Rotted Gallows Bracket Replaced in Irvine
The gallows bracket carrying the canopy over the front door of this Irvine home had rotted through. The canopy was propped and made safe, the failed bracket removed, and a new bracket manufactured and installed in its place.
Gallows Brackets & Canopies — Irvine, North Ayrshire
What a gallows bracket does, and what happens when it fails
The canopy over a front door is not self-supporting. It is carried on gallows brackets — an upright, an arm and a diagonal brace — fixed back to the wall. When the timber rots, and it usually rots at the wall fixing where water sits, the bracket stops carrying anything. The canopy is then held up by whatever is left, which is not much. Most homeowners have no idea this is happening until something visibly drops, because the rot is behind paint.
Propping and making safe
Nothing came off until the canopy was propped and taken on temporary support. That is the part that makes this a job for someone who knows what they are doing rather than a weekend with a crowbar — the moment the bracket is cut out, the canopy has to be held by something, or it comes down.
The new bracket
A new bracket was manufactured and installed in place of the failed one, then finished to match. Because it was made for the job, it suits the actual projection of the canopy and the fixing points available in the wall rather than whatever an off-the-shelf size assumes. Finished and painted, it reads as part of the house.
Scope of works
- Failed gallows bracket assessed and canopy propped
- Canopy taken on temporary support and made safe
- Rotted bracket cut out and removed
- New gallows bracket manufactured to suit the canopy and fixings
- New bracket installed and fixed back to the wall
- Finished and painted to match the existing detailing
The job
Photos from this project
The new bracket in place Before — rotted and propped The new bracket made up on the bench
Common questions
How do I know if my door canopy bracket is rotten?
Look at where the bracket meets the wall — that is where water sits and where rot usually starts. Soft or flaking timber, staining, movement in the canopy or paint lifting along the arm are all worth a closer look. Rot is often hidden behind paint, so it can look sound from the ground.
Is a sagging canopy dangerous?
It can be. A canopy sits directly above a front door, which is the one part of the house everyone walks under. If a bracket has failed, the canopy needs propping and looking at rather than leaving through another winter.
Who fits gallows brackets — a joiner, a builder or a roofer?
It is joinery work. The bracket is a timber structure that has to be made and fixed properly, and the canopy has to be supported while it is done. Most people searching for help assume they need a builder or a roofer.
Read more about our gallows brackets & canopies across Ayrshire, see what else we do for homeowners in Irvine, or see more completed projects.
From the customer
What they said afterwards
I recently hired McKee Joinery in Irvine, North Ayrshire, and I couldn't be happier with the work Tom carried out. He removed an old, rotted gallows bracket that was no longer safely supporting the canopy at the front of my house and made the entire structure safe with proper structural support. Tom then manufactured, treated, and installed a brand-new gallows bracket to a very high standard. What really stood out was his attention to detail and care — especially as we had recently had our entire roofline re-PVC'd. He took great care not to damage any of the existing work.