Installing Two Giant Property Gates

[@0ohoaxo0]

Noted this in other vid, add third hinge flipped to prevent lifting out by unwanted intruders. I always install at least one flipped tacked in place for easy removal if we need to lift a gate out for repairs and what not.

[@riversable1313]

YOUR AMAZING!!!!!!!! PLEASE don't stop with your wonderful, truly informative videos. I've always been a hands on gal myself as I built my own cabin over 30 years ago with no experience so a carpenter would help me with the bigger projects then I was on my own for the most of it (not to mention a lot of the wood was hand cut till I could afford a generator) as I've been off grid for 40 years. I wish you were around then. YOU ABSOLUTELY ROCK!!!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR WONDERFUL SELF AND EXPERIENCE WITH US ALL.

[@MRubio1978]

Your are a talented woman. I see you wear many hats. Its always a pleasure watching your videos. I just enjoy watching things getting built.

[@RenegadeADV]

I did a lot of gates down in Texas when I lived there, the posts were always a pain. Eventually the system I came up with was to pre-build the poles, then id tie the poles together with a piece of 6-10" C channel depending on the width of the gate. then id weld rebar studs all around the base of the poles, dig a trench where the gate was going to go, set everything in, and could level it off of the top of the C-channel, then pour concrete on the poles to hold it all in place. System worked great! Also I would frequently run a piece of 1" PVC between the poles so if you needed to get a wire from one side to the other the conduit was there. This was really handy considering keypads and gate operators frequently need to be on the opposite side of gates.

[@jaymccanless1448]

On the wooden Cedar gate, behind the bow ties, I would add a bead of clear silicone caulk to keep water from swelling the wood that may get trapped behind the metal bow ties. This also keeps the lines well defined and is practical for the longevity as the bow ties will move against the wood with high winds and the paint will scrape over time.Just my experience from living in Missouri for many many years.

[@paulsillence3]

Nice gate April. If it starts to drop due to the weight you can attach a steel cable to top of hinge post and run diagonally to top of closing side of gate. You can increase the tension which will raise the closing side. A few weep holes drilled in to bottom channel the wooden slats sit in will relieve any water trapped in there too. Good job!

[@jimmydeanballinger8853]

Best video on the internet about building a gate. You saved my bacon on the pre bent square @ triple s. Great work!!!

[@idadho]

If you fill the support posts to the house gate with concrete, they will have less deflection. The concrete keeps the pipe from wanting to flatten a bit as it tries to bend. A gate stop post with a butterfly latch to hold the gates open would be handy, especially in breezy time. A lift rest at the gate stop would support the gate from wanting to bend the posts when the gate is left open. Good looking gates.

[@MrJKCampione]

My wife is an interior designer and her firm has an outdoor specialist for Gates, landscaping, garage doors, etc. I asked my wife to have that co-worker estimate a price to have these gates furnished and installed. I live in the chicago suburbs but the estimated cost to have these gates made then installed by a contractor according to my wife's co-worker is 12k to 16k. I'd say you saved quite a bit. My wifes firm tends to do high end projects so perhaps other places might be cheaper but that was the estimate where she works.

[@AprilWilkerson]

You're awesome for getting an estimate. : ) Thank you for that.

[@mkbcoolman]

That actually seems VERY reasonable, if not on the low end. I was thinking they'd be like $18-20k for both. These pieces really are works of art, especially the bow tie gate. Considering that gates like this installed in urban/suburb areas would skew towards very affluent neighborhoods, I don't think many people in that market would balk at the price. Doing gate/fence work yourself is a HUGE cost save, even when you factor in the value of your labor. I have a terraced back patio, and I did the iron railing for the upper section myself. I had $1500 in tools/materials (including a 120v wire welder, compression roller, and chop saw I bought just for this project), plus about 4 weekends of DIY elbow grease. A GC friend of mine came by to check it out and told me he would have paid a sub at least $8500, and the cost to the owner would have been at least $10k. The cost save is a HUGE benefit. But I think my favorite thing is when I have company over and they admire how beautiful it is...then their jaws drop when they find out I did it all myself.

[@Romans828girl]

Oh, yeah. I used to work in a welding shop in Nashville (I was the secretary; I didn't get to do the fun stuff). I knew the savings would be really big because labor is the majority of the cost...but my jaw dropped when I heard $1200. For both gates, our price would have been higher than the 12-16K estimate you got.

