Replacing a Paddock Gate at the Farm

August 19, 2020

Our fence repair project continues with the installation of a new paddock gate.

This summer, the outdoor grounds crew at my Bedford, New York farm has been busy removing the old, deteriorated fence uprights that have been supporting my antique white spruce railings and replacing them with new cedar posts. Some of these posts also support the fence gates. At the run-in paddock, one of the gates was small and also needed replacing. I decided to install a double gate at this location so that our hay baling equipment could fit through more easily when needed. Our fence team duo, Pete and Fernando, took on this task and did an excellent job.

Enjoy these photos.

: Down the carriage road behind the chicken coops and tennis court on the north end of the farm is my run-in paddock. It is the largest of all the horse paddocks and is surrounded by gorgeous tall trees.

: At the far end is this broken gate which needs replacing right away. The post is also broken and no longer supports the gate as well as it should.

: All the new uprights are piled nearby for easy access. This project will need six new posts.

: I decided a double gate would do best here. The new double gate is placed carefully on the side until the new support posts are ready.

: Because we also grow and bale hay in this paddock, this entrance needs to be wider to accommodate the equipment. Pete begins by measuring the opening as is – 15-feet across. The new double gates measure 16-feet. Pete will have to widen the entrance by one foot.

: Many of these cedar uprights are wobbly and no longer support the horizontal railings as they should. Pete starts digging around the old post so it can be removed and replaced.

: This takes some time to do. They are all wedged in pretty tightly. Pete uses a crowbar to help loosen the post.

: And after a few minutes of digging, the post is removed in one piece. Look how it has deteriorated. Here, one can see how deep the cedar posts were in the ground – digging them out took time.

: Next, Pete and Fernando begin digging new holes by hand using post hole diggers, a hand tool used to manually dig deep and narrow holes in order to install fence posts. A post hole digger is also known as a clamshell digger, because of its resemblance to the seaside shell.

: Fernando and Pete carry over a new post and place it into the appropriate hole.

: Each hole is more than three feet deep. The new posts will be very secure here – and no cement is needed.

: Pete and Fernando measure the gates again to make sure the holes are in the right places.

: And then the hole is backfilled with a shovel.

: Pete and Fernando nail the antique railings back into the new upright supports.

: It looks so much better and so much stronger.

: Next, Pete cuts the post top, so it is just a bit higher than the topmost railing. Pete uses our STIHL chainsaw. This one is run on an AP 300 S Lithium-Ion Battery, which is powerful and compatible with a wide range of other STIHL tools. This post should last another 15-years or more. It is made of cedar. Cedar is extremely durable and holds up well to outdoor weather conditions.

: This is a six-inch steel gate hook screw. Four of them will be screwed into the gate posts to hold up the gates at each side.

: Using a wide paddle bit, Pete drills the holes into the post for the gate hook screws.

: And then one by one, he screws them in – these will act as the hinges for the gate.

: One gate is lifted and attached to the hooks. It’s a perfect fit.

: Here is one gate already installed.

: The other gate is done, and then adjustments are made to ensure both sides meet leveled in the center. The chain holds the two sides together. In the back is the run-in shed – the shelter used by my horses if they are in this paddock and want to be in the shade or out of any rain.