Build your own garden gate

The most important points in brief

Careful planning is crucial for building your own garden gate – material selection, dimensions, and necessary tools should be considered in advance to realistically estimate the effort and costs.
While a metal gate requires more craftsmanship, it offers significantly greater stability, durability, and weather resistance.
ELEO provides expert instructions and offers the Belluno garden gate, a ready-made metal gate that saves time and effort.

Build your own garden gate: simple instructions

Are you looking for garden gate ideas and want to build your own garden gate? We'll give you tips on preparation, material selection, and explain how to build a simple garden gate yourself, whether from wood or metal.

Simple and convenient: order your garden gate online

Plan carefully before you start building your garden gate

Before you begin building your garden gate, there are some important questions to answer. Which material is suitable, and what are the costs? What are the exact dimensions? Careful planning is always worthwhile.

Wood or metal? Choosing the Material

Metal or wood? When deciding to build your own garden gate, the first question is which material to choose. Consider the following points:

Does the material match the rest of the fence system or the adjacent wall?
Does the material suit the surroundings or the design of your garden?
How difficult is the DIY project?
Can a garden gate made of your chosen material be attached to the fence or a wall?

Calculate Costs

Is a DIY garden gate always cheaper than a store-bought one? This isn't necessarily true. Therefore, carefully consider the costs you will incur when building your own gate. The following factors cause costs:

Materials
Tools
Labor Hours

It's especially important to calculate realistically when it comes to labor hours. If you have experience with DIY projects, the hours may be lower than if you have no experience or simply lack the knack for it. Tools can also quickly become expensive, especially if you don't already have a saw, milling machine, welding equipment, etc., in your toolbox and have to buy everything new.

Make a sketch

How wide and high should your garden gate be, and what design should it have? Before starting construction, take all the necessary measurements, jot down all your ideas for the garden gate, and make a sketch.

Disposing of your old garden gate

Do you already own a garden gate that you now want to replace with a new model? Then you'll need to dispose of the old one first – that goes without saying. Pay attention to the following points:

When disposing of an old wooden gate, it matters whether the wood is treated or untreated.
Depending on their size, wooden garden gates are not considered bulky waste and must be disposed of through recycling companies.
You must not dispose of metal in your household waste.
For more information, please contact your local recycling center or waste disposal site.

Homemade wooden gate made of slats as a garden entrance

A homemade wooden gate made of slats with Z-bracing can be built relatively quickly.

Build Your Own Wooden Garden Gate

The classic among DIY garden gates: the wooden gate. And for good reason, because a wooden garden gate is much easier to build yourself than a metal one. We'll explain the best way to proceed.

Choose the Type of Wood

Suitable for building a wooden gate:

Slats (preferably pressure-treated)
Boards (for a solid board door)
Pallets

For the stability of your wooden garden gate, it's important that it has bracing. This means that one or more slats are attached across the top of the goal to reinforce it. The most well-known model is the Z-brace (see image).

Materials and Tools

To build your own wooden garden gate, you will need the following tools:

Tape measure
Miter saw or handsaw
Drill bit
Screwdriver or cordless drill
Spirit level
Hammer (if you are using nails)
Pencil
Paint or wood preservative

Wooden slats for a garden gate are sanded with a sanding machine

For your wooden garden gate made of slats, these need to be cut to size and optionally sanded. Image source: stock.adobe.com, Wellnhofer Designs

Instructions

1. Cutting the Wooden Slats

Measure the required lengths for the horizontal and vertical slats according to the gate size and the desired Z-bracing. Use a miter saw or a handsaw to cut the slats to the correct lengths. Sand the slats afterward if they are to be painted later.

2. Assembling the Slats

Lay the horizontal slats out on a flat surface and mark the positions for the vertical slats to form the Z-bracing. Attach the vertical slats to the horizontal slats in the Z-pattern using screws or nails. Ensure that the slats are evenly spaced and that the connections are tight and secure.

3. Attaching the Hinges

Attach the hinges to one side of the gate and to the post or wall where the gate will be mounted.

4. Installing Hardware and Locks

Install the lock to secure the gate. Attach all other hardware according to the manufacturer's instructions.

5. Surface Treatment

Finally, you can coat the gate with a wood preservative or paint to protect it from the elements and enhance its appearance.

Tip: The gaps between the slats should be narrow to prevent animals or children from getting through.

Patrick from PF.performance also shows you how to build a garden gate yourself in the following video:

For experienced DIYers: Build your own metal garden gate. Pictured: The Belluno garden gate in hot-dip galvanised steel from ELEO Express. © ELEO

Build your own metal garden gate

The ultimate challenge among DIY projects: building your own metal garden gate. Unlike a wooden garden gate, building one yourself requires experience working with metal and knowledge of tools. If you are relatively inexperienced in working with metal and don't have a welding machine available, building it yourself can quickly become expensive and tedious.