Gate Will Not Close After the Rain? Here Is Why

A gate that worked all summer and now refuses to shut is telling you something specific. Nine times out of ten it is one of three things.

The ground moved, so the gate moved

Timber and steel do not change much over a wet fortnight. The ground does. A hinge post sitting in softened soil tilts a fraction, and the far edge of the leaf drops enough to catch or miss the latch.

On a swing gate a degree of post movement becomes an inch at the latch edge. That is the whole explanation for most of the winter callouts we attend in Burbank.

The safety sensor is doing its job

On an automated gate, a gate that opens fine but will not close is almost always a photo eye. Rain drives dirt onto the lenses and wind knocks the brackets out of alignment.

Wipe both sides with a soft cloth and check the indicator lights. If one is flashing or dark, the beam is broken and the operator is behaving exactly as designed.

Swelling and debris

A timber gate takes on moisture and grows. Not much, but a gate built with tight clearances in August will bind in February. It usually eases as things dry out.

Sliding gates collect grit washed into the track. Two minutes with a brush restores more sliding gates than any part we carry.

What to check before you call anyone

Release the operator and move the gate by hand. If it is heavy or catches at one point, the fault is mechanical and no work on the motor will fix it.

Look at the base of the hinge post for movement or a gap in the soil. That one observation usually tells us what the job is before we arrive.

When it needs a proper fix

Re-hanging a gate on a post that has tilted buys you a few weeks. If the post has moved, the post is the job, and that means breaking out and resetting in fresh concrete.

Done properly, with the right depth and enough concrete, it does not come back. Done as a quick adjustment, you will be calling again by spring.