Contents:
- Field gate hinges
- Fitting hinges to existing pins
- Stopping your gates from being lifted off their hinges
- Stopping somebody unscrewing the hinges
- Building hinge pins into a wall
Tee hinges
You’re probably familiar with Tee hinges, or Cross Garnet hinges as they are sometimes known, as they are quite a common hinge. They can be found on lightweight gates, garage doors, shed doors and even internal, cottage style, ledged and braced doors.
What size Tee hinges do I need?
As even the strongest Tee hinge is no match for the rest of the hinges mentioned below, you need to be looking at a hinge length of half the width of the door/gate you are hanging. So, on say, a gate width of 900mm, then you’ll need at least a 450mm hinge.
For any gate or door over 2100mm (approx 7ft), then a third hinge should be added; though to be honest, if you’re hanging any external gate or door this tall then you should be really looking at a stronger hinge. The Tee hinges can be found in our gate hinges section of our shop.Strap hinges
These are similar to the Tee hinges, however, these feature two tapered straps. These are surface-mounted hinges and attach only with screws.
These are used on bi-folding gates and doors (i.e. when hanging a gate (or door) from another gate (or door).) as an alternative to either the band and gudgeon or adjustable hinges.
Band & Gudgeon hinges
Sometimes referred to as hook and pin, hook and band or hook and ride hinges, the Band and Gudgeon gate hinges are a lot more substantial than the previously mentioned Tee hinges and used everywhere from timber gates, garage doors to stable doors.
The Band and Gudgeon hinges come in two pieces; you’ve the rectangular hinge plate which attaches to the gate post, and the band which attaches to the gate. The hinge plate features a hook (or pin, hence the alternate name!) and the band sits over this hook. The hinge plate attaches to the post with screws, whilst the band attaches to the gate with screws and one coach bolt. Although not hard to fit, they are a bit more fiddly on account of the coach bolt that goes right through the gate or door.The downside to the Band and Gudgeon hinges is that once fitted, with a bit of effort, the gates can be lifted off the hinge pins. To overcome this, it is recommended that the top hinge pin is fitted upside down (see below for more info).
Straight or cranked Band & Gudgeon hinges?
There are two versions of the Band and Gudgeon hinges: cranked and straight.
The image shows the cranked hinge above the black straight hinge, viewed from above.
What size Band & Gudgeon hinges do I need
A rule of thumb for most gate hinges (Tee hinges excepted) is that the hinge length should be one third of the width of the gate or door it is fitted to for normal domestic use; so a 900mm (3ft wide or therabouts) wide gate would be fine with a 300mm (12″) hinge.
For heavy duty use, then it should be half the width of the gate or door, i.e. a 900mm wide gate or door means a 450mm long hinge. For any gate or door over 2100mm (approx 7ft), then a third Band and Gudgeon hinge should be added.Available sizes of Band and Gudgeon hinges
The Band and Gudgeon hinges come in various finishes (self colour, BZP, hot spelter galvanised, black, premium black and stainless steel) and lots of sizes (200mm, 250mm, 300mm, 350mm, 400mm, 450mm, 500mm, 600mm, 750mm, 900mm, 1050mm and 1200mm), although not all finishes are available in all sizes. * Of the sizes listed above, we no longer sell the 200mm, 250mm and 350mm in black or galvanised, due to lack of demand. Looking for Band and Gudgeon hinges? You can fiind them here.Adjustable Gate Hinges
These so exactly the same job as the cranked Band and Gudgeon hinges but they are adjustable as the name implies.
Quite often used with gates that are being automated using the ram type above ground systems, they are ideal for manually operated gates as well and if you’ve never attempted to hang a gate before, then these may be for you. Like the hook and ride hinges, you’ve got a hinge plate which features a hook, a band which sits on the gate and also a long threaded bolt which has an eye on the end. The eye sits around the pin, whilst the other end of the bolt fixes through the band and the adjustment is via two nuts that tighten the bolt to the band.
Basically, once you’ve hanged your gates, you’ve got a bit of adjustment to level or shift the position of the gate; these are actually useful if, over time, your gate post sags down under the weight of the gates. If this happens, then in all likelihood, your gates will catch on the floor; with the adjustable hinges, it’s simply a case of altering the position of the gate.
