Gate Will Not Latch Or Close

What's happening?

A latch is a simple mechanism with a tight tolerance, so it is the first thing to reveal that something else has moved. Timber gates swell and shrink measurably between a wet winter and a dry summer, and a latch set with no allowance for that will bind in February and rattle loose in July. But the more common cause is movement: the gate leaf racks a few millimetres, or the hinge post leans, and the keep is no longer where the latch arrives. The clue is whether it ever worked. A latch that has worked for years and now does not means the geometry has changed and the fix is at the hinge or the frame; a latch that has never quite worked was set out wrong. Self-closing gates add a third possibility — the closer has weakened or the gate has become too heavy for it, so the leaf arrives without enough energy to throw the latch.

What usually causes it?

• The gate leaf racked out of square, so the latch no longer lines up with the keep
• The hinge post leaning, moving the whole leaf out of position
• Seasonal swelling and shrinkage in timber, with no clearance allowed for movement
• Hinges worn, loose or dropped, letting the leaf sit lower or further out than it did
• The keep or striker loose, bent or fixed in the wrong position
• A worn, corroded or seized latch mechanism that no longer springs home
• A weakened self-closer, or ground and paving heaved into the swing so the gate never closes fully

When should you call a fencing and gate installer?

Call a fencing and gate installer when the leaf is out of square or the hinge post has moved, when you have already moved the keep once, or where the gate is the barrier keeping a child or animal away from danger and must latch every time. If the gate is powered, call an installer who works on automated gates rather than adjusting anything — the closing force and the obstruction detection are set to that leaf in that position, and moving the gate or its stops changes the safety performance.

What will the fencing and gate installer actually do?

• Watch the gate through its full swing, checking the leaf for square and the hinge post for lean, so the cause is corrected rather than the keep chased
• Re-glue and bolt frame joints, or reinstate the diagonal brace, so the leaf holds its shape
• Reset or replace the hinge post where its foundation has moved
• Rehang on hinges rated for the gate, with consistent gaps and allowance for seasonal movement
• Fit or reposition a latch, keep and self-closer suited to the gate, and ease heaved ground or paving out of the swing path
• On a self-closing and self-latching gate protecting a hazard, check it closes and latches reliably from any open position