[@nordyfamily]

My dad and I had left over concrete when we installed a basketball standard for my little brother, that we poured into the pole. This is in Wyoming, but the moisture in the concrete over time swelled and cracked the 1/4" steel pole. Hopefully it doesn't get that cold in Texas. Those gates look awesome!

[@vlchipmeador1559]

Great job from an old geezer down in central Florida. I have enjoyed your channel for over a year. By the way, married 42 years.

[@niel6453]

I like those gates!! (We have a company that makes custom gates) Small tip: Add some black foam strips to that plate so when it closes it bang on that second pole. That's all I wanted to say , greets from Belgium ;)

[@AprilWilkerson]

Great tip! I'll look for something that will hold up in the sun.

[@aguywhodoesstuff]

Maybe a piece of tyre? It'll last forever

[@ciano5475]

And add a post at 90° so you can lock in open position.

[@deemail100]

@@AprilWilkerson rubber floor mat or car mat?

[@RealLuckless]

An important safety warning to keep in mind: Slab sided gates can catch an impressive amount of wind, and build up dangerous energy levels if ever allowed to swing freely in a storm. Adding a deadweight to the far end that must be lifted to move easily can go a long way to minimizing how much speed it can pick up. I've seen similar sized gates rip themselves apart, and apparently throw a grown man across his own lawn. A lever arm that long is not a fun thing to play with when out of control, and it is vitally important to triple check the ratings of any automation hardware you attach, as most assume an open structure gate that won't catch even a fraction of the overall wind. Using a pipe run through your brackets is a handy way to ensure they're aligned on axis, and gives you a longer surface to confirm alignment with. - Some handy tips for when using a pipe to align hinge brackets: 1. Ensure the pipe is actually straight. 2. Ensure the pipe slides through at least one bracket for its whole length. (A friend once 'borrowed' a length of 'important pipe' off a some piece of equipment, and then forgot that there was a welded fitting in the middle that wouldn't slip through the brackets he had just welded on.) If you have the option, keeping one of the pins longer than the other allows you to use it to align and guide the door/gate onto the hinges in the event that you have to take the gate off and on.

[@jporterfield]

Wow!

[@MrShawnknapp]

No One's ever been killed by a gate, calm down cowboy.

[@RealLuckless]

If people don't want to heed warnings, then that's on them. I won't lose any sleep for people not wanting to address it if they choose to build such a thing without bothering to put in simple safety features.

[@RealLuckless]

mitch denner and you know the openers she, and other people building similar gates, plans to add will never fail during a wind storm? Do you also happen to know next week's power ball numbers? The addition of failsafes is not for while things are going perfectly. They're for helping ensure things remain safe during a failure... Hence the name...

[@andrewholdaway813]

Shawn Knapp Pretty sure they have.

[@pearljamrock]

That is the biggest cordless grinder I have ever seen! What a unit!

[@Phantomthecat]

Both sweet looking gates! The braces out to both sides is a great idea and with that lot concreted into solid rock, they'll last a lifetime.

[@bmak5405]

Love digging those holes in the good old Texas Hill Country ..... Especially in August !

[@ron827]

Absolutely a SUPER project and wonderful video capturing the culmination of lots of hard work. Have you considered publishing a calendar highlighting your major projects from the past year? You are poised plus very photogenic and I think lots of your viewers would enjoy seeing you in their shop everyday.

[@NV..V]

Another great video April! Super job! All I accomplished this month was finding a missing screwdriver...

[@wptrader9062]

I love your videos. I am am an amateur welder and seeing you tackle these projects give me some wind behind my sails to do my own.

[@abdullah-a4164]

Very good work from Saudi Arabia Do not stop

[@thegunguymartin]

Thanks for letting us watch.... Y'all inspire a lot of us !!!!

[@cobberpete1]

Yes you save a heap of money, but nothing beats the satisfaction of doing a great job by yourself. Well done April and team.

[@nduhclouds]

Great job April. I recently built two 12' sliding gates and could not believe how much welding that entails! Can't wait to see what you do for actuators.

[@kidric940]

Didn't read all of the comments but i gotta say you are amazing!! Loved the shop build and the two gates. One thing you should keep in mind is you should have your gas bottle for your wire feed standing up, not laying down in the bed of your pickup. Great job though. Just an observation.

[@glenngoodale1709]

I really like the way you explain things. Your demostrations are clear and I understand most of the things you say. It's great that you do videos on Maker\Builder , and I don't think I will find any other channel with such great content like this. Thank you for making videos. I was hoping you would put a gas lantern on the gate post....