The adjustment is also handy for novice gate hangers, as you don’t have to get everything bang on level first time during fitting, you can pull the gates back to level once fitted. Like the Band and Gudgeon hinges, these attach to the gate post via screws whilst the band attaches with screws and one coach bolt.As with the Band and Gudgeon hinges, once fitted, the gates can be lifted off the pins albeit with a bit of effort (again see below for more info).
Available adjustable gate hinge sizes
You have not got quite the same range of sizes of adjustable hinges than you have with the cranked band and gudgeons. Available sizes are 350mm, 450mm, 600mm, 750mm, 900mm and 1200mm.
Available finishes are galvanised, black, premium black and stainless steel, though not all sizes are available in all finishes.Can I use adjustable gate hinges on garage doors?
Yes, you can use adjustable hinges on garage doors, however, you will be limited slightly on how much you can adjust the position of the doors, due to the doors (usually) being trapped/enclosed within a frame and any adjustment will in most cases be minimal.
What size adjustable hinges do I need?
As with the Band and Gudgeon hinges, normal domestic use is one third the width of each gate. For heavy duty use, then half the width of each gate. Again, for anything over 2100mm (7ft) high, then a third adjustable hinge should be added.
Get your adjustable gate hinges here!Reversible hinges
Reversible hinges differ from the Band and Gudgeon hinges, as the pin is actually attached to the band. Rather than having a hinge plate, you have two hinge cups that sit above and below the hinge pin.
Available reversible hinge sizes
There is not quite the size range of adjustable hinges as there are Band and Gudgeon hinges but you’ve got a choice of 250mm, 300mm, 350mm, 400mm, 450mm, 500mm, 600mm, 750mm, 900mm, 1050mm, 1200mm.
What size reversible hinges do I need?
We only use the heavy-duty reversible hinges, so again it’s one third the width or each gate or door for normal domestic use and half the width of each door or gate for heavy duty use.
Reversible gate hinges can be found here!Again, any gate or door over 2100mm (7ft) should have a third hinge added.
Field gate hinges
As the name suggests, traditionally used on Field gates and the great thing about these is (depending on how you fit them) they can allow the gates to swing both ways!
Unlike all the other hinges mentioned above, field gate hinges wrap around the gates, which is why they are also known as wrap around hinges.
- Fieldgate hinge sets on 100mm (4″) square plates
- Adjustable bottom hinge field gate hinge sets on 100mm (4″) square plates
- Adjustable bottom hinge field gate hinge sets
Fieldgate hinge sets on 100mm square plates
These are similar to the Band and Gudgeon hinges in that you have the hinge that wraps around the gate and then you have a 100mm square plate with the hook or hinge pin upon it, which fixes to the gate post.Adjustable bottom hinge field gate sets on 100mm square plates
Top hinge is the same between these and the aformentioned field gate hinge sets on square plates; however, the bottom hinge is in two pieces and clamps around the heel (bottom) of the gate stile (vertical upright). The bottom hinge then has a bolt tightened through it which also allows adjustment of the gate, so again you can move the gate around once fitted, though only from the bottom hinge as the top hinge is fixed.Adjustable bottom hinge field gate hinge sets
What size field gate hinges do I need?
Traditionally, the sets come in three sizes: 600mm (24″), 450mm (18″) and 300mm (12″) with the size referring to the length of the top hinge. The bottom hinge is always 125mm (5″) long. Again, aim for the hinge being a third of the width of each gate. The field gate hinges and hinge sets can be found in the Field gate and equestrian section of our shop.Fitting new hinges to existing hinge pins
If you’ve existing hinge pins that you are trying to get hinges to fit, then in most cases the pin sizes vary: as the hinges get bigger then so do the hinge pins. Below is a list for applicable hinges and the sizes of the pins. All sizes are correct at time of writing this! Cranked Band & Gudgeon hinges (Galv, black, black on galv, stainless steel finishes only) 300mm (12″) – 12mm (1/2″) pin 400mm (16″) – 12mm (1/2″) pin 450mm (18″) – 16mm (5/8″) pin 500mm (20″) – 16mm (5/8″) pin 600mm (24″) – 19mm (3/4″) pin 750mm (30″) – 19mm (3/4″) pin 900mm (36″) – 19mm (3/4″) pin 1050mm (42″) – 19mm (3/4″) pin 1200mm (48″) – 19mm (3/4″) pin Adjustable gate hinges (Galv, black finishes only) All 19mm pins Adjustable hinges (black on galv only) 450mm (18″) – 16mm (5/8″) pin 600mm (24″) – 16mm (5/8″) pin 750mm (30″) – 19mm (3/4″) pin 900mm (36″) – 19mm (3/4″) pin Field gate hinges All 19mm pins * Tee hinges, strap hinges, reversible hinges and D&D hinges are not hinges that will fit existing hinge pins.What is to stop your gates (or doors) from being lifted off their hinges?
