Need Design Advice

[Black wallnut]

Calling all you engineering and design types.

I'm finally fencing my yard and need to build two wooden gates. The gates are constructed with 4/4 x 12" cedar ripped in half 4' high and 52" wide. Each gate has 8 vertical boards and two cross boards. The question is which of the two below designs is stronger?




The one on the left actually will take less lumber. The one on the right seems to be more like all of the other gates I've seen. I'll be using two hinges on each gate attached where the horizontal boards are. Sorry for the rough sketches the proportions on the right are closer to reality except that there are 8 vertical boards instead of six. I also want your thought on which you think look better. Each board is held on with two screws per intersection.

[LCHIEN]

I would think the one on the right is stronger - the entire diagonal board will be in compression (strongest mode) when hung from the left side.
I've seen gates like that but never like the one on the left.

[footprintsinconc]

the design on the right side, as long as the hinges are on the left side of that design. the diagonal piece of wood needs to be in compression (bringing the load back to the bottom hinge).

[Popeye]

The one on the right Mark. It looks the best too. Pat

[Seedy]

I agree, the one on the right. I would use more screws, however. Cedar is weak and a
52 " gate is going to want to sag. Maybe use a 12" board for the diagonal.
-Craig

[cabinetman]

I vote for the gate at the right. I would make other changes. I would separate the two horizontal pieces more. I would use an "X" support for each gate. If one cross support is used, I would put the hinges on the right side of that gate.

If the gates eventually go out of square it will be that the middle (where they come together) drops. To pull that shape back to square on that gate on the right (with hinges on the right), the diagonal shown would be the same direction as if it was clamped to be pulled square.
.

[LarryG]

As has been mentioned, the structurally stronger design is the gate on the RIGHT with its hinges on the LEFT. You cannot put the hinges on that design on the right; the cross brace will then be in tension, and will sag for sure since there is nothing to keep it from rotating.

If you like a more symmetrical look, you can add a second, two-piece cross brace to visually form an X. The cross brace running from lower left to upper right would be continuous, as you have shown it, and the two-piece cross brace running from upper left to lower right would be interrupted at the middle by the first one. Again, the hinges would go on the left.

[Stytooner]

I have made several Zorro gates and a few X gates. Both hold up pretty well with attention given to the hinge side as mentioned.

[mschrank]

I've also made several like the one on the right. As mentioned by (almost) everyone else, it'll stay pretty square if the hinges are to the left of the "Z".

Problem I have with those gates, is the expansion and contraction over the seasons. In the winter, the cedar soaks up so much moisture that it expands across it's width and the gate won't close. If I make it more narrow, then there's too big a gap in the summertime.

I've used this hardware on one gate. May not look as pretty, but it was the easiest to assemble, and has remained the most stable. You can find it at most hardware stores, as well as the big boxes.

[JimD]

Another more minor advantage of the gate on the right is that it has, in effect, three horizontal boards. The one on the left has a weak spot in the center with respect to deflection or ultimate strength against a load pushing on the gate.

Jim

[jking]

Another ditto to the one on the right, hinges on the left side.