Stainless Steel Heavy Duty Hinges
Folks often look for stainless steel fence gate hinges because they live in a coastal location. The types of hinges used on gates are butt hinges (what you think of as a ‘normal’ door hinge), strap hinges, and self-closing hinges.
There are different grades of stainless steel, each offering different benefits to the manufacturer and end-user. With architectural hardware, grade 304 and 316 are the two most common types. Type 304 is the most widely used. It offers good weather resistance for exterior application when powder coated. For exterior applications where the hinges will be fully exposed to the elements and will not be powder coated, Marine Grade 316 stainless steel offers the best rust resistance [If you’re interested in the nitty gritty details of stainless steel grades, read this Wikipedia entry. More than you ever wanted to learn!]
Stainless Steel Butt Hinges
Butt hinges are the most popular gate hinge that we sell. Installation is straightforward and the hinges can support most standard sized gates. These stainless steel butt hinges are appropriate for standard-sized gates up to 42” wide x 72” high, up to ~2-1/4” thick.
For heavier gates still in the 42" to 48" wide range, we suggest a larger butt hinge. A set of three of the Heavy Duty 5” x 5” hinges might do trick.
Once you're at 48" wide, we always suggest a strap hinge. Wide gates are continuously pulling away from the post at the top hinge, and having a solid connection via strap hinges is a much better choice.
When choosing hinges, always err on the conservative side.
Most Popular Stainless Butt Hinges
Stainless Steel Self-Closing Spring Hinges
Self-closing hinges are used where you want a gate to close on its own. Self-closing hinges are spring-loaded. The springs are adjustable with a small Allen wrench—the adjustment determines a lighter or heavier closing force. The sweet spot in spring tension is to have the gate close without slamming. This will add to the life of the hinges, the gate, and the latch.
For pool gate installations, building codes generally require self-closing hinges to keep little ones safe (check with your building department to confirm the rules for your location).
For standard-sized gates, you need three hinges. If it’s a short gate, you can use a pair. Adjusting the spring tension will help you get just the right amount of swing. Heavy (150+ lbs) or wide (over 48″) gates can be a challenge to close when using self-closing butt-style hinges. You might need to look into an external spring that is attached on one end to the gate and the other end on the post.
We like to use a butt hinge as the top hinge, and then self-closing hinges below. Because self-closing hinges are 'looser' it helps gates stay tight at the top where they are more likely to pull away.
Most Popular Stainless Self-Closing Hinges
Stainless Steel Heavy Duty Strap Hinges
Strap hinges come in handy when a gate is very wide, tall, or heavy. On standard-sized gates, they’re often used for the architectural styling they offer. We offer stainless strap hinges made from either 304 or 316 stainless material, in Satin Black or Satin Stainless finish.
Most Popular Stainless Strap Hinges
"How do I know what hinge I need?"
We developed the Hinge Chooser to help answer this question. It'll walk you through your gate dimensions, the function you're going for, and the finish you want, and it'll suggest options. Give it a click!
Not sure which hinge to use? Launch the Hinge Chooser for help!
