Hi, just wondering if anyone could help me out here.

I live in an upstairs flat with a relatively new downstairs neighbour
who is fine except for one thing: he has an inability to close the
garden gate when he goes out or comes back in!

Unfortunately, as we all know, an open gate is an invitation to
passing dogs to drop in and leave little presents. As my patch of
garden is next to the open gate, this unwanted attention isn't doing
my garden any good!

Despite having a few quiet words with my neighbour it looks like he's
never going to close the gate and I'm going to end uo with a wrecked
garden. As I don't want to fall out with the guy an easy solution
seems to be to put some sort of spring on the gate so it closes behind
him. Here I draw a blank because I don't know how to do this!

Can you buy garden gate springs and if so do they fit onto gates where
both the post isn't that wide and the gate is lightweight? Also how
much do they cost?

Thanks in advance and sorry for the length of the post!

"Robbie" wrote in message
m...
Hi, just wondering if anyone could help me out here.

I live in an upstairs flat with a relatively new downstairs
neighbour
who is fine except for one thing: he has an inability to close the
garden gate when he goes out or comes back in!

Unfortunately, as we all know, an open gate is an invitation to
passing dogs to drop in and leave little presents. As my patch of
garden is next to the open gate, this unwanted attention isn't doing
my garden any good!

Despite having a few quiet words with my neighbour it looks like
he's
never going to close the gate and I'm going to end uo with a wrecked
garden. As I don't want to fall out with the guy an easy solution
seems to be to put some sort of spring on the gate so it closes
behind
him. Here I draw a blank because I don't know how to do this!

Can you buy garden gate springs and if so do they fit onto gates
where
both the post isn't that wide and the gate is lightweight? Also how
much do they cost?

Thanks in advance and sorry for the length of the post!


B&Q - Homebase ?????
Jenny

In article , Robbie
writes
Hi, just wondering if anyone could help me out here.

I live in an upstairs flat with a relatively new downstairs neighbour
who is fine except for one thing: he has an inability to close the
garden gate when he goes out or comes back in!

Unfortunately, as we all know, an open gate is an invitation to
passing dogs to drop in and leave little presents. As my patch of
garden is next to the open gate, this unwanted attention isn't doing
my garden any good!

Despite having a few quiet words with my neighbour it looks like he's
never going to close the gate and I'm going to end uo with a wrecked
garden. As I don't want to fall out with the guy an easy solution
seems to be to put some sort of spring on the gate so it closes behind
him. Here I draw a blank because I don't know how to do this!

Can you buy garden gate springs and if so do they fit onto gates where
both the post isn't that wide and the gate is lightweight? Also how
much do they cost?

Yes B&Q or a good Ironmongers and yes they are adjustable for the amount
of 'Return Spring' on them. Forgot how much we paid for ours, but not a
lot AND you might like to fit a 'Push in' type catch, whereby you/the
postman/neighbour just 'pushes' against the gate and lo and behold it
opens!! No hands!!!

Push the gate open, walk in, leave it, and hey presto, the gate swings
shut and clips shut!!

Got one fitted to my front gate :-))

Thanks in advance and sorry for the length of the post!


Mike
Not a 'Gardener' but used to the 'hardware' side and never knowingly
lies

:-))
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.collingwoodassoc.org.uk/ Reunion. Chatham May 30th - June 2nd

Castle Class Corvettes Assn. Reunion October 2003 Isle of Wight.
National Service (RAF) Association reunion. Nov 2003 Scarborough.

Can you buy garden gate springs and if so do they fit onto gates where
both the post isn't that wide and the gate is lightweight? Also how
much do they cost?


You can get them from any hardware store for 1 or 2 pounds. I fitted one to
our front gate because the postman had a similar inability to close the gate
after him. How you fit it depends upon the materials of your gate post and
gate. My gate is wrought Iron with a post brick, so I had to drill a couple
of holes into the gate and used small bolts to attach it. On the brick
column I drilled a couple of holes, tapped in rawl plugs and screwed the
other end of the spring to it. I often see gate springs fitted incorrectly -
probably because they are often supplied without instructions. People often
fit the spring horizontally so the spring bends when the gate is opened.
This is wrong. The correct thing to do is have the spring positioned
vertically so that as the gate opens it tightens the spring. Supplied with
gate springs are a couple of lugs and a small rod. Put one of the lugs in a
hole, using the rod twist the spring tight then pop in the other lug. You
can now discard the rod. Job done. If your gate is very lightweight don't
get a spring that is too powerful or it may damage your gate as it slams it
shut.
--
Drakanthus.


(Spam filter: Include the word VB anywhere in the subject line or emails
will never reach me.)

I put them on both of my front gates, but on the second one I'd just
finished doing it when the lug spontaneously flew off, when it wasn't
supposed to be able to (and could not be found again, having gone at least
10 feet away across the pavement), leaving the spring unwound. Very
annoying.

"Warwick Dumas" wrote in message
...

I put them on both of my front gates, but on the second one I'd just
finished doing it when the lug spontaneously flew off, when it wasn't
supposed to be able to (and could not be found again, having gone at least
10 feet away across the pavement), leaving the spring unwound. Very
annoying.


I put a dab of araldite on mine when I did it - just to be on the safe
side - the lugs did seem a bit lose fitting!
--
Drakanthus.


(Spam filter: Include the word VB anywhere in the subject line or emails
will never reach me.)