Old Things New

TRANSFORMED, from broken to beautiful

Navigation
  • Home
  • Painted Furniture & Misc.
  • Tutorials
  • Abortion Story
  • Freedom Friday Posts
  • Funny Stuff
  • My (Our) Story
  • Freedom Session Website
  • Contact

Building a Gate With Architectural Salvage

July 10, 2017 by Patti 41 Comments

“What do you want to do today honey buns?” Mr. OTN asked as we sat on the screened porch enjoying our morning coffee. 

Okay . . . so he didn’t really call me “honey buns,” because we don’t talk to  each other that way.   Not insinuating that it’s a bad way to talk if that’s how you choose to show affection for your sweetie.   Our endearments are a little less mushy and generic, like a simple “honey” or  “sweetie” or “darling”. 

Darling: That’s his name for me when he’s feeling particularly fond of me.

Anyhoo, it was a beautiful Spring day that was meant for a drive in the mountains.  So we set off on an adventure, and in no time at all we came across a REAL gold mine!

David B. Culpepper’s Otto Depot, Wholesale Salvage Co.

“We supply what catches the eye”

Oh Yeah!

We’d been on the hunt, off and on, for a piece of architectural salvage to create a new fence gate into our back yard.  You see, we’d recently added a new patio and it was begging for a peek-a-boo gate so that everyone who drove up into our driveway could “Ooh” and “Aah” over it’s cobbled courtyard beauty.

Culpepper’s Otto Depot in Otto, NC did not disappoint.

 

Hence this DIY post in which I tell you how Mr. OTN, with a little help from myself, built a Gate With Architectural Salvage.

It all started out on the garage floor by taking measurements around this scrolly piece of iron, followed by 2 x 4’s cut to size, and laid in place for the drilling of diagonal holes using a cool tool called a jig.

This is what the holes look like.  A jig creates a diagonal channel for the screw to sink into, attaching one piece of 2 x 4 to another piece of 2 x 4 at a perpendicular angle.  Savvy?

This is what this cool tool looks like, and if you click on the picture below you can buy one for yourself.


Or for your hubby who will think you are incredibly smart to know of such a tool and probably call you lots of sweet and mushy names.

So here she is all screwed together and ready to hang where the old gate once lived.

By the way, I almost forgot to show you how our pretty little architactural piece already had holes in place, making it perfect for attaching to the 2 x 4’s.  It was like she was meant to be a part of our gate all along.

This is a picture of the hubs re-attaching the hardware we took off the old gate.  We cleaned it up and added fresh black spray paint and it was as good as new.

Since we knew this would be a heavy gate with all the iron pieces, we purchased this heavy duty gate wheel.  It supports 200 pounds which is enough to carry myself and a very small friend!

If you’re looking for a spring-loaded, heavy duty wheel, click on the picture above and check it out!

Next came the fence boards.  We screwed standard 5-1/2″ wide fence boards to the frame, leaving 1/4″ spacing between each board, and a 1-1/2″ clearance on the bottom of the gate.

Note the narrower boards in the center of the gate.  Our gate is 46″ wide, so we had to make some adjustments to the board widths to fit our gate.  Mr. OTN ripped these babies on the table saw to make them the perfect size.  

By the way, I think “ripped” a such manly, macho word to describe cutting a board vertically.  I have images of Tim the Toolman ripping a board with his bare hands 😉


And just in case you were wondering, this is the table saw Mr. OTN  used.  The one from his Top Ten Father’s Day list.

 

Mr. OTN trimmed the boards even across the top of the gate next.  Sort of.  But not to worry, he had a plan.  First though, he added another 2 x 4, laid flat across the top of the gate and screwed in place.

Here he’s carrying out his plan, which was to add a 1 x 4 piece to add visual interest to the gate (while at the same time covering uneven cuts).  Notice the short fence boards showing beneath the 1 x 4?  Mr. OTN had a plan for that as well.

He had the great idea of adding a frame to highlight our salvaged ornamental iron piece, but since the “visually interesting” 1 x 4 across the top stands out beyond the fence boards he needed to use strips of shim to make the frame level. The shim he used across the top was a 1/4″ square strip cut the same width as the gate opening, and the strips of shim around the other three sides were the same width as the frame material.

I was a wee bit nervous about the difficulty of creating mitered corners (based on my own past history) but Mr. OTN has great confidence in his abilities.  Besides, he wasn’t worried about going out and buying a few more strips of wood if it didn’t work out! 

