We all try our hardest to keep our properties safe, and we use different methods to do so. We employ fences, gates, electric measures, barbed wires, broken bottles, irons, and other security measures to keep out unsolicited and unwelcome guests and wildlife.
One of the methods of keeping our properties safe is to install a chain-link fence around the property and attach a gate to it. This is one method that has grown widely popular in this decade as people have discovered that chain link fence is not only durable but tends to last longer than the average fence.
They also function, not only as a security measure but also as a way of drawing demarcations around a property and claiming ownership of such property. So, how do you install such a security measure? What are the skills required and how can we go about installing a chain link fence double gate?
Table of Contents
How to Install a Chain Link Fence Double Gate
Here are how to install a chain link fence double gate:
1. Couple the Gates
Gather up all the materials and couple them together. You can set the upright posts horizontally on the ground to make them easier to couple together.
They have a top and a bottom with the top having a one-inch space enough to hold your post cap, and the bottom having just half-an-inch space.
Once you figure out your uprights, insert the cross members into both uprights to form a rectangular shape of the size you have chosen.
Put the necessary screw holes where they need to be. Ensure the screws are straight and firm so they don’t come off. Once that’s done, put your tension bands around the upright poles.
The number of tension bands used depends on the size of your gate. For a five-foot gate, four tension bands are enough. Now, you cover the frame with the chain link. This is where your gate rods come in.
They are threaded through the chain link and used to stretch the chain links and hold them to the tension bands.
Then you tighten your nuts and bolts to the tension bands, cut the knuckles of the chain links, bend the edges over to make it smooth, use tie wires to firmly tie the chain link to the post, and also use them to tie up any loose weaves across the chain links, and your gate is ready.
2. Pick a Location
If you already have your chain link fence up previously, without a gate, and you just want to add the double gate as an afterthought, you have to pick a location where you want your double gate.
There might already be a terminal post at the location you pick. If there is, good, and if there are two terminal posts with the exact space of your gate, even better.
3. Hammer your Upright Posts to the Ground
After picking your location and measuring properly, cut out the part of the chain link fence covering that location to enable you to create space for your double gate.
However, if there are terminal posts already existing at the location, you might not have to cut or even install new posts. It makes your work easier.
All you have to do is unbolt the tension bands and make room for your gates. You need to be very careful when unbolting as the chain links might have been stretched to the limit, causing it to fire back, and if you’re not careful you might get hurt.
Once you have created a space where there are no posts, hammer new posts into the ground to hold your gates.
4. Affix the Gates
Remember the gate you couple some steps back? This is where you use it. You affix the gate to the poles and use strings to tie them together. Then you attach latches to the gates to hold them firm.
5. Fix the Drop Pin
The drop pin is what is used to hold the gates firmly to the ground. First, you hold your gates together and target the center of the gate where you drill a hole into. Then you fix your drop pin in between the gates in a way that goes right into the hole you have drilled in the ground.
However, if you can’t do it yourself or if the procedure is confusing to you, it’s better you call someone that can do it better to avoid doing a bad job.
Also, if you wish to know how to install a chainlink fence on uneven ground, or chain link fence tension wire, these two articles explain them better.
Materials Needed to Install a Chain Link Fence Double Gate
- You need your upright posts
- Cross members
- Guides (at least two)
- Tension bands
- Gate rods,
- The actual chain link
- J-bolt engines to create an adjustable hinge
- Nuts and bolts for the tension bands
- Set screws
- Steel bars to hold your chain link to your tension bands
- Post caps
- Gate latches, etc.
Tools Needed to Install a Chain Linke Fence Double Gate
- You need a hammer
- Weedeater
- Grinder,
- Steel post driver
- Pliers, a socket set
- Tape measure
- Marker
- Screwdriver, and just in case, all other tools you have in your home.
How Do You Measure a Double Chain Link Gate?
To measure your gate, use a measuring tool such as a tape measure. Many people make the mistake of allowing their tapes to slope or slack when they are measuring, and at the end of the day, they might not get the proper size that will fit their chain link, causing them to do it all over again.
To avoid such headaches, ensure that your measuring tape is firm and make sure the ground is level. If you are not sure whether the ground is level, go to a level plane field, or use a smooth table to measure your double chain-link gate.
Make sure that your dimensions are exactly equal to the required. The dimensions usually depend on the size of the gate you are building.
It is important to note that for swing gates and double drive gates, measuring from the inside of the gate posts will give a more accurate measurement.
Purposes of Double Chain Link Fence
There are several purposes for the double chain-link fence. The major, primary use for this fence is to secure places and properties around a particular parameter.
- It is used to create demarcations around a certain property such as farmlands, real estate, and even different parts of a particular house or property, instead of using a brick fence or brick wall.
- Another reason for its existence is to ensure that there is space for breathing, in the room or area where it protects or is surrounded with.
- The double chain link will allow the breeze to come in and out of the place freely, and that is more than can be said for a brick wall or brick fence.
- It creates enough windows to keep the area cool, maintaining the weather temperature of the environment or property that it is securing.
Hence, you might want to use a double chain-link fence if you want the area you are demarcating to have an outdoorsy feel, or you are demarcating outside a house, a property that is yet to be constructed, or farmland where you would like the natural rain and rays of the sun to influence.
Advantages of Chain Link Fence Gate
Easy to Install
Chain link fence gates are very easy to install and can be done by anybody. Whoever reads this article will pretty much be able to fix and install a chain-link fence. It is not rigid, but easy to learn and swift to install.
More Affordable than Other Options
People prefer the chain link fence gate because compared to other fencing options, it is more affordable. If you want to fence a property and you are on a slim budget, the best way to go is to use the chain link fence gate.
Long-lasting
Studies affirmed that a chain-link fence can last for 15 years or more if the conditions are right. Since it is steel, there’s little wear or tear that affects it. It is durable and can serve you for a very long time.
Provides Security
It also provides security and keeps away uninvited guests and wild animals. The chain-link fence is even used in many zoos across the world to keep the animals in and keep humans out. It is a proven means of providing security.
Maintenance is Cheap and Easy
Since it is easy to install, it is also very easy to repair. It is not time-consuming, and it is something that can be repaired in less than a few hours.
Conclusion
In case you are wondering the width of a chain-link fence double gate, ranges between 10 and 20, but the common ones you will see around are between 11 inches and 16 inches wide.
Installing a chain link fence double gate is easy if you have the materials and tools that are used to install them. In case you didn’t know the first thing about installing a chain-link fence before you read this, you certainly can stand up now, confidently, armed with the knowledge of installing the fence.
