How to Fix a Wood Gate That Drags

Screws

• 1

  Tighten all of the wood screws used to secure the components of the gate or the gate hinges to the gate post with a Phillips screwdriver or a Phillips bit that has been installed into a power drill.

• 2

  Remove screws that are stripped or will not tighten.

• 3

  Replace the removed screws with screws that are slightly longer or larger in diameter. Ensure you do not use replacement screws that are longer than the combined thickness of the wood components you are securing.

Brace

• 4

  Install a turnbuckle brace onto the surface of the gate to repair a structurally sound gate that still sags. Assemble the brace by screwing the two brace rods into each side of the turnbuckle a few turns.

• 5

  Position the mounting hole in one of the brace rods into the vertical structural member of the gate near the top hinge. Insert a screw through the hole and tighten it with a power drill or screwdriver.

• 6

  Rotate the brace as needed until the mounting hole in the opposite end of the brace is centered in structural member of the gate near the bottom corner opposite the gate hinges. Secure this end of the brace in the same manner.

• 7

  Tighten the turnbuckle at the center of the brace in a clockwise direction with an adjustable wrench until the gate no longer sags.

Weak Hinges

• 8

  Remove the hinge screws from a gate post with a power drill or screwdriver if the hinges are bent or do not appear sturdy enough to support the gate. Remove the gate from the post. Remove the hinges from the gate in the same manner.

• 9

  Place the gate into position at the fence opening. Place wood blocks under the gate to raise it to the correct mounting level. Open a replacement gate hinge flat and place it over the gate post and across the upper structural member of the gate. Ensure the hinge pin is plumb and centered over the gap between the edge of the gate and the gate post. Drive in 1½ -inch wood screws through the mounting holes in the hinge with a power drill.

• 10

  Install the bottom gate hinge in the same manner. Install a third hinge in the center of the edge of the gate if your gate is taller than 48 inches. Remove the wood blocks and test the operation of the gate.