How to Install a Fence Gate | Ask This Old House

[@davidlesley1328]

Roger, what an expert with a great way of leading the job

[@tyson9419]

Yea, wiked pissah!

[@2loco]

You gotta love that Boston accent. Good job Roger. Nice use of that iron baar.

[@rudi_ghuliani]

That's not a Boston accent, it's a Maine accent. Similar though.

[@christophercrawford2736]

A.S baah

[@jeremymurphy7320]

Roger's a Mainer. Even the Boston crew makes fun of his accent.

[@nutz4gunz457]

Happy to see Roger looking better. Hopefully this isn’t an old video.

[@thebigirishpotato]

Its an old video. They seem to be deleting and re-uploading a lot of older videos recently.

[@saulgoodman2018]

This is like 2 years old. Manual labor through decades takes it toll on the body.

[@unclefreddieDied]

he doesn't do the show anymore

[@ullgeologist]

Good job, Rahjah!

[@saulgoodman2018]

The first time you bang your hands together while you close it, you'll remember to don't do that again. But they need to redesign it with handles on the outsides.

[@MrBudpln]

Roger is the man

[@ericchandler90]

I just started building a gate today. What a coincidence!

[@SR-hl5vz]

I love these guys.

[@GradyElla]

"An ion bah?" We don't need no stinkin' ion bahs! Thanks as always Roger. Another great, super helpful video. Headed out to put the gate into the new fence now.

[@ordean6499]

Beautifully done!

[@patandsandytrierweiler2440]

Wow...A fence guy told me about a different method. Using this traditional method, the result is usually a sagging gate that never fit well. In contrast, fence guy says,.. Build the fence like there was no gate but put the posts in the right place. Then, construct the gate bracing on the back side (using the existing top and bottom rails). Finally, turn on the power saw and cut the gate right out of the solid fence. Attach hinges. Result: a gate that looks/fits like it belongs...because it does!

[@ryananthony7115]

😎 im baffled because i was saying your full of it. i then read and reread and was like “you are a genius”.

[@theenword1283]

that'd make a sharp looking gate. thanks for the tip

[@RossMalagarie]

Pro tip from an amateur, every fence gate over time starts to sag. The best way to stop it before it starts and make sure it doesn't sag? Mount a caster, (swivel wheel) on then bottom on the ends of both gates. That way the gate rolls on the wheels and the wheels hold up the gate.

[@c0mputer]

Eh, frost heaves and a few inches of snow would make the caster a pain in the neck.

[@wompbozer3939]

Or put a turnbuckle cable on the diagonal so you can adjust it when it drops

[@samnaghoon5907]

You guys are top notch, one of the best!!

[@EnhanceEnhance]

Use an electric augur if your soil permits it. For me, it made 40+ post holes a breeze. I can't imagine using one of those post hole diggers.

[@madnotbad44]

If putting wooden posts in concrete make sure concrete come up over surface couple of inches up the post. If you leave it below the surface the wet soil and grass will keep the bottom of the post damp and cause it to rot.

[@marcusscott4450]

“I’m gonna have you put in 4-6 inches, then imma pack it down”!! 😂😂😂

[@dracophyle]

4:47 "now... you have a special sized openning..."

[@nestorlugo.]

"Once you start getting down deep you'll have to widen that hole!"

[@nestorlugo.]

"The most important paht is the initial plunge, getting it down as far as you can"

[@nestorlugo.]

"I'm just gonna put it in the hole, and pack everything down"

[@slicktype001]

Roger, YES! My man.....

[@veronicianyveronica5290]

He just told her not to put her hands together when holding the post hole diggas and she did it right away ,haha ,so frustrating funny 😄 ! I love Roger though!

[@moc5541]

I distinctly recall "Norm"--- you know who I mean--- in his mailbox replacement PBS show episode, stating that you should never pot the post in concrete but should use gravel or the like, packed around the post. I was a noise consultant and after specifying sound wall heights along a roadway I got from the company that sold the transportation authority the soundwall materials--- they were of treated southern pine--- their instructions for installation. The instructions were to pack in gravel in lifts--- not concrete.