Next came the addition of a top for our gate.  We wanted something with an arch and searched high and low through salvage yards, but couldn’t seem to find anything the right size.

Then searching online I found, A Rustic Garden, a company that that sells “vintage” gates of all designs and sizes.  I found a 3′ gate that I liked but we didn’t want the whole gate, just the decorative piece across the top.  Not a problem for this company who makes everything on sight.  We were able to have them create exactly what we wanted, custom sized to our wooden gate.  I was delighted at how quickly they completed my order and the price was VERY reasonable for custom work.  With FREE shipping 🙂

The piece came with pre-drilled holes (at our request) so it was ready to attach with heavy duty 2″ long, 7/16″ hex head screws.

They look like this and you can order those here too, just by clicking on the pic.

Isn’t she lovely?  And she looks like she was made for the other ornamental iron piece in our gate.  Which is no coincidence, because she was.

Here’s another shot of her.  She is so proud of herself that she asked if I’d share one more picture to stun you with her beauty.

By the way, all of the iron pieces and the screws were spray painted with a light coat of black rustoleum.

Just a light coating because I kind of like the rusty look showing though.  It was mostly done for the benefit of our HOA who says we are allowed to have either wooden gates or iron gates only in our neighborhood.  I’m already pushing the limits a bit by having a combination wooden-iron gate.  It would really be a stretch if I left it au naturel from the get go.  We’ll see how she patinas over time.

 

Here’s another look at our gate stained in solid Redwood by Olympic Stain to match the rest of the fence (which now looks faded and needs a touch up so it won’t be shown up by the beautiful gate). Mr. OTN did most of the work on this DIY project but I was a good enough helper that I warranted the label “darling” and a nice dinner out on the town.

This guy 🙂

I would be delighted if you were to PIN me!

And one more peek at our beautiful piece of architectural salvage, with a look through into the back yard at our new puppy and our new patio.  I’ll be revealing that in an upcoming post so stay tuned.

Finally, if you haven’t already taken my Reader Survey, I’d love if you’d do that today.  Then, come on back here and leave a comment letting me know you’ve done so to be entered in a drawing for a $100 Amazon Gift Card.  Just because I love you!

I hope you’re enjoying the beauty of the Summer season in every butterfly, or white fluffy cloud, or sweet puppy you see.

Blessings to you my darling friends,

I’ve been known to link up to the following great parties!!!

Sunday:

SundaysAtHome, TheDIYShowoff, LifeOnLakeshoreDrive, SilverPenniesSundays, RusticAndRefined, Spiritual Sundays

Monday:

IShouldBeMoppingTheFloor, TheDedicatedHouse, Dwellings, ProjectInspired,  InspireMeMonday, BetweenNapsOnThePorch, CelebrateYourStory, What Joy is Mine/Monday Musings, Darling Downs Diaries, The Art of Homemaking, MomentsOfHope, Glimpses, SittingAmongFriends

Tuesday:

TalkOfTheTown, HomeStoriesAtoZ, AStrollThruLife, CoastalCharm, CedarHillFarmhouse, TuesdaysAtOurHome, TheWinthropChronicles,  Rich Faith Rising Unite Linky, Testimony Tuesday,Cheerleaders of Faith,Tell His Story

Wednesday:

SavvySouthernStyle, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Word Filled Wednesdays, Coffee for Your Heart, MessyMarriage, ThreeWordWednesday,  WriterWednesday

Thursday:

ShareYourStyle, ImpartingGrace, EmbracingChange, HaveADailyCupOfMrsOlson, MyRepurposedLife, ADelightsomeLife, KatherinesCorner,  Thought Provoking Thursday, SincerelyPaulas, ThoughtfulThursday, Tune-inThursday

Friday:

FrenchCountryCottage, TheCharmOfHome, TheDedicatedHouseAnythingBlueFriday, ShabbyliciousFriday, Sweet Inspiration,  Faith’nFriends, Missional Women Faith Filled Fridays, Dance With Jesus FreshMarketFriday

Saturday:

FunkyJunkInteriors, OneMoreTimeEvents,  SaturdaySparks, TheInspirationGallery, Make My Saturday Sweet

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Tweet

Filed Under: Architectural Salvage, DIY, Garden Design, Junking, My Husband, Re-purposing, Southern Living, Thrifting, Tutorial, Vintage Tagged With: Architectural Iron work, Architectural Salvage, Charleston Style, DIY, Garden Design, Junking, My Husband, Repurposing, Shopping, southern living, thrifting, Tutorial

« Freedom Friday – Lavishly Loved by God & Me!
18 Remarkable Outdoor Spaces and a Big Reveal! »

Comments

  1. hopeful50 says

    July 10, 2017 at 10:09 am

    I tweeted. I pinned. That Mr. OTN is one clever guy and his darling assistant is so talented and clever! LOVED THIS POST!

