The problem
A heavy wrought iron leaf had begun catching on the driveway and no longer met its latch. The operator was straining audibly on every cycle.
How we diagnosed it
- Checked the gate against a level and against its own frame — the leaf itself was still true.
- Checked the post. It was out of plumb, and the footing had moved.
- Hinge wear had accelerated as a result, because the leaf was hanging at an angle it was never designed to carry.
What we did
- Reset the post footing to proper depth, re-plumbed it, replaced the worn hinges, and re-hung the leaf square.
- Re-checked the operator afterwards. With the gate swinging freely again the strain disappeared and no operator work was needed.
Watch this repair
No other gate repair company in Dallas–Fort Worth publishes video of their work.
The outcome
Gate closing square against its latch with the original operator untouched.
What you should take from this
Ground movement shifts gate posts, and expansive clay soils make this common. Straightening or adjusting the gate without addressing the post produces a repair that lasts until the next dry season — and in the meantime the operator is being destroyed by the load.
