[Zeke]

@look171, I had a gate to build for a Lido Island home and I knew the weather would kill it in no time. The architect on the job was one of these cats that lives in VT and had an office in a old, old, converted barn. He thought he was the cat's ass.

This was a courtyard gate with a peek-a-boo iron insert just to make the thing tougher to build. His plan called for 2-1/4 custom T&G lumber through bolted with all thread. I balked at that and started with a 3/4" sheet of marine plywood, must have been somewhere around 9 layers of laminated hardwood. On top of that I used clear all heart rdw both sides. I sized the ply small so I could run a filler all around the edges so the ply edge would not show.

Having a stiff membrane as the core of that gate meant that the strap hinge bolts would be going through a sleeve pressed into the marine ply and proud enough so that the tightened bolts could not crush the surface boards. That gate did not sag.

I hang all gate slightly out of plumb with the hinge side leaning towards the jamb. IOW, the margin on the hinge side is narrower at the top. It never fails that the gate sags just enough after a few weather cycles to reach a perfect margin. They just all do that so why hang it plumb knowing you will be back in 2 weeks adjusting it.

Lots of pushback when owners see a slightly crooked gate at first. When it settles they get to eat their nit-picking crow. It's why I've learned to hate people. They can't stand not being able to be critical as if they could even drive a stake for a newly planted tree.

It really is not fun being an intelligent contractor. No one expects it and can't stand it when they get one.