What a Crew Does to Reset a Leaning Gate Post
Two workers, half a day to dig out, a day to cure, and a few hours to rehang: resetting one post eats about two days of crew time, even though the job looks small. A leaning post in Austin, TX, whether in Tarrytown or Hyde Park, is an ordinary repair, and the order of steps at metal gates austin tx nap nanny is the same for each. The gate comes off before the post is touched.
Taking the gate off
A swing gate stays on a leaning post only when the post is sound enough to carry it during the dig. Most of the time the gate is unbolted from its hinges, set on blocks, and tied off so the frame cannot twist. A steel gate that sits on a pair of sawhorses for two days will not hurt, but a gate left hanging on a loose post can bend its frame.
Digging out the old footing
Older lots near Lady Bird Lake and the Colorado River often have footings poured by whoever built the fence, a hole and a bag of concrete. The crew breaks out the old footing in pieces and removes it. Clay clings to the digger, so the hole is cleaned out to firm soil, and any water standing in the bottom is bailed.
Straightening or replacing
A galvanized post that is bent can sometimes be pulled back, but a post with a kinked wall or a cracked weld is replaced. Steel tubing that has rusted from the inside shows brown streaks at the base and a thin wall when tapped. Replacing it costs a little steel and a little labor, and it stops a repeat visit.
Setting the new footing
The new post is set deeper than the old one, with a bell or a straight shaft sized for the gate weight, and the top is crowned so water runs away. In rock west of town, grout replaces concrete. The post is plumbed on two faces and braced in two directions before anything is poured.
Curing time
Concrete reaches workable strength in a day or two, but it keeps gaining strength for weeks. Hanging a heavy gate on a one-day footing is the common shortcut that brings the lean back.
Rehanging and checking
The gate goes back on hinges that are shimmed to level. The crew checks the swing through its full arc, the gap at the latch, and the clearance at the ground. A drop rod and a gate stop get a final alignment. Every check is made at the temperature of the day, with a note to look again after the first hot spell, when the new footing has had time to settle.