[@TheLawnCareNut]

Roger got rid of that little skinny rod and replaced it with a big ole fat wood post. That's my man! Total Savage.

[@brookekathryn1980]

Roger looks better-ish. He can bend his back finally!

[@saulgoodman2018]

This is like 2 years old. Manual labor through decades takes it toll on the body.

[@brookekathryn1980]

Lord baal That sucks! Hard to see Roger in pain!

[@unclefreddieDied]

last time I saw him, he wasn't doing so well... pretty sure he's got some serious health issues. they had some 40th anniversary celebration a little while ago, check it out

[@andrewdearing2411]

Rich, I couldn't find an iron bahh at my home center. Is this special order?

[@mrpanda2655]

Andrew Dearing no

[@RobertLeBlancPhoto]

His name is Roger. Richard is the plumber.

[@fqeng79]

Leave my man Roger alone, Iron Bahh lol

[@maxhill4583]

Maaak

[@egibbons76]

I thought the one post was too close to the house. It was almost touching. That does not bode well when the house is ready for painting or if the siding needed repair. A 2 inch gap would be fine aesthetically and provide enough space to sneak in a paint brush.

[@RossMalagarie]

yep real workers not only know how to put something up put think about how do you work on it after. I thought the same thing. Access doors, repair holes, painting after, repairing/replacing after install, yep these are things that people that actually work on their own stuff think about after you have worked on enough stuff that has no access.

[@ChihoLee]

This is what I need ! Thanks!

[@jonatasaraujo2497]

Very good

[@mikeblank7165]

Ok, Let me scroll down, and see what the experts say !

[@mdruffy235]

Special sized opening. Giggity.

[@MikeGusFifteen]

I hope this isn't from an older episode, because Roger is looking a lot better! He looked like he may have been having some back problems before.

[@unknown243]

IRON BAH!

[@dannydee9919]

Nice video champ.. i got a question: would adding gravel at the bottom be any beneficial?? I was under the impression that adding gravel at the bottom of the post serves as a drainage mechanism and slows down rotting at the bottom of the post.

[@RossMalagarie]

out of all the posts i have pulled out of the ground from fences 20yrs old or more, (here in south Louisiana where the water table is 4" below surface) the posts show zero signs of rot in the ground what i have always seen is wooden fence posts rot right at the surface above the ground because people put the cement flush with the ground and the bottom of the post on the surface is always sitting in water. Thats why i either mix the last amount of cement thick and make a pyramid about 4" about the ground around the post or use 2x4s to frame around the post about 4" around both ways allow the water to run off and allow the post to dry instead of sitting in water at the ground level and rot. Try it out. Its only a slight amount of extract cement. What you can do is use screws and have a few sets of 2x4s to put on the posts in the morning and move them and do some in the afternoon.

[@TroodoN0]

Would it be useful to put washer under those big screws or can i ignore?

[@ChicagoBirdGirl]

I say use the post to tamp down the dirt.

[@juvinious]

"got a refrence mahk..."

[@traceymoore8501]

Wounded if you on top of concrete then how I put my pole in

[@bmbpdk]

Why didn they design the thing with the handles curving out at the top so avoid a knucklebuster?

[@ncooty]

A little surprised Raja (Roger) didn't mention the orientation of the diagonal braces: down toward the hinges. Many people get that wrong.

[@1806StoneHouse]

First real comment.. thanks for the upload TOH.. nice looking gate.

[@andrewcrawley285]

I use an iuhn bah love his accent

[@imagesfromLA]

I thought the diagonal braces were supposed to rest on the vertical side of the rectangle, not the horizontal side?

[@randomsanwhich2]

Wouldn't it be a good idea to offset the post a few inches from the structure ?

[@ericchandler90]

I thought the same thing. Seems like rubbing and moisture could cause issues later on.

[@Bman01234]

Yes it would of been a good idea, for future repairs or painting etc.