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 10, 2017 at 11:33 am

      You are the bestest of friends Susan. I love you more each day <3

      Reply
  2. Sharon H says

    July 10, 2017 at 11:40 am

    OMG, Patti! You weren’t kidding….you posted the DIY on this gorgeous gate. I don’t know which is “cuter”, the gate, the helper, or Mr OTN! lol. I think I could do this myself….I have my own miter saw and all kinds of power tools, but no table saw. Hmmm, Mother’s Day is long gone but my birthday is coming up in October. OH WAIT…no, our anniversary is in a couple of weeks….sigh, so many possibilities and I keep missing them because I have no table saw…. ;*) By the way, I pinned this one…. twice! one in my Garden Art, and one in Great Gates for Goodness Sake!
    Thanks, Patti….have an awesome and very blessed week. Muah!

    Reply
    • Sharon H says

      July 10, 2017 at 11:41 am

      oh and I forgot…my hubby gave me my very own Kreg Jig last Christmas…woohoo! Am I a lucky girl, or what?

      Reply
      • Patti says

        July 11, 2017 at 7:56 am

        Wow! You really are a Rockstar! Why did I have no idea you liked tools too? Haha!

        Reply
    • Patti says

      July 11, 2017 at 7:55 am

      You made me giggle out loud Sharon! You’re just like me . . . scheming how to buy something I want without feeling guilty. “It’s a birthday present to myself!” I am absolutely positive you COULD make your own gate and I hope you’ll go out and get a table saw if you really want one. Or at least rent one from a big box store for a day. Thank you for spreading the news about my garden gate sweet lady. I think the mister needs to do a few MORE project with me because they always seem to be a big hit! Blessings friend.

      Reply
  3. Kath Ott says

    July 10, 2017 at 3:08 pm

    I didn’t realize I was suppose to post a comment too.. I took the survey the first day.. I enjoy the mix that you do on your blog. very enjoyable read. Hugs, Kath

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 11, 2017 at 7:58 am

      Thank you so much Kath!!!

      Reply
  4. Lisa says

    July 11, 2017 at 7:08 am

    This is such a great project. I love how the finished gate looks. You are so lucky to have such a handy husband.

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 11, 2017 at 8:01 am

      Thank you for the compliment. I am indeed lucky to have a handy hubby. Little secret? Sometimes he is a bit like Tim the Toolman. LOL! I’m so happy you came by and commented. I hope you’ll stop back again.

      Reply
  5. muchloverose says

    July 11, 2017 at 9:13 am

    How beautiful Patti – I just found a place in the Albany area that sell old fences. I’ll be making a trip next week to find the perfect one for my pot rack.
    Amazing what you can do with old treasures –
    Have a wonderful day

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 12, 2017 at 7:12 am

      Thank you Rose!!! I am intrigued by the idea of using an old fence as a pot rack. I would love to see your project when completed. I have another, smaller, piece of gate that I’m still trying to decide how to use, but not big enough for something like that. You’ve got me thinking though. Have fun treasure hunting!

      Reply
  6. Robin says

    July 11, 2017 at 9:50 pm

    That gate is super awesome…..it looks sooooo expensive! I love that kinda stuff!!! Dontcha just love when ya DIY and it looks like you paid some EXPERT mega $$$$ to build it? Mr OTN is more super duper than Handy Manny!! I love that kids’ show! hahaha The guy who does his voice is now on NCIS, so if my daughter is in the room when I am watching it On Demand the next day, I squeal when he talks and say “Oh Handy Manny!” and bat my eyes, and she laughs. We are an odd bunch. hahaha If I lived down south near you, you might find me at your house…..to see you, to do “borrow” Mr OTN for a project I might need help with, and of course to roll around with that PUP!!! She is super fluffy and I love fluffy fur babies! 🙂

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 12, 2017 at 7:06 am

      Haha! You are SO funny Robin and I think we would get along famously if you were my neighbor in the south. We are an odd bunch too, even if our “bunch” is small now, just the two of us empty nesters with our fur babies. Thank you for your compliment on our gate. I DO LOVE that we were able to make it without spending a lot of money. The man that laid our patio wanted to build us a gate but we said, “No thank you,” at the price he quoted! It is so much fun to create nice things with other peoples junk 🙂

      Reply
  7. Gentle Joy Homemaker says

    July 13, 2017 at 10:07 am

    Your gate is beautiful! I love taking old “junk” and finding a great use for it that creates a unique item and makes people ask “Where did you buy that?” 🙂 Very very nice job on that gate.

