True Latch Gate Brace image of the adjustable threads and top bracket.

Q & A

The easiest way is to go out and measure your gate diagonally and then find the size of the True Latch gate brace that will work within the diagonal dimension of your gate. 

Here are the brace sizes and dimensions that they will extend from and up to:

64" Original: 64" exactly 

6' Telescopic : 40" up to 72"

8" Telescopic : 52" up to 96"

9' Telescopic : 64' up to 108"

10' Telescopic : 64" up to 120"

You will typically measure on the backside of the gate, where you will attach the brace to the supporting members or framework of the gate. Typically you will measure from about 3-6” from the corner of the strongest horizontal or vertical member you intend to attach to.  Most often the pickets are vertical, so your strongest and most often attached to member will be the top and bottom horizontal 2x4 or 2x3.

You do not need to measure from the exact corner to corner.  You will not want to attach at the very corner as you may split your wood.  You will or can come a few inches or more away from the outermost corners.  Or if there are hinges or other obstructions like a latch in the way, you can move the point you need to attach to a clear spot. 

You need to leave enough angle for the brace to still work at adjusting the gate. 

It depends.  Typically no. 

If it is an Ameristar brand or other ornamental iron gate, then no.  The supporting framework typically is only 1 ¼" wide and does not have enough surface area to attach to.  Also, the screws included to attach to the gate itself are not self drilling.  If you were able to attach to the gate you would need to predrill a pilot hole in the metal with a 3/16" bit for the screws.  Plus, you will need to check the depth of the material you are drilling into.  The included screws protrude from the True Latch brace typically 1 ⅜” to 1 ¼” inches.  So, make sure your material will be at least that thick.

If it is on a welded steel frame gate such as a 1.5” x 1.5” inch square tube framed gate. Or a 2” x 2” inch square tube frame gate, then you would need to do the shovel test. You would need to test to see if the gate gives and is allowed to flex.  

With the shovel test or a lever you can check to see if there is flex in the gate frame itself and if the gate frame will flex and lift back to the proper height or a little past the proper height then there is a possibility you could use the True Latch brace after you have raised the gate back to the proper height by the PRE-LIFTING routine. Then after the gate is pre-lifted you would attach the True Latch brace, and then make final adjustments.

If the gate metal is made from an Adjust-A-Gate kit, the True Latch anti-sag gate brace will work.  You will be able to attach to the wood 2x4 members that span horizontally. 

In summary if you have an Adjust-A-Gate framed made gate, then yes the True Latch anti-sag sag brace can work.  But if a welded metal frame gate then typically no. And, if an ornamental iron gate then typically no.

Technically you can but with two cautions. 

The first is the screws for all our wood gate brace kits that attach the brace to the gate itself are not self drilling.  They are intended for wood only.  You will need to pilot a hole 3/16" in diameter with a drill bit and drill for the screw to enter the vinyl material. 

Second, you will need to be cautious not to over tighten the screws in the vinyl material.  Typically, a plastic compressible washer should be used when attaching hardware to vinyl gates.  We have a white colored True Latch vinyl version that is stunning, that will be available shortly.

No, it will NOT work on a typical shed door.  Why?  Because the standard shed door is made from a solid sheet of plywood.  We need the gate or door itself to have “play” in it or “rackability”.  Ideally, we need the gate or door itself to have multiple members such as horizontal rails and many vertical pickets.  Where you can “rack” the gate, say from a parallelogram back to square.  Or if the gate has sunk down from being initially racked up, to follow a slope going up, then back from a square state, to where it will shift and be parallelogramed again.  So, no True Latch will not work on a shed door if it is made out of a solid sheet of plywood.

Your gate with the latex paint is basically glued together.  So, it will not be “rackable”.  It will not be able to be shifted out of, say, a parallelogram to square.  Or from being square to a parallelogram.  

True Latch braces are not recommended if your gate has zero “play”, “rackability”, or potential movement in it.

