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Had a gate hinge shear clean off on a windy job in Cheyenne

The wind caught a 6-foot cedar gate I just hung and snapped the top hinge bolt. I had to drill out the old bolt and replace it with a heavier 3/8-inch galvanized carriage bolt on the spot. Anyone have a go-to heavy-duty hinge for high-wind areas?

3 comments

3 Comments

rileynelson1mo ago

Full strap hinge sounds solid. How many screws do you usually put in the long side to make sure it holds?

the_rose1mo ago

Three years ago I would have put maybe two screws on the long side and called it good. But after rebuilding my own gate twice (I live in a canyon where the wind whips through like crazy) I learned the hard way. Now I put six screws in the long side of a full strap hinge, all 3 inch ones, and space them out every few inches. That spread really does make the difference, the hinge doesn't budge even in a storm.

miles_sanchez1mo ago

That sounds like a brutal fix on site. For high wind spots, a full strap hinge that screws into the gate frame along its whole length is way stronger than just a butt hinge. The extra screws spread the load out so the wind can't just rip one bolt out.