Gate Repair for Swing and Sliding Gates
Gate repair here means the gate itself: the hinges it hangs on, the posts that carry it, the rollers and track a sliding gate rides on, the latch and the frame. When those parts wear or move, the opener has to fight the gate, and the symptoms show up as noise, sag, drag or a latch that no longer catches. Fixing the mechanical side first is often what makes an opener run quietly again.
What Gate Repair Covers
- Sagging or dragging gates, swing or sliding
- Hinges: worn pins, loose straps, bolts that have pulled
- Rollers and tracks: flat-spotted wheels, bent or worn ground track, guide rollers
- Latches and locks that no longer line up or catch
- Bent or cracked frames, broken welds, loose pickets or panels
- Loose or leaning posts
- Hail or vehicle damage to panels, frames and posts
Common Repairs
More columns to the right: swipe.
| Part | Signs of wear or damage | What the repair involves |
|---|---|---|
| Hinges | Gate drops at the latch end, scrapes the drive, squeals or rocks on its pins | Re-hanging the gate on new or rebuilt hinges, adjusting it level and greasing the pins |
| Posts | Post leans, moves when the gate swings, or the gap at the latch keeps changing with the season | Bracing or resetting the post, or setting a new one deeper in concrete below the frost line |
| Rollers and guide wheels | Grinding, a jerky roll, a gate that sways or rubs its guides | Replacing worn wheels and bearings, setting the guides so the gate runs straight |
| Ground track | Gate jumps or bumps at one spot, track bent, cracked or lifted | Straightening or replacing track sections and re-anchoring them level |
| Gear rack | Clicking, skipping, or the opener running without moving the gate | Re-spacing or replacing rack sections so they mesh with the opener’s gear |
| Latch and lock | Latch misses its keeper, lock is hard to turn or will not engage | Realigning or replacing the latch and keeper after the gate is level |
| Frame and panels | Racked frame, cracked welds, hail dents, bent pickets after a bump | Straightening, bracing or re-welding the frame; replacing damaged pickets or panels |
What the Front Range Does to a Gate
Freeze and thaw. Wet ground around Loveland freezes and thaws many times a winter. Each cycle can lift or tilt a post a little, and a post that moves takes the hinge line with it. A gate that latched in summer and drags by February often has a post problem, not a hinge problem.
Wind on solid panels. A privacy-style gate with solid panels catches wind like a sail. Hard gusts load the hinges and the post, and over a season they work bolts loose and push a gate out of square.
Hail. Hail dents thin steel and aluminum panels and chips finishes, which lets rust start at the dents.
Snow and ice in the track. Packed snow and ice in a sliding gate’s ground track stop the rollers, and a frozen roller forced along the track wears flat. Clearing the track before the gate runs saves the rollers and the opener.
Notes to Make Before You Call
A few details make the first conversation shorter and help us bring the right parts:
- The gate type: swing or sliding, single or double, and roughly how wide
- What it does or does not do: drags, sags, will not latch, grinds, jumps the track
- When it started, and whether it was sudden or gradual
- Any impact or storm before it began: a vehicle bump, hail or a hard wind
Photos of the hinges, the latch side and the bottom of the gate, sent by email, often show the cause before anyone arrives.
Sagging Gates
Can a sagging gate be repaired, or does it have to be replaced?
Most sagging gates can be repaired. Sag comes from three places: worn hinges, a post that has leaned or lifted, or a frame that has racked out of square. Each has a fix: new hinges, a reset or replaced post, or a frame that is straightened and braced. Replacement makes sense when the frame is rusted through, badly bent, or too light for its width.
Why does the gate sag again after the hinges were tightened?
Tightening the hinges does not fix a post that moves. If the post leans or heaves with the frost, the gate drops again. The post has to be braced or reset before the gate will hold its line.
Get the Gate Hanging True Again
Call or send the request form with the gate type and what it is doing. We will tell you what usually causes it and what a visit involves.