[@on4acres]

I thought the same thing too, that’s a moisture trap right there.

[@AnaIG4]

It’s vinyl siding, not wood

[@nobodyspecial6436]

You’re in Boston.... you get snow in the winter and really cold weather I assume... so why do you only go 30 inches deep?? The frost line is 36 to 40 isn’t it? You need 8 to 10 inches beyond that

[@robertkressaii7046]

EYON BAH (Iron Bar)

[@PatinOmaha]

Why don't post hole diggers have some sort of foot peg on them to help push them into the dirt a little farther?

[@PhilipPetrunak]

You really should leave some happy between the post and the house's siding.

[@tristanmarshall5633]

A 5x5 30inches deep is absolute overkill for such a small / light gate.

[@nestorlugo.]

I need an ion ba!

[@sleepy_143]

Roger, are you really gonna make that tiny woman dig a hole with a post hole digger? That's the worst way to dig a hole! Looks great!

[@charliep5139]

And I love the nice easy soil. come down South to where I live and try and do that with packed in clay. The only good thing is that I get a special sense of pride seeing my mailbox plumb and level and knowing the hell it took to dig the hole deep enough so it wouldn't sag!

[@MattChildsTV]

Con-Crete (heavy emphasis on the Crete)

[@Bigshows93]

Damn two 5x5 posts, that's one heavy duty gate.

[@JG-pw5cr]

That's insane overkill for those little gates, lol.

[@brandonmoen6956]

I was taught by a professional fence contractor that you generally use a larger post as in a 4 x 6 for your gate post and your corner post and also usually the starting post of a fence as that is where the most load is being taken on a fence and gate.

[@mangravy2000]

@@JG-pw5cr - It's a decorative gate, open pickets with zero wind load. Insane indeed.

[@Husanumahu]

I watch this just to hear the accent hahahaha... The most important paat

[@georgeshepherd3307]

Ledge and brace gate

[@Jaxsolo]

It would have been a much more instructive video had he showed how to properly install the tube for the locking bar on tbe left hand gate, and how to properly align the hinges to the 5x5.

[@tyson9419]

3:20 roger doesn't like it sloppy... he likes it stiff

[@Alfsp1]

Geezus ...Its in pretty friggin deep it’s it for a pissy little gate !

[@WoolyBuggerPicker]

Or, you could get to a couple of inches of the desired depth, then use the actual post to tamp down to level.

[@davidbogolin3411]

One man Auger would be nice about now and they’re cheap

[@davidbach8929]

One Pharrrrttt

[@philliplopez9583]

Roger cook:" what I do is use an onion bahr."

[@JO-jq5cp]

That escalated quickly.

[@crmcbrideww]

I always put gravel at bottom of my post holes. Never let soil touch your post. If you do, your just asking for it to rot.

[@alexandersupertramp7731]

Ugh

[@saulgoodman2018]

It's pressure treated.

[@seanweaver8625]

By the time the posts rot, the rest of the fence will be rotting too. Pressure treated posts are designed for ground contact

[@crmcbrideww]

sean weaver I'll take my chances with the added expense of a handful of gravel.

[@cliffcarlo180]

Pressure treated or not, we were always taught to place a couple of inches of concrete in the hole before placing the wooden post on top. Then fill with concrete to the level required. It stops the post acting like a wick and sucking up that moisture from the soil. Pressure treated is ok above ground level, not so good in the permanently damp soil.

[@jrgd9083]

Good eye rahghaaa @ 2:37. Thats a contractor on respect for other people property.

[@oscarmuffin4322]

"Fence in her pet dog". Well, I know dog's aren't smart but I'm pretty sure it would just go 20ft around that stone wall at 1:31.

[@daniyalshahid3982]

Want us to pay $200-$300 for this and make us do half the work to

[@nickguthrie9309]

Concrete not needed; backfill with soil-less cracked rock and vigorously pound the fill with piece of 2x4 frequently while backfilling. This allows water to flow away better

[@andrewbrown784]

These screwdriver sounds they add in post production are starting to get to me. Close, but not quite right. In every single video.

