The Keys To Fence Gate Bracing | Prevent Sagging With Proper Bracing

Wooden fence gate braces can seem confusing, but they're really pretty simple. Remember these two simple keys when building your next cedar gate to help prevent sag and increase longevity.

[noahdevine]

Great video mark, most people brace their gates incorrectly and the opposite direction. Appreciate you sharing your knowledge

[regthebackyardjackofalltrades]

Thanks I’m building my gate right now and just found out from you that less than 55 degrees for a compression angle is the best. I’m also going to get the turnbuckle assembly and that latch. Thanks for sharing

[ricardohoffmann]

Very good video. I would like to add only this: braces should be build in one piece. Always. Unfortunately, that brace shown is cut in half, adding two more joints prone to flex/sagging. But, since it is not a heavy gate, this one is OK. Nice video.

[ZeromuS_]

Perfect video, super simple and straightforward. Maki go a small gate for my garden and was curious about the brace, direction and angle. 3 minutes later and I'm ready to go for a simple project! Thank you!!

[jacobmcqueen]

Pro fencer from ohio here..
That latch is upside down. It needs to be taken apart and flipped, and the spring moved to the other hole.(less than 5 min )
Reason: those springs rust and break sometimes, and the latch won't work upside down with a broken spring.

[CodyAlexander]

Great video in terms of concise explanation and visual demonstration!

[ljjl]

Wow, thank you so very much. I know now how to fix my gate exactly God bless thank you❤

[designstudio]

Hugely helpful video about this topic. Thank you.

[RichardKinch]

With the brace you are just engineering trusses, and should understand it that way. All you need is the tension cable, not the compression wood pieces; if you have both they are in competition and only one or the other will matter, so just use one to start with. The turnbuckle lets you tune the tension over the years as the wood warps, so you can maintain the latch alignment which is bearing on the hinges. The upper truss triangle does not bear on the hinges, so it doesn't need a brace.

[shemicdee]

Can you comment on where the angled cut meets the corner at both ends I can’t see where the bottom end meets. Please discuss advantage of where you placed to. For example on the top section of the brace, it is only touching the lateral board. Hope this request makes sense. Ty

[CVMGAM]

I always see the compression brace being placed against the bottom stud, instead of the side stud. The bottom stud has no support, while the side side has the post to offer even more support.

[dominicv]

Great video.
How would I brace a gate with a circular window insert?

[NYCAppl]

Such a simple solution for a common problem! Question: my door/ fence sits on an uneven/ sloped foundation. Will this cable hack work in a situation like mine?

[rogerbettencourt]

Most excellent advice my good sir. You have a dang good day.

[nehuge]

Which of these concepts helps with gate twist? (using your example, left side of screen latch side top left sticks out away. Bottom left corner is flush with rest of gate)

[dmczern]

I agree, great video. However, I get a little lost at 1:35 when you talk about adding vertical bracing if you have a longer gate. Could you please, or anyone, explain that to me with more detail? Thanks, I'm trying to repair a sagging gate that is wider than it is tall.

[wyattgreeson]

Does anyone half lap there gates? Best way or too time consuming?

[rgknowlton]

How do you feel about preloading the hinges to fight gate sag?

[kimshanna]

I thought it was important for the brace to go from the top corner to the opposite bottom corner in one piece and it looks like your brace is in two pieces. Does this matter?

[garrymatthews]

I have 2 .1 metre cattle panels that want to sag when used as gates how do I fix it