[@AprilWilkerson]

: ) Thank you for the feedback. I enjoy what I do and put a lot of effort into it, so it's great to hear it's appreciated.

[@hubertrobinson8825]

I admire your work I'm a gate builder you surely work better than a lot of guys I know you're doing a great job I'm subscribing

[@g4outdoors]

So satisfying to see the gates not wanting to favor open or shut. Nice job on leveling everything!

[@Studio23Media]

I love watching you all work together. The teamwork adds a fun aspect to your videos.

[@AprilWilkerson]

Yes I agree! I love working alone most of the time but working with a group or another person is nice once in a while.

[@GunnyArtG]

This inspired the design of my 12 foot gate. Very happy with the results. Thanks for good content.

[@chrisprinsloo8708]

You have one of the best channels on youtube. I learn so much from each vid. you also inspire for better quality work at home and on site. keep it up

[@olalovgren560]

Love the gates! Impressive projects. Also love your attitude and way of telling your stories!! Mind you, I am a Swede, in Sweden "love" is a strong word, but here it is really appropriate.

[@mrfyxr7489]

A really GREAT and BIG project. And a really fun mass happy dance!! This is a project I need to do at my house...The long one is only about 11 feet. Mine will also be a lot lighter. I don't have tractors nor extra people to help and the greatest thing it will need to keep in/out is a dog. You have another fantastic project well done.

[@scrout]

Wow, looks awesome. I have always ended up having some kind of support tang at the fully open and fully closed ends to support the gate weight at those points to prevent sag. But then, I have not used anywhere near that much steel and concrete!

[@Wheel-1]

Great build's April ! Not many women have your kind of talent . Bravo !

[@TheEmeraldNight]

I always hang my gates slightly lower on the catch side so it self closers but then again we have always had animals so that does change things a little. Great work as usual.

[@sams7725]

Both gates look so nice, both were a huge project just making them. Installing them is another huge project in itself. Really very nice work all the way through both projects.

[@whocares6698]

Looks great April thanks for sharing with us

[@Avitaser]

Incredible series and outcome! Well done! The only thing that occurred to me as I watched was leaving an option for lighting. I thought that a piece of PVC pipe in the posts would provide for an electric channel if you ever wanted to run power to the post caps or put switches or outlets on the posts themselves for future tech or servos. 2c FWIW. Seriously, you did an amazing job all the way through and should be very proud. If you have an older sister... LOL

[@HeavyboxesDIYMaster]

I would have done exactly that, for support of the main post with smaller posts or a guy wire. I hope the gate stands straight and tall for many years to come!

[@jpaszkiewicz1]

Also I would add a lower gate over swing stop much closer to the ground so the mechanical advantage to lower and it will do less damage to your post over time. This is the stop on the non hinged side!

[@BrilliantDesignOnline]

Yup

[@radishfever]

Very nice gates. The angled supports on the dovetail gate look good to me. Just got my first welder last week and appreciate the inspiration.

[@The33TIGGER33]

I would weld a piece of steel to the gate below the lower hinge so someone can't lift it off of the hinges and walk off with it. Awesome looking gates and a great video.

[@davidshupe1531]

Amazing work April and crew. I learned a lot watching you guys build the gates and install them. Thank you!

[@lornashandmadesoaps7034]

All in all they both turned out very pretty. Thanks for sharing.

[@castolum]

Amazing gates!! As a civil engineer I would advise you next time to weld perpendicular bars in the foundation to be imbeded on the concrete. Maybe that way you wouldn't need so many lateral supports and the posts would have aditional support to avoid being pullout vertically. Cheers

[@nordyfamily]

Great work! Thanks for taking the time to make, film, edit and share

[@twodogswoodworkingandwood6742]

Good looking gates, great job getting them hung correctly.

[@mrhbigga]

I attach barrel hinges to flat-bar , align hinged flat-bar to post , attach to post. Separate hinges attach to gate, hang gate.

[@penny9700]

Good build quality and execution. Not a fan of the gate design but thats subjective! Should last for years to come!!

[@husumfriesenjung]

Tolle Arbeit, tolles Video. Diese Frau beeindruckt mich immer wieder.

[@jerrysumrall4660]

Remember the stiffer the concrete or minimal water for the mix will increase a stronger post foundation. Use plenty of water to blend the mix but don't overdo it just to it make it easier to pour. Concrete finishers notoriously add too much water to make an easier finish but it does decrease the PSI of the concrete.

