Top 5 Problems with Vinyl Gates

Classic Vinyl Adobe Privacy Gate Knoxville TennesseeHere are the TOP 5 Problems with Vinyl Gates and how to correct them. Number 4 will surprise you! Vinyl gates leaning, sagging, won’t open or close? Vinyl gate falling off the hinges? Check out our solutions!

  1. NO GATE FRAME

This is an easy one to correct. Bryant Fence vinyl gates are built to last with a 5-YEAR LABOR and MATERIAL WARRANTY, but in case you bought a gate somewhere else, simply have your local vinyl gate fabricator route (Bryant Fence Knoxville Tennessee fabricates and also installs) and add gate uprights to your gate. Examples are: If your fence company doesn’t know how to install vinyl fence and leaves your gates in a mess, or if you purchase a panel from a box store and try to make it work. YES WE CAN!

  1. NO BRACING

Here’s a really easy fix for sagging gates where the gate panel itself is sagging. Simply cut a piece of heavy gauge vinyl gate bracing and attach it with stainless steel self-tapping color-coded screws (available at Bryant Fence). For vinyl privacy gates wider than 5′, you may have to add a secondary diagonal brace. How do you add the bracing? Great question…check our blog for future videos on building your vinyl gate to last.

  1. GATE POST LEANING – NO CONCRETE

Really now!!! This is crucial, as the concrete is the foundation of your gate post that supports your gate. Only use 100% concrete to secure the gate posts into the ground, preferably about 3′ on vinyl privacy gates. What about SKAT MIX? Fence companies using a SKAT MIX (a mixture of sand, small rock, and maybe portland) is supposed to be concrete… WELL… IT IS NOT CONCRETE! It’s a very poor imitation at that. Be sure your professional fence company is using REAL 100% concrete on your fence project. Do they say it’s the same as concrete? Why do they use the SKAT MIX? DOLLARS and CUTTING CORNERS. Listen, if your contractor cuts corners here, where else on your fence? This may surprise you if you had your vinyl fence installed. Yes, it happens often enough to make the list. The fix for this is to remove the leaning gate post, clean out the hole, make sure it is deep enough and use about 120 pounds of pre-mix wet concrete to remedy this problem.

  1. NO POST REINFORCEMENT

Vinyl Gate Post FAILS bracing vinyl gate post with woodAluminum I Beam vinyl gate reinforcement Knoxville TennesseeIn the same category as the previous problem. The vinyl gate will have a constant dead weight on your vinyl hinge post, which is why you need to reinforce the hinge side with an aluminum i-beam then sleeve your vinyl post over after the concrete is set (give gate posts 24-36 hours for a great set).

What is the correct, industry-accepted method to support a premium vinyl gate? Heavy-duty aluminum extrusion, i-beams sleeved over top with a premium vinyl post. What are some other options to save money? No supports at all, use of a 4×4 post, I have even seen a wood 2×4 stud with a couple of wood pickets to stiffen the vinyl gate post. It works for a little while, then fails.

  1. CHEAP/WRONG GATE HINGES

Fence companies cutting corners will end up shorting you on the vinyl gate hinges. Either they use wood gate hardware (about $8 for a hinge set) instead of heavy duty stainless steel powder-coated black (about $55 per hinge set), or they end up using lightweight box store hinges (Lowes, Menards, Home Depot).  Vinyl hinges should be stainless steel and strong enough not to twist in your hands.  Check out the box store brands by twisting in your hands… if they twist in your hands, imagine how easy they are to damage in wind storms.

We use heavy gauge stainless steel hardware that is powder-coated black. The vinyl gates need to be secured on 2 faces (front and side with stainless steel screws). The reason is to secure the hinge to the vinyl gate. Wood gate hardware is made for the front (1 face application) meaning that over time, the screws will work out of the vinyl and the gate falls.

So there you have it, the TOP 5 Problems with Vinyl Gates and how to correct them. If you live in our service area, we should be able to help you correct the vinyl gate issues. We own the VINYL FENCE FACTORY so we have access to materials other fence companies don’t have.

Live outside our service area? Send me a photo and we can discuss your options over the phone while reviewing your photos.

Check out these great articles on the upper right side of the page for more information on vinyl fencings like vinyl fence cost, vinyl fence photo gallery, vinyl factory options, custom designs, vinyl warranty, and more.