garden gates Archives - GoatKeepers Press

Seven years ago, I finally got fed up with building wood garden gates every year as they rotted away in the wet weather. Instead, I decided building PVC gates would be a better option.

The size determines the design. My gates were three feet wide by four feet tall, so I decided to put in a cross brace. I’ve since found this is wise for every two feet in height.

The Materials Needed for Building PVC Gates

This is for each gate the size I built. You can modify this for your size gate.

Four elbows to form the four corners

Two T’s for the cross brace

There are reasons for laying out the parts for the PVC gates ahead of time. First, you can be sure you have all of the parts. Second, they are arranged so you know what attaches to what. This is really important when you are building several gates. I was doing three. My working area out under a black walnut tree wasn’t quite flat so my gates are a bit bowed.

Four two-foot lengths of PVC pipe (I used two-inch pipe. It must be thick enough to be sturdy.)

Three three-foot lengths of PVC pipe

Glue

Welded wire to fit the gate (I used one by two inch.)

Thin wire like electric fence wire to attach the welded wire to the gate.

Building PVC Gates

A flat working area bigger than the gate is necessary or the gate will bow.

Lay out the pieces in the places where they will go. The four corners with a three-foot length across, a two-foot length up to a T and a three-foot between the two T’s.

Follow the directions on the can of glue to spread glue inside one corner and on the ends of the pipes to attach to it. Put them together.

With the PVC parts laid out, you can see how to glue two pieces together in more than one place. The glue takes a short time to set, so only two pieces can be done at a time. The important thing to watch is that the pieces are flat so the PVC gate will be flat. Once the glue is set, you can’t make any changes.

Do the same for the diagonal corner and let these set.

Put the cross brace between the two T’s. Make sure the T’s lie flat at each end.

Do the last two corners. Make sure these pieces lie flat. Once the glue sets, that’s the way the pipes are.

Once the upper and lower pieces are done, attach them to the T’s. Let the gate dry several hours or overnight.

Adding Hinges and Wire

Drill holes and use bolts to attach whatever hinges you plan to use with the gate.

The PVC framework has big holes in it and defeats the purpose of the gate. I had the 1″ x 2″ welded wire, but chicken wire will work (not as long lasting). It does take time to ‘sew’ the wire to the gate. I used old electric fence wire. That way the wire doesn’t sag open anywhere.

Place the wire over the gate. Tie it on at each corner to keep it in place.

I wrapped old electric wire around the PVC pipe going through the wire every two inches. It does take time, but the wire stays in place. Do the same on the cross brace, but stand the gate up to make putting the wire around easier.

I drilled holes for regular gate hinges and used bolts to attach the hinge to the gate. Other hinge types might work. I chose these as they swing freely and make it easy to remove the gate, if necessary. It is possible to bolt a latch on the gate as well. My garden set up lends itself to using bungie cords.

Results

Building PVC gates was a great idea. The gates are light weight, easy to open. I use bungie cords to hook them. They are maintenance free. I wish I’d built them years earlier.