Do not attach within 1” of the end of your support member.  You don’t want to unnecessarily split your 2x4 or 2x3 by attaching the brace right at the very end of the board.  Rather bring it in 3”, 4”, or 5” or 6” inches away from the end to avoid splitting.  If you need to attach near the end, you should pre-drill your screw holes with about a ⅛” inch bit or up to a 3/16” inch bit for very dense woods.  

As long as you have enough angle to still allow the brace to lift or lower the gate, this is key.  If you PRE-LIFT the gate before attaching the brace, then you should be fine even with some of the most steep angles of the brace.    

We would recommend you remove the existing turnbuckle cables.  If after removal of the cables, the gate sags even further, then do a PRE-LIFT routine to get the gate back up to the proper height or even a little higher than the needed height.  Because once the weight of the gate is released again after attaching the True Latch brace, then the hinge post and hinges and gate may drop below your desired height further than you like.

You would need to do the SHOVEL TEST.  We call it a shovel test because you basically need to do this test with a shovel or any similar lever.  You will do a shovel test when you are in a situation like this, where you may need to, or desire to leave the existing diagonal bracing.  Either the existing bracing is internal, or integral, or with its removal will deface the design or look of the gate.  

You will take a shovel or lever such as a 2x4.  With a shovel you would carefully place the shovel under the latch side of the gate.  With the gate slightly ajar, place the shovel under 2 or 3 or more, strong pickets (as many as you can).  Begin to slowly lift up and see if the gate has any “play” or flex in it.  We are looking for movement in the gate that will allow us to “rack” the gate back up to the desired position.  Because likely it was once at the correct height.

Or you can take your 2x4 and a few blocks, and place the 2x4 under the bottom horizontal member, on the latch side, with the gate slightly ajar, begin to slowly and carefully lift.  Be careful to see if anything looks like it is straining or sounding like it may break.  But, you are looking again for “play”, “rackability”, or flex in the gate.  We need this movement back upward, and to see if, even with leaving the existing bracing it, it will work with attaching another brace, the True Latch.   

The True Latch is definitely strong enough to hold a 100+ pound gate.  But, you must try the SHOVEL TEST to see if the gate will return to an original or higher height with the existing bracing left in.  

Then if so, you will need to do a PRE-LIFT routine to hold the gate up high and install the True Latch brace.  Then, release the weight of the gate to see where you are at.  However, with such a heavy and existing braced gate, we would put the gate back on the shims or blocks from your pre-lift, and then make more adjustments on the True Latch.  (We want the blocks and shims under the bottom of the gate to do some of the pre-lifting by compressive forces.  If you rely only on tension forces from the True Latch, you may start to twist the gate).  Then you should be close enough to release the full weight of the gate if you need to make a few more tweaks on the True Latch hex nuts for the final adjustment.

The True Latch is designed to work with tension forces.  So, you apply a pulling force up on your gate.  The pulling force will be applied to try and lift your gate.  So, try to imagine how you would pull up your gate with a strong pulling force.  Thus, to achieve this you will attach your True Latch at the bottom on the latch side, and the top of the brace with the adjustable threads, will be attached up at the top on the hinge side.

Yes.  From studying the Adjust-a-Gate kit pictures, you will be able to attach to the 2x4’s.  You will need to attach to the horizontal 2x4’s very similarly like a regular gate.  You may then want to remove the cable that comes with that kit.

Yes, you technically can.  Because to the very end of the threads it is 64 inches in length.  If you moved the top bracket half way down the threads you could get it to attach at 62 inches.  Also, you could flip the top bracket around to gain even a little more space.  So, instead of the top bracket pointing up, it would be pointing at the ground.

But, a typically better solution would be to get a 6’ telescopic or an 8’ foot telescopic version so you could adjust the length of the brace for the perfect placement on your gate.

It sounds like it would be best to replace the hinge post.  The True Latch may still possibly work in this kind of situation.  The brace may still work IF the hinge post is attached to a panel where the next post down the line is sturdy and will not allow the hinge post to lean toward the gate from its own weight.  But the brace will likely NOT work if the hinge post is loose to where it leans toward the weight of the gate.  Then the brace would not be able to make up for the lean of the hinge post.

