Pull the gate back into square and add a diagonal wood piece to act as a brace. For best results, it should connect low at the hinge end and high on the latch end with both ends attached to the vertical edge pieces of your gate. The weight of the gate will then be transferred to the bottom hinge, and the gate will remain square without buying expensive hardware.

Charley

 

Since your design is on the open style I would not use wood to correct the sag. I would use the tension wire kit.


Of course how and where you are using the gate could make a difference and you do not give that information.


George

 

...how and where you are using the gate could make a difference and you do not give that information.

It's a gate blocking the stairs from a deck. Only three or four stairs. I'm probably going to try the diagonal piece of wood since I think I have one long enough left over.

I'll keep you posted.

 

I've fought the gate sag thing for ages.


be aware, the corner-to-corner cable and wood approach puts the sagging gate into torsion aka "twisting"
eventually the gate becomes no longer "flat"
if you can get the cable to pull "dead center" of the structure, that works. but achieving that is not so easy.


if you have the option, install something on the latch side that supports the weigh of the gate when closed.
it may sag a bit when opened, but if it spends most of its time closed it will not sag&deform.
a taper lead on a block on the latch post, if the ground falls away on opening a extension to the latch stile, there are "spring loaded roller" gadgets available....
really depends on the individual situation.

 

Use two screws per slat .......

As it is now, the single screws acts as pivot points so when force is applied at one end it will fold like a kiddee gate. Two screws per slat will prevent the tendency to collapse. I made almost the same gate ... 2x 6's and the same slats. The biggest difference is that I used a half-lap joint in the corners and glued the pieces together using several screws per corner.

If I were you, I'd use a tension wire with a turn buckle from the lower latching corner to the upper hinged corner. :|

 

take the slats off and reinstall them with exterior glue and screws

then you don't need the tension diagonal or brace

 

Well my leftover wood is too short. Based on everyone's input, plus my wifes... I'm probably going to try a combination of the tension cable and a small block placed at the bottom of the lock edge with a cutout in the middle to act as a catch/secondary obstacle for opening the gate. The gate will spend most of it's time closed and I think between the cable and the additional support it will receive for most of it's closed time, it will hold up just fine. If I'm smart I can graduate the bottom block so the gate will auto close and snap into place. That would also serve to give additional security should the gate not be locked and just simply left to close. Hopefully today is the day, but perhaps tomorrow depending on how my day plays out. Anyway, thank you everyone for all the input and I'll let you know how it plays out.