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Chain link gates sag way worse than wood ever did in my experience
I put up a 12 foot wide chain link gate at a horse farm outside Nashville back in 2018 and within 3 years it was dragging the ground on one side. Wood gates I've built stay true for way longer, even with the same hardware. The metal hinges just can't handle that much unsupported span without a frame kit or truss rod from the start. Has anyone else swapped back to wood for wide driveway openings?
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the_alex4mo ago
Disagree completely. 12 foot is the max I'll do without a frame kit but I've got chain link gates at my place that have been hanging fine since 2012. The problem isn't the metal hinges it's that you didn't brace it right from the start. Wood warps and rots way faster in this humidity. Put a truss rod on that gate and it'll outlast any wooden one you build.
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emma_garcia4mo ago
100% agree - I built a 10 footer for a customer near Murfreesboro and it sagged within two years no matter how I adjusted the hinges. Swapped it for a wooden farm gate and it's still straight as a arrow five years later.
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thomasgonzalez4mo ago
Hell yeah, @emma_garcia is spot on here. Ngl, I've seen too many metal gates sag in this Tennessee humidity after a couple of years because folks skimp on proper bracing or use cheap hinges. Wood just holds up better when you build it right - I've got a 12 foot pine gate on my own place that's been straight for six years now. The trick is to use a diagonal brace from the bottom hinge corner to the top latch corner, and make sure you let the wood cure a few months before hanging it. Metal gates look good on paper but they always need more maintenance than people expect.
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