[@CCCommander]

Greetings from Cleveland...so I had to mention the Cleveland Clothing Co. (216) tee at 10:02. Been thoroughly enjoying the shop build. Great job, April!

[@stevieg.4816]

I have to say your have a beautiful place and you keep improving on it.

[@markkirsten3]

Gates are awesome, never weld upward and always weld in a flat position if ever possible

[@petergittos2875]

Beautiful job with both of the gates and the wood gate just looks amazing. You should be proud because they are cool and I have never seen anything as good. Peter (UK)

[@dragonsgrin3118]

You narrate beautifully I can't wait for the tiny house narration. Awesome gates too.

[@chadkuntz267]

If you weld some hooks to the top of the loader bucket they make great strap points for carrying things like that.

[@TheShop10]

Modify a garage door opener for the gates. Much stronger, faster, more reliable, and parts are cheaper. I've had mine installed for 12 years with no problems. Gate actuators are slow and control boards are expensive.

[@aron6998]

rptaylorjr or just hire one of these refugees to open and close it for you haha 😂

[@magicnik8881]

Great project, the gates look awesome! Maybe put a little flat metal on the bottom of the pole, which is not the hinge side. On this plate the gate can rest if it's closed to relieve some of the force that affects the joint post.

[@leol1682]

A very good job April and your helpers too , have good day guy's .

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thanks! You as well.

[@ChetsChannel]

spectacular 10/10, possibly add lighting for night time, looks stunning

[@tonyburelle6633]

I like them even more now that I've seen the hanging, great job April and crew

[@dusty827]

I had beeb thinking about how fun and motivating some of your smaller projects wer and then I tune back in and HOLY COW! Pretty big project! Looks great. You do sound a little hoarse. Take care of yourself. Thanks for the video!

[@4G64SicKShoT]

Put support pole on the right side as well, to make it look symmetrical, and prevent drive arounds

[@dabruscar]

Another super piece of work April. Great job

[@motzemog]

Those 2 monstrous gates look fantastic!

[@abelwrate4330]

Amazing work April. Good job. Keep it up.

[@Rkevwill2687]

I'm building a fairly large pergola next spring. I think you are the right artistic/constructor to do this. Ready for a trip to Indiana?

[@seansysig]

While the house gate is really nice, the shop gate blew me away! Beautiful and very tasteful.

[@Mizeree1]

There's just something that I love about this channel

[@WiliamBennettwildarbennett]

W O W ! Such a nice build and completion to your shop building. That is like the cherry on top.

[@More-Space-In-Ear]

I’m so glad to have witnessed so may happy dances, it really shows how happy you are with the project...well done April, I’m really proud of you...give yourself a pat on the back 👍🏼😊

[@markalaniz8427]

My input is that you do amazing work. Blessings from South Texas! You should do a contest where you show up to a fans shop and build something. Just my opinion

[@dennisfahlstrom1257]

A wonderful job. You may decide at some future point to have them powder coated although I don’t know if it can be done on site. Grinding off rust, priming and painting again every few years will get old soon.

[@Krautastic]

Thanks so much for the series! Looking to do a ~10' gate on my property and this was a perfect primer for it.

[@calliecutiepie]

Both gates turned out fabulous, congratulations and nice work!

[@deborahderosa6530]

Great job on both gates but I still think you should put the tree you made for the shop gate on it, the tree is like your signature and it would look great on it.

[@bransonhauntedhills]

And another awesome job completed! You are such an inspiration. I love how you filled the pipes with concrete. Your gates look amazing. You must be so proud.

[@georgeeads8689]

The gates are awesome. Great work April

[@projetotrebuchet7862]

Oh no... people can go around it! hehe Great work April! Looks great and really deserves happy dances! Cheers from Brazil!

[@AprilWilkerson]

I can't build a fence and two gates in a single week.....

[@projetotrebuchet7862]

I know I know... just kidding! It's really cool to see everything coming together... on their own time schedule... : )

[@geef6770]

Why not? You're our power girl ;)))

[@RealLuckless]

April Wilkerson you say that now... But with the right peer pressure and taunting challenges, I bet you could probably pull it off. You're a KZbin star. If the internet is to be believed, then you can totally do anything.

[@MitaKgEg]

@@AprilWilkerson what's with the cranky comments on the gate videos? The first one I saw was when someone was giving you constructive criticicism and now when this guy is giving you praise and joking a little...

