Front Garden Fence and Gate Replaced in Irvine
A tired front boundary replaced at a home in Irvine, North Ayrshire — new picket fencing and a braced timber gate, set out to suit ground that falls away and to tie in with the neighbouring fence.
Gates & Fencing — Irvine, North Ayrshire
Project overview
The old fence and gate had come to the end of their life. New picket fencing and a braced gate went in along the front boundary, keeping the same style so it sits properly alongside the neighbouring fence rather than looking like a patch.
Setting out on ground that falls
Front gardens rarely sit level, and this one falls away along its length. Fencing on sloping ground either steps down in sections or rakes with the ground, and the choice has to be made before the first post goes in. Get it wrong and you end up with pickets running out of level against the horizon, which the eye picks up immediately even if nobody can say why it looks wrong.
A braced gate that will not drop
The gate carries a diagonal brace running up from the hinge side. That brace is what stops a gate dropping on itself and starting to catch on the path — the single most common fault with garden gates, and the reason so many of them end up propped open permanently. Hung on strap hinges that spread the load across the frame rather than pulling on one point.
Scope of works
- Existing fence and gate removed
- New picket fencing installed along the front boundary
- Set out to suit ground falling along its length
- Braced timber gate built and hung
- Strap hinges and latch fitted
- Tied in to the existing neighbouring boundary
The job
Photos from this project
New fence and gate in place
Common questions
Can you fence a garden that slopes?
Yes. It either steps down in sections or follows the fall of the ground, and which suits depends on how steep it is and what the neighbouring boundaries do. It is worth deciding before anything is set out.
Why do garden gates start catching on the ground?
Almost always because there is no effective bracing. Without a diagonal running up from the hinge side, a gate slowly racks under its own weight and drops at the latch. Bracing it properly at the start prevents it.
Do you replace fencing as well as gates?
Yes — fencing, gates, posts and the making good around them. It is usually tidier to do the run and the gate together so heights, style and finish match.
Read more about our gates & fencing across Ayrshire, see what else we do for homeowners in Irvine, or see more completed projects.
