We are in the process of setting up gates that will go across our driveway.  One gate is 14 foot and the other 6. Both gates are seven tube steel gates so both, but particularly the 14’ gate, is particularly heavy.  I’m trying to decide how to put the posts up to hold the gates.

The posts to hold the gates up at 8 foot, 6x6, treated wood.  They are each 8 foot high.

One “expert” told me to put them in concrete and suggested premixed concrete.

Another “expert” told me to up them up, but use no-mix concrete.

A third “expert” told me that I shouldn’t use concrete because the posts will rot away in about 5 years and then I’ll have to dig the concrete out before replacing them.

“Expert Two” warned that the posts wouldn’t hold the gates, specifically the 14’ gate, without using concrete.

“Expert Three” said that isn’t a problem because you just use a wheel on the end of the gate and it will hold up the weight.

“Expert Two” told me if I used wheels, they would be impossible to get to roll in the winter and you’d have to essentially pick the gate up and move it by hand in order to get the gate open.

All I want is to put the gates up and get them to hold, as well as get them to last more than a couple of years.  Has anyone done anything like this?  What are your thoughts?  

Sink square steel tubing that's slightly larger than post in concrete.  Slide post in tube, when post rots, easy to replace.

I'd prefer a steel post and apply decorative wood facade.

Where is a good place to buy the tubing?  Do you think it have enough strength to hold a 14' gate?  Do you put anything between the tubing and the post, like sand or foam?

Buy the tubing at a local steel supplier.  The engineering is beyond me.  I'd think a 6" wood post a little light for a 14' gate without top support.  

The post anchored in a steel tube would need some solution for easily removing it later, loose fit, tapered etc.  If dirt blows in and fills the space around it, may be difficult to pull it out.

Oh yeah, I'm not an expert.  Good luck though.  Pics when you are done.

Where do you live?  Does it go below freezing and snow?

Do you have to have a 14' and 6' section?  Why not two 10' gates?

Can you use an overhead guy wire (with a pivot point on the post) to off-load the weight instead of the wheel beneath?

Yes, it does get freezing around here.  I don't think the guide wire would work for our set up. But to be honest, I've never seen it done.

I read the following years ago and saved it.  Maybe it will help.

Some things to consider before you make any in depth plans:

Check with your local zoning board, some (but by no means all) will require fees and design considerations.

Check with your local fire Marshall, some will have guidelines they want met to insure their access in case of emergency.

Check with your local building and inspections office, some will require permits and may have codes you'll need to adhere to.

If you live in a sub-division with its own by laws you may have to deal with that crap too.

There are many many locales where none of this applies, but it's worth finding out to save you from future headaches. This stuff doesn't always get enforced but when it does re-do's aren't any cheaper than the first go 'round and in many cases can cost more.

I read in a trade rag recently that UL 325 safety standards are going to get written into IBC2012 which is the code model for most of the USA so you'll probably begin to see more hoops to jump through for gate installs in the future.

I also read where NHTSA has wrote a new regulation to the effect that you'll have to have a wide reflective conspicuity stripe across any gate that leads to a public roadway, including residential gates.

More nanny state crap to save us from ourselves if you ask me. I don't see that as a complimentary effect on a nice hand wrought gate.

Several industry groups are gearing up for a fight to see if they can stop the madness before any state DOT's adopt and enforce the rules.

As far as the gates themselves go here's a few tips I've learned over the years:

The hinge post needs some serious beef depending on the size and weight of your gates. For something in the 300-500 lb and 12' to 16' range I'd use a post with a 6" profile and 1/4" wall as a minimum.

For a super duty gate post dig a trench across the drive way drop a beam in it and weld both posts to the beam.

I'd also set it in nearly a yard of 3000 psi concrete and the fiber is a great addition. I usually go with 4000 psi w/fiber on something that big. More often than not I'll dig a 30" by 30" by 30" hole (3/4 yard). But you may want to go deeper in colder climates to stay below the frost line.

Nothing wrong with a little re-bar in the footer either, but don't lose any sleep over it if you don't use it, especially on the smaller footers like the 3/4 yard cubes.

For lighter stuff you can set them like any farmer would. Bore a hole (I like to go 1.5 times whatever the above grade height) throw in some gravel and the post then plumb it, throw some ready mix (Red bag) and water at it and go eat a sammich while it cures, then hang the gate.

If you plan on operators do NOT cheap out on them. (One word: get Door King) You want these things to last for ever and good electronics and installs are not even close to cheap. Generally the more you pay up front the less you'll pay down the road. And they all break eventually.
(I used to sell turn keys gate installs w/access controls myself but finally quit selling the electronics, too many chances for warranty work. Now I just team up with an access control outfit and let them handle the sparky/digital/telephony stuff.)

If you live on a mountain top do some serious ground and lightning protection. It will get struck and when it does it'll eat a board up in the control panel, so get something with a proven parts/service history.

If you're going to use operators one piece swing gates are cheaper than dual. If you have the room good sliding gate operators seem to be more durable than swings arms or linear swing gate operators.

If security is an issue sliding gates generally are harder to defeat than swing gates. A set of stout bollards at each end and a serious slide gate can stop a small car easily. It'll have to be fixed but if it stopped the crackhead in the F onefiddy from hookin' up and taking off with your Fountain (I'm more of a Chris Craft guy) it was money well spent.

If your not going to use an operator you might want to add a second latch post to lock open as well as closed.

If you want the cheapest steel gate you can find get a couple of Locust posts and one of the thin wall specials from places like TSC, that's about as cheap as you can get, aside from just stringing up a chain.

Use good sealed bearing or barrel style w/grease-able ball bearing hinges.

If you're going to make it yourself blast and powder coat it and it'll last for ever.

Drill small weep holes on the bottom of any tubing to keep it from freezing and splitting in the future.

If you are using some form of a powered gate, preventing sag is very important and big posts with bracing are very important. If you are using a normal tube farm gate, then a gate wheel is your friend. It takes the pressure off of the post to prevent sag. You just have to have enough post and set using normal fence building practices.

Gate wheel

I've seen it done on ranch gates.  It is an alternative way to get the weight off the hinges - a wheel supports it from below, a guy wire holds it from above.


The guy wire (a brace) is sometimes a tube welded to the gate and hinged to the post.

Yep, I've got the names of a couple and will give them a call in the morning.

Good idea. After reading and thinking about it, I'm going to put a wheel on the end of the 14' gate.

Without a wheel I don't think a 6x6 will take the weight of the gate

I have a 440lb 54" tall welded gate at my house I just installed

Hinge post is 6" 1/4" tube set in 2009lb of concrete 4' deep with 2/3 of the concrere on the back side as ballast

Hinges are 2000lb USA made bearing hinges

My 2yo can open the gate easily

Expert #87 says you shouldn't use a wood post to support a gate

My 16 ft gates, three of them, are on h braces pounded into the ground 7 inch post.  Strong as hell.   If you don't have access to get the post pounded, do it the old fashion cowboy way.   Use a San Angelo bar and tamp the dirt in around the post before you. Yield the h brace.   Cement really does cause the post to rot prematurely.   Remember 2 1/2 feet depth min.  I go three ft.
Good luck!

I've never seen a gate hung without a wood post.