Both the adjustable hinges and band and gudgeon hinges can be lifted from the hinge pins if somebody is determined enough to do it. It does tend to be more of an issue on smaller pedestrian gates than larger driveway gates but fear not, you can stay one step ahead of this by simply fixing the top hinge pin upside down. It’s not a problem on garage doors as if someone tried to lift them off when they are closed, then they are trapped by the door frame.What’s to stop somebody unscrewing my gates or doors?
Again this can be a problem; you can get around this by substituting a couple of the screws for coach bolts (making sure the bolts tighten on the inside) or by using anti-vandal non-removable screws. As an extra security layer on outward opening garage doors, it is recommended that you fit hinge bolts. These are protruding bolts that sit in the edge of the door (one just below the top hinge, one just above the bottom hinge) and as the doors close they locate into a receiver in the door frame. These are very inexpensive to buy and quite simple to fit. Due to the amount of garage doors we make, I always recommend these yet few people want them!Building hinge pins into a wall
If you intend to build hinge pins into a wall that you are constructing then you need ‘hooks to build’. Whe using the hooks to build, they are bedded into mortar between brickwork / stonework courses. Once the mortar has dried, you can hang your gates! There are two options available for these, for 9 inch brickwork which have a 19mm pin andfor 4 1/2″ brickwork have a 11mm pin.
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37 thoughts on “The Ultimate Guide To Gate And Garage Door Hinges”
Is there such a thing as a cranked reversible hinge? I want to fix hinges to a length of wood that is fixed flush with the front of my house, so that the gate can open outwards. I wanted the gate to be flush with the front of those, hence a cranked hinge, but as the hinge is on the outside, I wanted to make sure it was secure i.e. the gate couldn’t just be lifted off the hinge. Is there another hinge that would do this?
A normal reversible hinge will allow the gate to sit flush with the gate post, as will the adjustable gate hinges.
Hope that helps!
Hello,
Thanks for the in-depth blog about hinges. Wondered if you can help, all the gates you have on here, all the hinges are. hang at the back of the post. The field gate hinges however are hung from the middle of the inside post. We have small gate that’s only 45mm thick that we need to have hinges that hang from the middle inside wooden post but field gate hinges are 75mm thick. I’ve seen that you can use a filler but you’ve only suggested it for 70mm gates and I think my gate is way to small for this. Can you suggest another hinge that I could use so the hinge is coming from inside the post not at the back. I hope I’m making sense. Many thanks
I wouldn’t use a filler piece on your gates as it would look awful. If you must use field gate hinges then I’d imagine that you’d need to get some specially made via a metalworker.
You can however use adjustable hinges to hang the gates, they won’t allow them to open both ways though as if for example the hinges were on the back of the gate (and the gate would open in) then if you tried to open the gate out, the gate would likely foul on the gate post.
Thank you for a very detailed guide to gate hinges. My question is: how does adding a gate castor affect the size and number of hinges required? Thank you.
I’d still follow the normal rules for the hinges i.e. at least one third the width of each gate and a third hinge added if over 2000mm high.
Hi, I’m hanging two garage doors approximately 30kg each 900mm wide, 2m tall. I’ve got 3 hinges per door 450mm in width is this adequate.
Many thanks
Peter
Without knowing the make of hinges or the type of hinges then more than likely. Using either Perrys or Birkdale (or Gatemate) hook and bands, reversible or adjustable hinges then they would be more than enough. Using tee hinges then no, as they would not be strong enough.
Great article on hinges, thank you. My gate is facing the sea and my question is about the best finish on my hinges. I am tempted by the black on galvanised finish but I wonder if this would be as robust as painting galvanised hinges myself (with all the right prep of course)?
For coastal areas, marine grade stainless steel is the best option due to the salty air. Next best is the black on galv, then galvanised then a long way behind is the black.
You can try painting the galv yourself, although in most cases you’ll find the paint wearing away at points at which the hinges move or are in contact with one another (i.e. where the hinge sits over the pin).
