In my previous article on the 5 step process for selecting the proper gate for your requirements, I covered choosing the right location, or just having a broader view of location possibilities.

Today I will be covering step 2, Ensuring that your measurements are accurate, and understanding how to apply these measurements to your gate selection.

The 5 step process,

• step 1 – Choosing the right location
• step 2 – Ensuring that your measurements are accurate
• step 3 – Determining the gate mounting style (fixed or pressure)
• step 4 – Selecting the style of gate that suits your decor
• step 5 – Ensuring the gate size will work effectively for your measurements

Step 2 – Ensuring Your Measurements are Accurate

I’m sure you’re wondering what could be so difficult about measuring the gap that you want to put your gate across? Well, your right, measuring isn’t difficult, it is knowing where to measure, what to measure, why you need these specific measurements, and how you are going to apply them when you are shopping for your gate.

Where to Measure:

Unfortunately, knowing where to measure is like a chicken and egg situation. You should not choose a gate without knowing your gap measurements, but you can’t really know where to measure until you know which gate you are wanting to go with.

Gates will fasten to a wall using many different techniques, so it would be very helpful to know which technique you are measuring for.

To get around this chicken and egg dilemma, there are a few basic measurements that will satisfy most gate fastening techniques.

The first measurement must always be the gap measurement at the floor level. The reason for this is that often the floor level measurement will be impacted by wall baseboards and in some cases quarter-round.

It’s also possible that the baseboard or quarter-round is only on one side of the gap.

This floor level measurement will generally provide the smallest measure for your gap.

The next measurement should be taken across the gap at the height you want for your gate. Standard gate heights are 24 inches, 27 to 29 inches, or 36 to 40 inches, so take a measurement at each of these heights to increase your shopping options.

The next measurement would be for any additional aspects of the gap where there is something that might reduce the gap measurement. These might be chair rails or other wall adornments. It is critical to understand the smallest width measurement within your gap.

Why Do We Need All These Measurements?

In order to be certain that we are purchasing the right gate, we need to establish the minimum width that our gate must fit to. We also need to understand the maximum width.

Any gate we select must be able to satisfy both the minimum width and the maximum width.

How Do We Apply These Measurements?

Lets first take a look at the typical pressure gates that are available today. In most cases a pressure gate will have a minimum width that is only 4 to 5 inches less than the maximum width.

In order for a pressure gate to work effectively it must be a solid gate that does not have any sliding width adjustment bars. The 4 to 5 inches of variable width is created by the length of the pressure screws at each end of the pressure gate.

Lets say for illustration purposes that we have baseboards with quater-round on both sides of our gap, and that at the height we wish the gate to be there are no other restrictions.

A typical baseboard will be 1/2″ wide and the quarter-round will also be 1/2″ wide, so basically we have a 1 inch width restriction on each side of the gap at the base.

All pressure gates will have pressure screws at the floor level on each side. Once again, for this illustration we will assume that our maximum gap measurement was 42 inches, and due to the base board and quater-round on both sides, our minimum gap measurement was 40 inches.

As a result we are searching for a gate that will satisfy a minimum or 40 inches and a maximum of 42 inches. My recommendation here is to never purchase a pressure gate where the maximum sated width is equal to the maximum width you are shopping for.

The reason for this is that the maximum stated width of any pressure gate, is equal to the gate with the pressure screws fully extended. If your measurements are off by 1/8 of an inch, the gate might not fit.

I recommend that you search for a pressure gate that extends at least 1/2″ beyond your maximum measurement. This will ensure that the pressure screws will have effective force against your doorfame or walls to secure the gate properly.

On the minimum width measurement side, you need to ensure that the specified gate minimum is at least 1/2″ less than your minimum measurement.

For our 42/40 example, we would be looking for a gate that had a maximum of at least 42.5 inches and a minimum of 39.5 inches or less.

What About Mounted Gates?

Well, the basic difference with mounted gates is that they are usually not secured at floor level. They are generally fastened to the door frame or wall about 6 to 8 inches off the floor and again near the top of the gate.

The gate posts are either end are generally an inch or slightly more offset from the wall by the mounting brackets. As a result they generally are not impacted by base boards or quater-round.

When looking at a mounted gate you will need to take into consideration whether your wall adornments may interfere with the mounting brackets.

The bottom line is that you need to take your time, ensure that you have the right measurements and that you take a close look at the gate that you are considering to evaluate whether you may have any potential issues.

If you aren’t sure, feel free to call the vendor. They are often very helpful with these types of qustions.