How to Build a Rolling Gate With Wheels
A rolling gate gives you quick access to your yard, driveway or garden. Instead of pulling the gate open or closed and scraping the pavement or grass, you simply roll the gate. The piece uses rolling casters that act as the wheels, which gives it the rolling feature.
Home improvement stores sell gates of this type, but only sell standard sizes. Making your own gate gives you control over the size and the type of wood used in the construction.
Things You Will Need
- Post hole digger
- Wood fence post
- Concrete mix
- Plastic bucket
- Level
- 2 Wood planks, 36-inches long, 2-inches wide and 1-inch thick
- 18 wood planks, 2-inches wide, 1-inch thick and 24-inches long
- Electric drill
- Wood screws, 2-inch
- 2 rolling casters
- 2 hinges
Tip
Place the hinge on the outside, if you want the gate to roll outward or put it on the inside, which requires pushing the gate back. Change the dimensions of the wood for a larger or smaller rolling gate. Use pressure treated lumber to avoid premature rot due to moisture exposure.
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Dig a hole approximately 18-inches deep in the ground. Insert a wood fence post into the ground. Add water to a plastic bucket and stir in the concrete mix. Add only a portion of water at a time to reach the proper consistency. The concrete should be smooth and thick similar to peanut butter.
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Pour concrete into the hole, covering the bottom 4 inches. Hold the level against the post, ensuring that it sits evenly in the hole. Add more concrete, checking the levelness of the post every few inches. Keep adding concrete until it reaches the top of the hole and let it dry overnight.
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Arrange the wood pieces that make the layout for the garden gate. The longer pieces act as support, while the shorter pieces create the front of the gate. Place the 18 shorter pieces side by side without any gaps between the wood.
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Place the two longer pieces on top of the shorter wood pieces. The pieces should sit evenly with the top and bottom of the gate. Carefully screw 2-inch long wood screws through the top pieces, ensuring that the screws secure the pieces together. Space the screws out every 2 inches.
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Turn the gate piece upside down and attach two rolling casters to the bottom. Hold the bracket on the top of the caster flush with the wood and drill four screws through the bracket and into the gate. Repeat the process on the other end of the gate.
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Attach two hinges to the wood post, placing one hinge 2-inches down from the top and the second hinge 2-inches from the bottom. Roll the gate to the post and adjust the hinges so that the metal sits flush against the side of the gate. Use wood screws on each hinge, attaching it to the rolling gate.
The Drip Cap
- A rolling gate gives you quick access to your yard, driveway or garden.
- Add water to a plastic bucket and stir in the concrete mix.
- Add more concrete, checking the levelness of the post every few inches.
- The longer pieces act as support, while the shorter pieces create the front of the gate.
- Turn the gate piece upside down and attach two rolling casters to the bottom.
Writer Bio
Jennifer Eblin has been a full-time freelance writer since 2006. Her work has appeared on several websites, including Tool Box Tales and Zonder. Eblin received a master's degree in historic preservation from the Savannah College of Art and Design.
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