Gate Latches, Bolts and Hinges

For a full-height garden gate the best latch is a 150mm ring latch, because it can be opened from either side by turning the ring and sits at a comfortable height on a 1.8m gate. Our ring latch and Suffolk latch do the same job with a traditional thumb catch and lever. On a low gate you can reach over, a simple auto gate catch is all you need. Whichever latch you choose, add a Brenton padbolt on the garden side if the gate needs locking, or buy the closeboard ironwork set, which pairs a ring latch and padbolt.

Gate latches fall into four groups: self-closing catches, two-way latches, high-mounted field fasteners and bolts. An auto gate catch snaps shut as the gate swings to and suits low gates. A ring latch or Suffolk latch passes through the gate so it opens from both sides and suits tall gates. A spring fastener sits high on the post out of a child’s reach and a lockable auto gate catch and strike closes without being touched, which is why it is popular on field gates. Bolts are not latches but often do the same job: a Brenton padbolt locks a single gate from inside, a dropbolt pins it to the ground, and a headloop holds a pair of gates together. 

Fit the latch body on the inside, the garden side, with the ring or thumb catch passing through the gate so it can still be opened from the street. That keeps the fixings and any padbolt out of reach of anyone outside while still letting visitors and deliveries in through a front gate. If the gate is only ever used from inside, a side or rear access gate for instance, a Brenton padbolt or dropbolt on the garden side alone is more secure than a latch. Hinges follow the same logic: hang the gate so the hinge hooks are on the inside where possible, or use bolt-through fixings rather than screws if they have to face outwards. 

Fit a gate spring and pair it with a catch that closes on contact. Our gate spring comes in 200mm and 250mm lengths, is fully adjustable and fits every gate in our range apart from the very largest field gates. Fix it diagonally across the hinge side, between the gate frame and the post, then tighten it just enough to pull the gate shut without slamming. On the latch side use an auto gate catch, or the lockable auto gate catch and strike on heavier gates, both of which engage as the gate swings. A ring or Suffolk latch will not self-latch, so if you want to keep one for two-way opening, add the auto catch alongside it. 

Use 450mm T hinges for a full-height 1.8m closeboard or tongue and groove gate, 350mm for a lighter gate up to about 1.5m, and 300mm for low picket and cottage gates. Our T hinges are sold in pairs, galvanised or black, and the rule of thumb is a strap around half the gate width, which is why 450mm suits a standard 900mm gate. For heavier gates such as a 50mm thick Elite tongue and groove or anything over 1.8m, move up to straight bands with hook on plates in 450mm to 600mm, and choose the adjustable set so you can re-level the gate after it settles. 

Join the two leaves with a throw-over headloop and pin one or both to the ground with a dropbolt. The headloop drops over the meeting stiles so neither gate can swing, and the dropbolt into a socket in the ground stops the pair being pushed inwards; our headloop and dropbolt set covers both, and a lockable headloop or lockable dropbolt takes a padlock for extra security. On wider 5 bar and horned gates we recommend a dropbolt on each leaf to stop the gates twisting in wind. Hang each leaf on its own hook and band set, 450mm for gates up to 6ft and 600mm above that, and make sure both posts are plumb or the leaves will never meet level. 

Most gate hinge problems come from hinges that are too light for the gate, fixings that pull out of the post, and rust. A heavy closeboard gate hung on small T hinges will stretch them and drop within a season; straight bands or hook and band sets are made for that weight. Plain steel hinges rust and seize outdoors, so everything in our range is galvanised or powder coated. If a gate has dropped and binds on the latch side, an adjustable straight band set lets you lift it back level without re-hanging. 

Start with the post and the hinges, because a sagging gate is rarely the gate’s fault. Check the hanging post is solid and set at least 600mm into the ground in Postcrete, since a leaning post drags the gate down with it. Then make sure the hinges match the gate: 450mm T hinges or straight bands for a full-height gate and hook and band sets for field gates. All our framed gates are already braced, with the brace running from the bottom of the hinge side up towards the latch side; if you are hanging an older gate, add a diagonal brace in that direction.