Capping rail or similar for gate

[drpepe]

I’ve inherited this gate with my newish house.

I want to cap that top piece of the frame to stop water pooling on it, as it is already starting to go grungy/rotten at the house end. The top piece is 2.4m long and 100mm wide.

I think my lack of knowledge of the terms used for this are preventing me finding anything, because unfortunately products like standard fence Capping rails are too narrow.

Can someone please give me ideas to go about this or what to buy?

Thanks

 

[big-all]

you have a frame across the top for some unknown reason, probably best to remove and angle the post tops to deflect water otherwise 3x1 treated and add a champher off about 8 degrees from the centre line out

 

[mrrusty]

Go get a roll of code 3 lead (this is fairly thin - you could use code 4 but code 5 is getting very thick, heavy and expensive) 150mm wide and a tube of good quality grab adhesive - "the works" or similar. Roll out the lead over a good bead of grab and let it go off - a good few hours. Dress the lead neatly over the front and back - about 25mm each side. At the ends you can turn the lead up slightly to keep the run-off away from the house wall. job jobbied.

 

[JohnD]

you have a frame across the top for some unknown reason

It gives the portal rigidity and prevents the tops of the uprights leaning together or wobbling

As a temporary fix, you can tack a length of DPC along the top to shed rain.

 

[drpepe]

The timber upright for this gate has split (possibly from scaffolding being laid across it some time ago).

The door is sagging enough to affect the bolt, but looks like it could get worse.

I was going to put a couple of bolts through the post to pull the split together. Does that seem a sensible idea?
Thanks

 

[opps]

The timber upright for this gate has split (possibly from scaffolding being laid across it some time ago).

The door is sagging enough to affect the bolt, but looks like it could get worse.

I was going to put a couple of bolts through the post to pull the split together. Does that seem a sensible idea?
Thanks

It looks like someone has already tried using screws to pull it in.

It might be worthwhile squirting in some polyurethane glue into the gap, and then, one by one, removing each of the slotted screws in the hinge and replacing them with longer screws that will pull in to the good timber.

Alternatively, still using the glue, drill through the hinge plate and use coach screws. You may however need a very long pilot drill bit bit.

Last week I had to drive M10 coach bolts in to old railway sleepers. I used a 5.5mm pilot bit.

 

[JohnD]

If you have some long drills, consider using a couple of pieces of studding through the frame, with a nut and penny washer each side. Studding is much cheaper than long screws, and the length can be whatever you want.

I keep 8mm galvanised, which is cheap and very widely used, though in the garden I now use stainless because I am in a coastal location.

The galvanised is much easier to cut. For your job M4 would do.

Take the door off, put weatherproof glue in the crack, and clamp it tight before drilling.

Stainless screws will last longer and not expand with rust.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

How thick is the gate?

To try and pull that crack back together I'd consider say an 8 or 10mm coach bolt inserted through the top of the hinge just beneath the two screws and the nut on a penny washer on the other side. Though the pictures aren't clear enough to show if there's room for that.

 

[drpepe]

Thanks chaos, really helpful suggestions.

See photos below, the post is nearly 110mm. How about i replace the existing 30mm screws with these 80mm beefy ones I have lying about?

How deep should I drill through first? Danger of splitting the 1100 x 50mm post?
Is it a good idea to still use PU glue?

If I used the long screws, the ones in the top holes would go right through the top horizontal bar piece too.

1. Remove door
2. Clamp post to close split
3. Remove screws
4. Drill the existing screw holes to ? depth
5. Replace all? Just 2 opposite screws?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

You won't achieve anything useful fixing through where the existing screws are, sure that might help but it needs a fixing at the top to pull the two ends together as mentioned. Using a bolt all the way through also eliinates the risk of splitting what looks to be a past it's best wooden post.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Gate off. Glue together with a polyurethane glue (forget Gorilla - Everbuild is a lot cheaper and just as good). Clamp up and leave to set 1 to 2 hours (glue sets in 30 minutes - a real clsmp or two will produce more pressure in the joint than any.nber of woodscrews). Then add a few longer, thicker screws than you originally had (say 6.0 x 80s instead of 5.0 x 60s). Replace the gate.

The real strength of the repair is in the glue - the screws only add shock resistance. Personally I wouldn't bother with stainless, either. The post is probably fixed with galv. steel bolts in any case, so galv.steel screws withbthe heads painted should work as well

 

[drpepe]

You won't achieve anything useful fixing through where the existing screws are, sure that might help but it needs a fixing at the top to pull the two ends together as mentioned. Using a bolt all the way through also eliinates the risk of splitting what looks to be a past it's best wooden post.

the top holes in the hinge are within 25mm of the top of the post, so I don’t think i can get any fixing above that.

I will put a long bolt through the hinge as suggested.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Please post the results .....

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I was going to put a couple of bolts through the post to pull the split together. Does that seem a sensible idea?

I would suggest a couple of long bolts, bolted through that hinge, with a second steel plate added at the right hand side.

 

[opps]

I recently purchased some 4*50mm stainless screws for a customer's fence. From memory I paid in excess of £25 for 200 from Screwfix. I had forgotten how easily they snap...