People often wonder which length of hinge front to use for their wood gate, door, or garage door. There is a “rule of thumb” that 25-30% of the gate/door/garage door width is an appropriate proportion. That can be a helpful guide.
But to really choose the best hinge front length, you can ask yourself the following question:
“Do I want the decorative hinge to be a FOCAL point or an ACCENT piece?”
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- Hinge Front as Focal Point: You might have a beautiful new 42” wooden gate and you want to make a bold statement with it. Go ahead and choose 24” or 36” straps and go for it! You can also play with the quantity of straps you use. For a full-height gate, try 3 or 4 straps if you want to create an eyeful.
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- Hinge Front as Accent Piece: Even with the same 42” wooden gate mentioned above, you might want to highlight the gate’s inherent architecture. In this case, a simple pair of 12” straps could just do the trick.
The bottom line is…do what works for you.
If you want to go big (literally), go big!
If you’d prefer something low-key and understated, so be it.
There is no “right” or “wrong” answer.