Hi great detail about hinges, I have brought some Heavy Duty Reversible Hinges from tool station but they dont sell the fixings for them, very annoying, do you know where I could get some.
many thanks Shaun
It’s just screws and coach bolts you need, you should be able to pick them up at most of the usual DIY places.
Great article, thank you. Can you suggest what the best type of hinges would be to fix a picket fence gate to wooden posts? We bought tee hinges but the other half thinks we will have trouble lining the pre drilled holes in the hinges on to the gate where the horizontal and vertical wood pieces overlap and therefore where we could use longer screws to make the fix stronger, if that makes sense? We have this gate https://www.diy.com/departments/blooma-mekong-timber-round-top-gate-h-1m-w-1m/1687134_BQ.prd/gallery
Thank you in advance.
Hi Fran,
All you can really do is use the longer screws possible, if fitting the hinges on the front of the gate then you will have trouble due tot eh hit and miss between the pailings. If this is an issue then you can cut timbers the same thickness as the pailings and the same width as the gaps and then fix these to the rail before fitting your hinges.
Hope that helps!
Thank you
Hi. Nice to know that there are still experts in such matters. Our problem is that we have wooden (oak) doors on our garage and the metal hinges are extremely noisy in the summer. We have been in touch with English Heritage Buildings who built the garage in 1999 but they can only suggest new hinges. We are not sure if this would solve the problem as the current hinges are fine in the winter suggesting that the doors dry out and change shape in the summer. We have tried all sorts of lubricants which do not make the slightest bit of difference. Any idea what we could do please ?
Hi Toby,
Assuming they are noisy when open/closed, then I’d remove the hinges from the door and apply a good thick coating of grease to the hinge pin then refit the hinges and see how you get on.
If this doesn’t solve the problem then you get try placing a damper between the hinge pin and hinge, not sure what to suggest as would need to be strong enough to take the friction of the hinge rubbing on it as opened/closed.
Hi, I am have trouble with some large gates that are on a combined of band and grudeon hinges that are not adjustable, the gates do not close as they seem too big, they have the bigger hinge on the bottom not the top and the (vampire killer) knock in pins don’t seem to fit?
Is it possible to send pics? I’m rather stumped how to sort it out!
Not sure what you mean from your description, so yes send some pictures in and I’ll try and help! Email address at top right of page.
Hi,
I’ve been searching for ages for a specific type of lift-off Hook and Band hinges for a couple of ongoing vehicle storage projects…
I’m actually after a type where the hook or pin protrudes rather than welded to flat steel, due to the fact I require them mounted at 90 degrees (round the corner of the structure)
The only suitable ones I’ve found so far are in Australia and are prohibitively expensive.
Have you any suggestions for UK supplier for something suitable?
Ant
You can get hinges that have the eye on the corner http://www.woodworkersuk.co.uk/fieldgate-bands-eye-on-corner/ but not sure what pin/hook configuration you mean? If you can do a quick sketch of what you are after and can email in to enquiries@woodworkersuk.co.uk then I’ll take a look for you.
Hi
I’m attempting to construct a wooden garden gate, with horizontal slats approx 1300mm wide. I have 100mm posts, but do not wish the gate to be that heavy so don’t want to use 100mm timber for the gate. Is there a hinge that would enable the gate to be flush at the front, when attached to the back surface of the posts?
The only way to get the gate sitting flush to the front of the posts would be either hang the gate from the front of the posts, or fit the hinges to the gate posts within the actual opening (assuming there is enough room to do so). If hanging from the rear of the posts then you’d only get a flush gate & post (on the front) if the gate was the same thickness as the gate posts.
Hi Jon. Great site for information.
I’m about to start prepping my 10’ wooden 5 bar gate for hanging to 8×8 wooden posts.
My question is about the lower driven spike. How much narrower than the spike should this hole be?
Assuming the bar is 19/20mm as ours are then a 17mm/18mm hole as you want the hook to drive to go in easly enough without undue force but not easly enough for it to come out again. Idea is the bar should open up the corners of the hole as you drive it in.
Can be a bit hit and miss at times as you’ll find a tighter hole (?!) in Softwood is better as the timber will compress easier whilst in something like Oak you’ve that much more resistance in the timber so a slightly bigger hole (?!) is better!
Hi Jon,
Firstly, Incredible detail in the article. Thank you.