You do not need a center bracket for the True Latch brace to work.  However, it is a nice to have item.  If you were able to attach a 2x4 in the middle AFTER the gate was pre-lifted and braced with the True Latch, then, that would be the ideal time to attach the 2x4 and the center bracket.

Don’t install the middle 2x4 in the saggy, lowest position.  If you do, you will have more friction to overcome from the new 2x4 and pickets freshed fastened in that low, sagged state.

The brace is 1x1” inch tubing and on the telescopic versions the extension is ¾” x ¾” inch tubing.  The furthest it sticks away from the gate is approximately 1.125” inches.

True Latch brace is designed best for tension.  It technically would work nicely in a compression application also.  You would start the top bracket at the base of the threads and the direction of the brace placement on the gate itself would need to be reversed.  So, the bottom of the brace would attach at the bottom of the hinge side.  And the top of the brace would need to attach at the top of the latch side.

However, it is still necessary to do a PRE-LIFT routine with the gate as per the instructions for the best outcome.

Yes you can.  We've created a step by step method if that is what you would like to do.  You need to use caution so you don't slip and hurt yourself as we do not claim any liability.  But you will need to put a small counter bend in the steel square tubing portion of the True Latch anti-sag gate brace, which will push or pull against the warp you are experiencing. 

You will put a bend in the brace in a certain direction if you need to "push" the warp out and a different directional bend if you will "pull" the warp out.

Here below are the steps:

To Remove a WARP or fix a Twisted gate by Putting a Opposing Bend in the Brace: [Step by Step]

1.  Block or shim the gate up at the present height (or the desired height while installing the brace on a currently warped gate).

2.  Observe which way the brace will need to bend in order to "push" or "pull" against the warp.  

a.  If the gate is PULLED into the property or to the rear on the bottom latch side, then the brace at the bottom latch side corner will need to push against the warp.  Thus, the bend or bow in the brace will need to arch away from the center of the gate, or center 2x4.  In the example mentioned below there would be an air gap of appx ¾” inch at the center between the brace and the gate. 

b.  If the gate is PUSHED out to the front or street side on the bottom latch side, then the brace at the bottom latch side corner will need to pull against the warp.  Thus, the bend or bow in the brace will need to arch away from the two ends, at the top hinge side and the bottom latch side.  So, at both ends the brace would be 3/4" of an inch away for example. 

3.  Remove the brace.  (Some people may opt to remove the brace first, then pre lift back to the height you need or a little past the desired height and block it up.)

4.  Then lay the brace on 1 or 2 wood blocks of 2x4 on the ground (basically something that doesn't scratch the paint).  Make the brace 2" or so off the ground.  DO NOT place the brace threads on the block.  You do not want to bend the main brace threads, only the square tubing. 

5.  Then apply a slight bend in the brace with your foot.  Try to exert the pressure straight down so you bend it in the correct direction and not at an angle.  Brace yourself well so you don't hurt yourself (we're not liable for any injury, so be careful to brace yourself really well).  If the warp is 3/4" appx, then bend the brace appx. 3/4 inch.  If the brace, when bending, touches down on the ground (say your concrete sidewalk) and starts to scratch the paint, you need to add another 2x4 block so it is a little higher off the ground.

6.  Check by sighting down the end of the brace to see if you got appx 3/4" or the distance you need.

7.  Temporarily reinstall the brace while the gate is still blocked or shimmed up to hold the desired height.  Reinstall with only 1 screw in top, 1 screw in bottom, and 1 screw in the center. 

8.  Check to see if the warp is corrected.  You may need to remove the blocks/shims so you can test the gate freely.  If it is correct and unwarped, reinstall the other 2 screws in the top and bottom.

9.  If the brace needs more or less bend, then, reblock up the gate to hold the height, and rebend the brace more or less exactly to oppose the warp.