[@Tomsfoolery.]

Those are some nice looking gates!

[@dangilbert9945]

I have a suggestion. With a gate that large and heavy, use a sliding gate mechanism instead of a swinging gate. A sliding gate will never sag, simply because it's not possible. The posts for a swinging gate will almost always sag over time. I installed one myself and haven't had any trouble with sagging or operation in 3 years.

[@tavitlertritsumpun7160]

Been following the progress of your shop for a while, guess this caps them all. Great work.

[@Nick-ye5kk]

Impressive skills and accuracy

[@harvardmurrayinc]

I will never build anything like this. But I still watched the whole series because you are such a genuine, hard working and passionate person. I enjoy the diy building subject so there's that but I could almost watch your channel if you were doing something not interesting. Good work on the project, the research and the video production!

[@AprilWilkerson]

: ) Aw thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoy the videos. I love producing them and sharing my projects.

[@sergiogutierrez4062]

Great job, April.

[@trongod2000]

The gates look great April. Congratulations on a job well done. Since you asked for input for others doing what you've done, here is my input. You intend to have actuators to open and close the gates apparently. That kind of does away with the need for gate stays but for anyone putting up a gate, you must have some method of opening the gate and having it stay open until you want it closed. The closed part, which you didn't appear to address is a whole nuther thing. I didn't hear or see you install something on the gate/post to lock it shut. Gate openers are not always as strong as you think. someone can open the gate by forcing the gate opener. Now back to keeping the gate open. Without a mechanical opener you need a rod that comes down along the gate that can stick into a pipe in the ground. You don't want to open the gate only to have it swing into a following vehicle. check out some other gates perhaps to see what your missing. Its just a simple metal rod bent into an L shape that is held by a couple of pieces of pipe slightly larger than the rod. You might need to use this someday if your electricity fails and the opener lets the gate swing on it's own.

[@henriquepradines7084]

very nice gate. Great job April

[@3evv_wastaken]

I suggest adding a ramp-like slab on the opposite side to the one with the hinges - when the gate will be in the closed position the stress(torque?) exerted on the hinges will be reduced. The mentioned stress can lead to the gate not being as straight to the ground as it is now. Anyway, love the video, the workshop gate looks gorgeous ;3

[@joexg50]

The gate looks & works GREAT!! You did a SUPER JOB!! One very small addition I would make are lights for at night visitors. Like to suggest SOLAR LIGHTS MOUNTED inside gate so no one can steal them, or at least some dishonest person. You will figure that out I’m sure.. I enjoyed watching this project very much !!! Really only 1200.00?. That is a steal Mrs. April.. Thank You for sharing..

[@JointerMark]

An impressive looking pair of gates. Have you thought about hiding the supporting posts in some stone work? You could make two impressive rock wall 'wings' either side of the gate to camoflage the supports and add a certain old world aesthetic to your driveway.

[@AprilWilkerson]

Yep, I plan to do two rock columns with flower beds in them and those will connect to the fence. : ) All in the future plans.

[@stevegarcia5106]

You guy's did a great job on installing the gates April, they look amazing.

[@henrymoreton7508]

With gates mounted on hinges like that it is often a good idea to invert the top hinge which stops it from just being able to be lifted off the post (probably not such an issue with these gates but with smaller gates it is quite easy to do).

[@samuelluria4744]

Wouldn't that also greatly increase the weight on the lower hinge?🤔

[@waynecostanza2280]

I would put a spring loaded wheel on the far end to relieve some weight on the end of the gate. Quite the long lever with lots of weight, will also reduce the gates tendancy to swing.

[@steffen1182]

4:45 The Makita angle grinder is crazy. I really need the type of it. He would do well in my workshop too.

[@1971ufcfan]

Great job on the gates April!!

[@anteatert600]

An easy add on would be a solar powered gate opener, just a click and it opens & closes behind you.

[@DonDegidio]

Hi April, Love it when a plan comes together. Outstanding job. Kudos also for Cody and Brian. Looking forward to the next project. :-)

[@timsworkshop85]

Way to go April, another job well done!

[@FredMcIntyre]

Awesome work on the installing two beautiful gates April! 👍👊 Great thinking ahead with the paving and gate clearance! 😃 ....... I was expecting to watch this a couple of burritos ago 🌯🌯 ...but it's okay, I'll just blame Matt! 😁