Gate

6 November 2009

The job to make the house complete seems like a never-ending journey. Not that we would want this journey to end anytime soon. Today it's about the gate. The side gate leading to our backyard on the Northern side of the site.

Gate base frame

D had a vision of a timber-strip gate. Timber was used because that is the only thing he could manipulate freely and it matches our deck. The gate design incorporates some see-through element that does not compromise on privacy.

Louvers

The gate will be made up of 3 sections, 2 parts solid, and 1 part semi-solid. The semi-solid area will be made up of repetitive timber louvers that is detailed as per the image above and below.

Washer - Bolt - Washer

First, D made 2 separate frames which would eventually be the 'solid' component. Then he started working on the louvered zone by stacking the pre-cut timber louvers (approx. 50mm wide) consecutively on top of one of the frames. The louvered part is anchored to the frame with a galvanised bracket - sponsored by our neighbour.

The anchor bracket

Clearer picture

This sums up the description above. D used four of M10 galvanized steel rods at 1.2m long as the louver supports. The pre-cut louvers were also pre-drilled at intervals similar as the distance between the rods, so they could be slide in, as indicated.

Gate skeleton

2 weekends later, the gate was approaching completion. At this stage, due to the amount of materials we used, this gate was heavy as! Still, there's more to come... After conducting a little bit of measuring, D realised that the dimensions is slightly off the mark. It was a teeny bit shorter than anticipated. Thus a frame along the perimeter was added to the structure.

Extra framing

Next, - the 'solid' part. For that, D screwed 2 pieces of 7mm thick plywood on each side, 4 pieces, for both sides. I'm starting to get worried as the structure continuously piles on more and more weight ...

Solid & See-thru

And lastly, for this entry, how is the gate going to work? It is way too heavy to just rely on the hinge itself. It cannot be lifted off the ground, but definately has to rest on something and yet remain mobile. So, we shall have a little wheel at the other edge of the door.

Castrol Wheel

This little castrol wheel is going to support half the weight of the massive door. It's rubber based, pretty cheap and we hope that it could withstand the elements and does not need replacement in the near future. To see how it all comes together, stay tuned ...