10 to 12 inches long. The exact dimension is unimportant. Measure, mark and cut to make a total of four matching corner braces.
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4
Position one brace on the corner of the gate frame so the angled edges of the trapezoid are aligned with the adjacent gate frame members. Use a drill and driving bit to screw the brace to the frame on only one side. Three or four evenly-spaced screws should securely hold the brace to the frame. Use a carpenter's square to manually adjust the corner of the frame so it is square. Install screws through the other side of the brace into the corresponding framing member. Repeat to square two more corners of the gate frame.
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5
Install a brace on only one side of the fourth corner. Square the corner with a carpenter's square. Depending on the size of the gate, you may need to ask an assistant to help press the gate so it is flat and makes contact with the flat resting surface. Once the gate is flat and the fourth corner is squared, finish screwing the brace to the fourth corner of the gate frame.
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6
Reinstall the gate on the gate post.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
