carpentryfencegate-postgates
My gate was binding against the post along the top drip rail. I figured the gate was a little too wide at that spot so I trimmed it a little shorter.
Shorty after the gate started binding at a couple other spots. I presume the "keep trimming the everything until it stops binding" method is not the right way to fix my gate.
How can I adjust the gate so it doesn't strike the post when closing?
My first thought is a guy wire from the top corner of the post, with a turnbuckle in the middle to tension it up and pull out that lean in the post. It seems that if you don't do something like this, the only alternative IS to reset the posts, which is a lot of work. Hope this helps.
This is what a turnbuckle looks like:
Assuming that they are round metal poles that are generally used for chainlink, the 'corner' poles are what you generally use for a gate. You pretty much use corner poles anytime you terminate a run of any kind, and a gate opening is a termination. The actual gauge isn't going to matter so much as the diameter of the pole, you need to make sure your gate hardware will fit the pole. Since your are going with wood, the extra few bucks for the thicker gauge is probably worth it, the actual diameter should be about the same either way.
Also, make sure you measure the opening correctly before concreting the poles in. Depending on the hardware you use you may need to leave extra space. For pre-fabricated chainlink gates, you need something like 39 inches for a 36 inch gate. Since you are using wood, I assume you are fabricating it yourself, but you'll still want to make sure you leave plenty of room.
Best Answer
First, determine why it is binding:
My garden gate binds during wet weather. Fortunately, we are much less likely to use the gate then. The posts and gate are set to match perfectly when the wood is dry and that is when we most care about it working well.
If I were to do anything to make "wet closing" easier, I would bevel the striking surfaces so they wouldn't cause a dead stop, but move the posts apart so the gate can be closed with one hand.