Installing a Sliding Fence Gate


If you live in on isolated property, you may wish to have a gate that you can close. It is nice to have for security and for those times that you don\’t want to be bothered. Maintaining your property\’s privacy is the main reason on installing your own sliding gate. Although this can be done by an expert but it can also be done by you. Before installing a sliding gate, it needs a track for the wheels to enable the gate to be opened and closed. The rail uses a piece of angle steel welded to a piece of flat-plate steel in order for the wheels to run along. Always use a suitable primer applied to the bottom of the rail to keep it from rusting. Below are some of the guides on how to install a sliding fence gate.

What you need:

  1. Marker
  2. Drill
  3. Steel drill bit
  4. Concrete anchor
  5. Concrete drill bit
  6. Hammer drill
  7. Can of compressed air
  8. Socket wrench

Method:

  1. Place the sliding gate rail, check whether it is in the right position and mark it accordingly.
  2. Then, drill through the flat steel plate of the gate rail at least 16-inch apart along the rail\’s length and use a steel drill bit with appropriate size for your concrete anchors (minimum 5/8-inch concrete sleeves).
  3. Next, place the steel gate rail into position on the concrete and mark the each of the holes location where the rail will be anchored to the concrete.
  4. You need to use a hammer drill with the correct concrete drill bit size and also place a piece of painter\’s tape on the drill bit for indication the needed depth for securing the anchor. This should be the thickness of the steel plate, the length of the concrete anchor, plus adding additional 3/8-inch.
  5. Then, drill the holes for the concrete anchor and before starting with another hole, blow off the dust surrounding the next hole using a can of compressed air.
  6. Check the anchors whether it is in the right direction and tap the concrete anchors into the holes you have drilled into the concrete.
  7. Using a socket wrench, secure the gate rail to tighten the bolt and lock washers down onto the concrete anchors.

When it will be completed, you will have your own sliding gate which is way better than nothing. Now you no longer have to worry on who\’s trespassing your property.

Additional Reading:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5787464_install-sliding-fence-gate.html
http://www.buildeazy.com/workshop/sliding-gate-4.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_4788523_build-sliding-door-garden-gate.html

Image Credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/crobj/3906783747/