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 14, 2017 at 11:03 pm

      Thank you my friend. I appreciate the compliment so much.

      Reply
  8. Carol ("Mimi") says

    July 14, 2017 at 10:09 am

    The garden gate is beautiful! I love how it rolls on the pavers, and I especially like the wrought iron piece at the top, above the wooden frame. I absolutely love wandering through salvage yards. I’m so glad to see how you were able to turn a discarded, well-made item into a new work of art.
    Carol (“Mimi”) from Home with Mimi

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 14, 2017 at 11:00 pm

      Wandering through salvage yards is the best past time ever! Thank you so much for liking our project Mimi. It means so much to me that you left a comment on it.

      Reply
  9. Parsimonious Décor Darling says

    July 14, 2017 at 12:40 pm

    What an amazing post! I am absolutely mad about architectural salvage, and I especially LOVE wrought iron. Oh, how I’d while away perusing all the pretty there. Your fence came out fabulously!

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 14, 2017 at 10:56 pm

      I am mad about architectural salvage too! Isn’t it fun to search for the perfect piece? I so loved the gates into the Charleston gardens that I wanted a touch of that in my own yard. Thank you for coming by and letting me know what you think and please come again!

      Reply
  10. The Bearded Hiker says

    July 15, 2017 at 8:14 am

    That gate rocks! I have one similar that was here when I bought my house, but it needs some love and it’s not near as refined as the one he built. Gave me some inspiration! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 16, 2017 at 6:55 am

      Thank you for the compliment Jaxx. We do aim to inspire so good luck with your gate 🙂

      Reply
  11. Pam Richardson says

    July 15, 2017 at 6:09 pm

    Patti, the architectural salvage piece was absolutely perfect for a gate. Your hubby and you did a fabulous job and the tutorial is excellent!

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 16, 2017 at 6:57 am

      You are so sweet Pam. Thank you for the input on the tutorial. It can be tricky to get across good instructions. 🙂

      Reply
  12. Jann Olson says

    July 17, 2017 at 12:34 am

    Patti, the gate is wonderful, and yes he is a rock star!! Oh, and I do know what a jig is. 🙂 Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 17, 2017 at 8:56 am

      Thank you my friend!

      Reply
  13. K.Rupp says

    July 17, 2017 at 8:58 am

    Oh my goodness! Beautiful! I love stuff like this. I will be pinning this and will definitely be showing my hubby who is a fellow woodworker. Glad I found your site through the linky party!

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 19, 2017 at 6:11 am

      Thank you for the compliment and the Pin! Isn’t it great having a hubby who can help you with your pinned ideas? We are truly blessed 😉 I’m so happy you came on over for a visit and do hope you’ll come again soon.
      P.S. You came up with the perfect solution for straightening rope lights, and your bird cage light? Awesome!

      Reply
      • K.Rupp says

        July 19, 2017 at 7:12 am

        Oh thanks so much! Yes love pinterest;) Also thank you for the recent follow! Definitely will be back!

        Reply
        • Patti says

          July 19, 2017 at 8:09 am

          Yay!!!

          Reply
  14. Lisa notes... says

    July 17, 2017 at 12:01 pm

    What a beautiful gate, Patti! Your man is quite the artist. And you got a nice dinner out of of it too. 🙂 Win-win!

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 18, 2017 at 8:56 am

      Thank you dear Lisa. My hubby is a man of many talents and I’m extremely blessed!

      Reply
  15. Sherry says

    July 18, 2017 at 4:29 pm

    How awesome is that ! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 19, 2017 at 7:06 am

      I love you Sherry! Thank you SO much for sharing our project at Home Sweet Home. Hugs <3

      Reply
  16. Kristy Mastrandonas says

    July 21, 2017 at 1:30 pm

    Wow! I absolutely love your Garden Gate! I’ve pinned it for later b/c this is very similar to what I’ve been telling my husband I wanted in a gate by our driveway. I see a project in our future! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Patti says

      July 22, 2017 at 9:05 pm

      Thank you pinning Kristy. Now get that hubby inspired!