I’ve just had a timber garage door delivered. Two halves. roughly 1.2 meters each and just over two meters tall. ( approximated 30kg each )
Ideally I would rather have the hinges inside and therefore not Visible from the iutside. ( more in keeping with the property )
Do you think normal door heavy duty hinges will do? And are there gate hinges that can be hang on the inside with the doors opening outside that you would recommend?
Alternative would be to use one of the types you’ve mentioned and paint them to blend in. But Is there any thing you would recommend?
Ps. Doors have to open outwards.
Many thanks in advance.
Ryan
Hi Ryan,
For any outward opening garage door we would only recommend front fixing strap hinges at least a third of the width of each door. For something 1200mm wide then hinges at least 400mm long for normal domestic use or at least 600mm long for heavy duty domestic/industrial use. Anything over 2000mm high would also require a third hinge.
Usually on garage doors people will go for cranked band & gudgeon hinges or reversible hinges but in some situations adjustable hinges will also work but you won’t get the full adjustment that you would if you were fitting them to a gate rather than a door as the doors are trapped within an enclosed opening/frame so adjustment is minimal.
If you’re going to paint them then probably the cranked are better and choose Galv and use something like Hammerite on them!
Hope that helps!
Hello Jon,
I have a very heavy set of double doors to hang, best described as barn doors. Each leaf/door is 1600mm wide (3200mm overall) and 2500mm high, weighing approx 85kg each.
On a similar project, I used 400mm reversible hinges (marked as heavy duty), three per door. They only just about seemed man enough (if you are allowed to say that these days!) and tends to jam the lock in the winter when the timber swells.
Would you recommend a different hinge for better results? There is plenty of room either side of the doors, so I had wondered about sliding (not a hinge, I know!), but the paraphernalia for such a heavy door might be too much to bother with.
Thanks.
Dave
Hi Dave,
If each door is 1600mm wide then ideally you should be using a hinge that is at least 600mm long. Anything over 2000mm high needs a third hinge but I’d say due to size and weight to have four hinges on each door.
If the doors are jamming the lock due to swelling then the hinges will make little difference and you need bigger clearances between door and door frame (and maybe a coating of something on the doors to stop moisture getting in), if the door has dropped and is catching the lock then it would make a difference.
Hi
Hinge length? A rule of thumb, how big is the thumb?
Can you tell me what difference will it make if you fit extra long hinges?
It’s only flimsy flat bar it will bend , extra 100,200,300mm , waste of metal.
A well made gate will hang on a short hinge, a shoddy gate will not on a long hinge.
Pin size, it,s the band round the pin that should be bigger if you need strength
As the hinges become longer, the pins become bigger. The larger the gate then the longer the hinge required to support the gate. A well made gate may well hang on a shorter hinge, however over time the gate will drop and/or twist.
Hello,
I’m struggling to find a good hinge for a shed that is concealed behind cedar battens. The frame is a 2×4, but then with the battens mounted on top it is an additional 20mm. The shed is concealed as part of garden wall, so it needs to be able to open without hitting the adjacent battens. any thoughts on the hinge? I was looking at a concealed hinge but not sure it will open without hitting the adjacent batten fence. i was then looking at parliament hinge but not sure it’s strong enough.
Hi,
Not entirely sure I follow what you are trying to do? If you can do a quick sketch and email it to the address at top of the page then I can take a look and advise!
Hope that helps
Jon
I’m interested in making my own timber garden gates, bi-fold and each panel would be 4ft wide and 6ft tall. I’m struggling to know which hinges because i’d like one side to have 3 out of the 4 leafs on and the other being just the one. Any thoughts?
I’d recommend having two gates on each side as it would spread the weigh far better than having three gates on one. Hinge wise, cranked bands, adjustable gate hinges or reversible gate hinges are stronger than anything like a strap or tee hinge but the downside is the gates won’t fold anywhere near flat against each other due to size of the hinges.
Hi Jon, it’s just a second opinion from yourself please. I had a pair of 6” high softwood driveway gates fitted back in May, and within a span of 5.4 metres, they were the largest the installers had fitted. Adjustable hinges were used, and have required adjustment several times since. I understand that it’s necessary to invert one of the hinge pins for security, but these guys have inverted both the middle and bottom hinge pins with only the top one seemingly taking the weight. In your opinion, is there any scientific logic to this?
I’d say gates of that size if in timber are too big, but you’d only tend to fit one of the hinge pins upside down (and that would usually be the top pin)! You could try adding a gate wheel to both gates to support them in centre where they meet