Would You Like a Free Expert Consultation?

Las Vegas Handyman 

Not every project goes as well as planned. We would be happy to spend a few minutes answering your questions.

Subscribe by Email

Your email:

Browse by Tag

Pro Handyman Blog

Current Articles | RSS Feed RSS Feed

Gate Latch Loose in Stucco

  
  
  

handyman gate latchIf you have a gate on the side of your house and the latch is secured through the stucco, you should probably prepare yourself for some maintenance. If you have to choose which side of the gate to hang on the stucco, I guess the latch would be preferred because it is not as heavy as the gate itself. However, as the gate will tend to slam into the latch and overtime will tend to loosen.

There are a couple of ways to deal with this problem. Some folks would consider moving the latch, which would mean you also have to move the gate by the same amount. You could also use longer screws and make sure they enter some framing lumber in the wall. Along with that you can repair the broken out stucco. They make a product which is basically mortar in a caulking tube. You can load this in a caulking gun, cut the top off, and squeeze some into the void under the latch. You will want to position the latch where you want it to stay while the mortar dries. I would leave it that way overnight. The next day it should be rock hard with no movement…until people start slamming the gate again.

Gate Coming Out Of Wall

  
  
  

brokegate resized 600The side gate that allows entry to the backyard was falling out of the block wall. The customer wanted this fixed because he had a dog he didn’t want to escape. Fair enough.

In most cases, this type of job can be fixed with a larger anchor. Typically, a bolt goes through the frame of the gate support and screws into an anchor in the block wall. When the gate gets abused, through either too much weight or maybe the hardware was too small to begin with, the top sags and can drag on the ground.

Dig out the old anchor from the block wall and install a larger anchor. This can also be combined with mortar or epoxy. The anchor will have ridges around the perimeter and if you add some mortar or epoxy to the hole before you push the anchor into the opening, this will give the anchor some extra holding power. I would let that dry and get hard before reinstalling the gate and placing weight upon it. It’s probably a good idea to place a block under the strike side of the gate to support it while you are reinstalling the hardware and then remove the block once everything is tight. This will make it so you don’t have to fight to keep the gate in place while you are installing the hardware.

Tags: 
All Posts