[@outdoorfreak695]

BAAAAAA BAAAAAA BLACK SHEEP HAVE U AN IRON BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[@chriskeelor799]

Did you see how far I drove it in there?

[@willtoulan]

widen the hole

[@redcatjack]

Iron Baahh

[@TheMario2k7]

Ryobi drill?!?!?! Tom would be disappointed

[@jake9705]

Ryobi is the only power-tool manufacturer which has publicly promised to never change their batteries' form-factor. While DeWalt, Festool, and Milwaukee pointlessly change the shape of their batteries every few years to milk your bottom dollar out if you, Ryobi's batteries will work across multiple generations of Ryobi tools.

[@braydencannon4011]

Jake agree

[@saulgoodman2018]

Nothing wrong with Ryobi.

[@Bigshows93]

Jack Wow I didn't know that

[@JG-pw5cr]

Ryobi stuff is perfectly ok for 99% of normal situations. I have a ton of Ryobi stuff and I've been more than happy with them. My dad is a contractor and a lot of his stuff is Ryobi as well.

[@tinhinnh]

“This is going to keep that gate from rhauwking”

[@yzmoto80]

Bottom of the post will be rotten in two years, if it makes that long.

[@liamk15]

Bahhh

[@TheRacerRich]

Norm Abrams said don't use concrete. Roger Cook says do use concrete. Who is right?

[@designstudio8013]

I leave 3" min from the house and hang a picket there.

[@codysett1]

That drill almost snapped his fucking wrist when he was putting those hinges on.

[@bfullsyou]

Not a fan of concrete around wood posts.

[@RossMalagarie]

Why not? And if not concrete then what? machine packed dirt? Most of the time wooden posts rot right at the surface where the concrete ends as it is usually flush with the ground. That's why when i pour cement around wooden posts I make the last mix thick and i grade it up like a pyramid above the ground to about 4" about grade or i use a 2x4 and frame about 4" all the way around the bottom of the post the height of a 2x4 that way the water runs off and allows the post to dry instead of always sitting in water at ground level I find either way saves the posts from rotting.

[@bfullsyou]

@@RossMalagarie I chose not to do it for my fence. I used all pea gravel.

[@theurbancamper5410]

Why does he say ‘water’ for the word ‘wahttah’ ?

[@taylorandjackson613]

Ur supposed to use an impact driver to put in lag bolts

[@Jay-gu8ee]

Overkill for such a small fence :)

[@krisraps]

Didnt even show the gates how they look

[@Kevin-xz2fg]

that's a "wicked accent"

[@mshieh70]

Great job ask someone else to do your job

[@lukedrew347]

Take the bah

[@aleidabianchi1434]

I've heard good feedback about the Woodglut plans.

[@BaconSniffer578]

No festool! Get a grip guys.

[@TheBoomtown4]

Yeah, I know how to screw in a lag bolt, how do you get the gate square and the hinges perfectly aligned so there’s no binding? Fkn KZbin.

[@anthonymann697]

Eyeon bahh

[@patrickgamache9935]

Any body who used Ryobi tools are NOT a professional.

[@mansebalmer931]

Built a deck, finished an unfinished basement and much more all with Ryobi tools. Less expensive, not quite as tough but more than enough for all but the most abusive pros.

[@scarroll625]

Eye-uhn bahhhh

[@mshieh70]

Post against the house that close bad idea

[@ToyManFlyer1100]

You right...Now the fence concrete gonna mix w/ the foundation concrete and you'll never get it out...Had a buddy do that..I tried to help him....Short of a jack hammer...he aint getn the post concrete out...give yo'self at leas 6" spacing..or used some type of paper spacer that will degrade over time, but still have a tite fit.....

[@conner4055]

H h

[@benreeve4456]

I cant stand the Patri*ts

[@EdgardoTLugo]

Second... 😃

[@patrick.carnahan]

Third?

[@morehunterlol7767]

First