Who doesn’t love a good custom gate with quality hardware? This month’s photo contest winner played off of the blues in the surrounding wall and pavers to create a look that – in our humble opinion – truly draws the sun.
Fitting perfectly into the scheme is our Alta Contemporary Modern Lever Gate Latch. It’s a two-sided spring-loaded latch that is ideal for coastal locations based on its 316 stainless crafting. What’s hiding in the shadows and often difficult to see in photos (but nonetheless essential to any gate hardware installation!) is the gate stop. Gate stops are included in all of our packages – and for good reason! You can read more about them in this blog post (and parts 2 and 3), but in short, your latch-arm and catch are meant to latch the gate, not stop it; a gate stop will – and will protect your hardware from damage caused by a gate slamming shut (not to mention, keep your warranty valid).
We also love the wood jambs mounted here to the stone on either side of the gate. While it takes a skilled installer, you can certainly attach the hardware directly to brick or stone – it’s totally doable. The risk over time (again, skilled installer needed) is that the bolts will wiggle themselves loose. An easier approach is to install a wood jamb to the column first, and then hang the gates from the wood jamb.
One last shout-out, this time to the pair of marine grade stainless steel hinges – again, mounted here to wooden jambs, but ideal in any environment!