Extending a wooden gatepost

idkhow2diy · Post by **idkhow2diy** » Sun Sep 16, 2018 4:28 pm

Hi

I need to heighten a wooden garden gatepost by a couple of foot and, being too lazy to pull it up and fit one of proper dimensions I wondered about simply using a half lap joint to do so, in particular how weak will it be?

Basically it's a 4 foot post and I want a 6 foot gate so the top hinge would be on the new bit of wood, thus my concern. The gate will be quite wide at about 50 inches - home made so can be as light as I can make it but still... am I just building trouble?

If the idea will work, then is it best to make the joint perpendicular to the gate - which seems to be the strongest to me for when the gate is shut?

(the gatepost was fitted as part of some groundwork we had done ages back and, seriously, the gatepost is by far the best part of the work that was done! grrr)

arco_iris · Post by **arco_iris** » Sun Sep 16, 2018 5:10 pm

idkhow2diy wrote:using a half lap joint to do so, in particular how weak will it be?

How good are your tools and 'O' Level Woodwork?

If it were me, Grade 1 in 1974, I would do a neat half lap joint with exterior wood glue (or CT1/Soudal Fixall), G clamps and screws from both sides as well, almost invisible. Probably stronger than just timber!

I would do a test with a circular saw on the timber to establish a depth of cut at 50%, and make the lap 10-12" (250-300mm) with 10-12 screws crossways.

big-all · Post by **big-all** » Sun Sep 16, 2018 7:11 pm

if this is a front garden fence or facing the public highway your restricted to 4ft/1m without planning
adding 2 ft will more than double the wind load

idkhow2diy · Post by **idkhow2diy** » Sun Sep 16, 2018 7:35 pm

It's in the garden well away from the border and won't be 'solid' - the gate (and associated fence which is mostly there) is to stop prying eyes rather than be an impenetrable barrier.

I'm fine with the joinery but I tend to over engineer things and they end up looking exactly that way rather than anything swmbo would accept as domestic!

Gadget · Post by **Gadget** » Sun Sep 16, 2018 9:22 pm

You can get post extenders from fencing suppliers.

https://www.toolstation.com/shop/p20771 ... PHEALw_wcB

Grendel · Post by **Grendel** » Mon Sep 17, 2018 6:57 am

I've had to splice in situ posts in timber framed building on many occasions and I've often used a bridle joint with offset and sometimes sloping shoulders. Also being something of a tightwad I've "made" fenceposts out of offcuts and have successfully used scissor joints as I feel that provides better resistance to twisting etc . Used the same joint to splice rafters as well.

Argyll · Post by **Argyll** » Mon Sep 17, 2018 8:28 am

Gadget wrote:You can get post extenders from fencing suppliers.

https://www.toolstation.com/shop/p20771 ... PHEALw_wcB

Beat me too it. Imo this would be the best option and stop faffing about with half lap joints.

idkhow2diy · Post by **idkhow2diy** » Mon Sep 17, 2018 8:33 am

I just worry that the wife will not see the aesthetics of a post with a metal gubbins halfway up as I would

ahfix · Post by **ahfix** » Mon Sep 17, 2018 11:06 am

idkhow2diy wrote:I just worry that the wife will not see the aesthetics of a post with a metal gubbins halfway up as I would

For one post i'd be tempted to try the half-lap method, it would look neat. If it goes badly you can opt for the post extender

idkhow2diy · Post by **idkhow2diy** » Mon Sep 17, 2018 11:25 am

Thanks all, I'll try a half lap, after all the worse that can happen is it'll fall over and no great loss, it is not an area that people will go (i.e. won't fall on the postman) and the wife nags all the time anyway so no change there!

Argyll · Post by **Argyll** » Mon Sep 17, 2018 2:20 pm

idkhow2diy wrote:I just worry that the wife will not see the aesthetics of a post with a metal gubbins halfway up as I would

Cut the post at the bottom leaving a foot or so and attach a new post. Bingo

big-all · Post by **big-all** » Mon Sep 17, 2018 2:48 pm

there is a quarter joint you can do its a bit like a harlequin cake
you cut waste side to waste side on the other side so the blades at a slight angle so face meets perfectly but a gap a blade width for the glue to fill
you go about 6-7" long for a 4" post

idkhow2diy · Post by **idkhow2diy** » Tue Nov 06, 2018 4:08 pm

Thought I'd follow this up - takes me ages and ages to do anything (!). In the end it was moot because when I made the gates up and offered one up it dawned on me that the existing 'short' gatepost is set back from the wall in such a way that the gate would not fully open. So I bolted a 5 foot gatepost to it rather than try to extend it upwards. It will have a bit of fence wood in front to hide the jigsaw but the wife is happy with it so hey!

Extending a wooden gatepost

Extending a wooden gatepost

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