Choosing a Side Gate: Width, Security and Materials
Updated: 2 days ago
A side gate needs to do three things well: open wide enough for bins, bikes and a wheelbarrow, lock securely from the garden side, and stay square for years without dropping or sticking. Most side gate problems come from getting one of those wrong, usually the width or the posts it hangs on.
How wide should a side gate be?
Measure what has to go through it, not just the opening. A wheelie bin is about 580mm wide and a large one closer to 740mm deep, so a gate with less than about 900mm clear opening becomes a daily annoyance. For bikes, a mower or a wheelbarrow, 1m or more is more comfortable.
If the passage is wider than about 1.2m, a single gate gets heavy and starts to sag. A pair of gates, or a wider gate with a proper frame and a wheel or drop bolt, handles the width better.
Height and security
For security, a side gate should be at least as tall as the fence around it, usually 1.8m, and have no horizontal rails on the outside face that someone could use as a ladder. Hang it so the hinges and framing face into the garden. When we fit side gates as part of our fencing and gates in Kettering work, we treat the gate as a security door, not just a fence panel that opens.
Good security details:
A lockable latch or a proper gate lock, operable from the garden side. Keyed locks with a thumb-turn inside let you get out quickly.
Heavy-duty bolts, top and bottom, on the inside.
Hinge pins that can't be lifted out from the outside, or hinges fixed with coach bolts rather than screws.
No gap underneath big enough to crawl through or reach a bolt.
Lighting, because a dark side passage is where break-ins start.
Many insurers expect side gates to be locked, so it's worth checking your policy wording.
Timber or metal side gates?
Timber gates match timber fencing and are easy to adjust or repair. A ledged, braced and boarded gate (or a framed gate) is the strongest timber design. The diagonal brace must run up from the bottom hinge side, or the gate will sag.
Metal gates in steel or aluminium are strong and slim, and they don't warp. Solid-infill metal gates give privacy; open railings give none. Steel needs galvanising and powder coating to stop rust.
Composite or slatted gates are made to match a modern slatted or composite boundary, and they need little maintenance.
Garden gate ideas that work in practice
A slatted gate matched to the fence so the boundary reads as one line.
A full-height boarded gate with an arched top for a cottage-style front.
A metal gate with a solid lower half and open upper half on a front-to-back path.
A pair of gates with a centre drop bolt for wide side accesses and deliveries.
A gate with a built-in parcel box on the street side.
How to hang a garden gate so it stays square
Posts matter more than the gate. A gate is a lever pulling on its hinge post every time it opens, so that post needs to be bigger and deeper than a normal fence post: at least 100mm square timber (125mm for heavier gates), set about 600mm to 750mm into concrete.
The basic sequence:
Set the hinge post plumb in concrete and let it cure fully before hanging anything.
Set the latch post at the gate width plus the hinge and latch gaps, usually 5mm to 10mm each side.
Prop the gate on packers so it sits about 50mm clear of the ground (more if the ground rises).
Fix the hinges to the gate, then to the post, checking it's level.
Fit the latch and bolts, then check the swing clears paving or grass all the way round.
Always check which way the gate should open. Most side gates open into the garden, and they must not open out over a public footway.
Do you need planning permission for a side gate?
Normally not. Gates follow the same limits as fences: up to 2m high, or 1m where next to a road used by vehicles or its footpath. The same exceptions apply (listed buildings, Article 4 areas, and estates with open-plan conditions), and our garden fence height guide explains how height is measured.
Side gate questions, answered
Why does my side gate keep dropping?
Usually the hinge post has moved, or the brace is the wrong way round. Re-setting the post and fitting a correctly angled brace fixes most sagging gates.
Should a side gate open in or out?
In, towards the garden, in almost every case. It keeps the hinges on the secure side and keeps the gate off the pavement.
Can a side gate be automated?
Yes, with a gate motor and suitable posts, though for a single pedestrian side gate a keypad or smart lock is usually simpler.
A side gate is one of the most-used parts of a house, so it's worth getting right. We fit timber and metal gates with properly set posts, and can match them to new fencing or decking at the same time. Contact us to arrange a visit.
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