      Reply
  17. Jack Titchener says

    July 25, 2017 at 1:52 pm

    You made these gates from salvage material? I’m impressed! My wife and I are remodeling our front yard and are looking for ideas on building a fence. Thank you for the fencing tips.

    Reply
  18. Linda says

    August 2, 2017 at 9:52 am

    Beautiful gate!

    Reply
    • Patti says

      August 4, 2017 at 5:56 am

      Thanks Linda. I appreciate the compliment!

      Reply
  19. KP Engineering says

    May 29, 2018 at 4:11 am

    Thanks for sharing this post with us. These pictures are very beautiful. Good job!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Old Things New – 18 Remarkable Outdoor Spaces and a Big Reveal says:
    July 18, 2017 at 9:18 am

    […] a final look at our outdoor space as seen through our new Garden Gate (constructed by Mr. OTN and myself using architectural salvage).  My patio secretly hopes that […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

OldThingsNew

I am Perfectly Imperfect Patti, daughter of the King, wife to the amazing Mr. OTN, mom to two grown daughters, a great son-in-law, and companion to two spoiled dogs. At Old Things New I share DIY’s, budget friendly home transformations, as well as posts about how God transforms our souls. I myself have been made new and I love to share what I’ve learned through WRITING and SPEAKING. To view a short Vimeo of “Our Story” (Mr. OTN and I) please follow the link at the top of the page.

Disclosure: Old Things New is a participant in the Amazon affiliate advertising program, which is designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com . . . or, in other words, Shopping through my links helps Old Things New keep the lights on!

Search this site

Click below to:

Follow on Bloglovin

Click on icon below to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, & Instagram

facebook twitter pinterest instagram

My HGTV Tiny House Hunter Experience

My HGTV Tiny House Hunter Experience

Christmas Cloche Ideas

Christmas Cloche Ideas

Pottery Barn Knockoff Jingle Pillow

Pottery Barn Knockoff Jingle Pillow

Christmas Shopping Ideas

Farragoz Online Painting Course

Sign Up Now

Save

Instagram

This error message is only visible to WordPress admins
Error: No posts found.

See what I’ve been pinning lately!

Color Washing Technique

Color Washing Technique

Chalk Painted Kitchen Cabinet Tutorial

Chalk Painted Kitchen Cabinet Tutorial

Three Chalk Paint Recipes Reviewed

Three Chalk Paint Recipes Reviewed

Fab Over 50 (or 60, or 70 . . .)

Fab Over 50 (or 60, or 70 . . .)

Love Fashion? Follow my Fab Over 50 Board on Pinterest!

Archives

  • December 2018 (2)
  • October 2018 (31)
  • September 2018 (2)
  • August 2018 (3)
  • March 2018 (1)
  • December 2017 (4)
  • November 2017 (3)
  • October 2017 (3)
  • September 2017 (4)
  • August 2017 (9)
  • July 2017 (7)
  • June 2017 (8)
  • May 2017 (9)
  • April 2017 (7)
  • March 2017 (1)
  • February 2017 (5)
  • January 2017 (5)
  • December 2016 (1)
  • November 2016 (1)
  • October 2016 (1)
  • September 2016 (3)
  • August 2016 (7)
  • July 2016 (3)
  • June 2016 (4)
  • May 2016 (5)
  • April 2016 (6)
  • March 2016 (7)
  • February 2016 (6)
  • January 2016 (9)
  • December 2015 (12)
  • November 2015 (11)
  • October 2015 (7)
  • September 2015 (3)
  • August 2015 (3)
  • July 2015 (8)
  • June 2015 (6)
  • May 2015 (1)
  • April 2015 (8)
  • March 2015 (10)
  • February 2015 (8)
  • January 2015 (7)
  • December 2014 (9)
  • November 2014 (7)
  • October 2014 (7)
  • September 2014 (3)
  • August 2014 (2)
  • July 2014 (5)
  • June 2014 (5)
  • May 2014 (4)
  • April 2014 (12)
  • March 2014 (7)
  • February 2014 (1)
  • January 2014 (3)
  • December 2013 (7)
  • November 2013 (4)
  • October 2013 (6)
  • September 2013 (6)
  • August 2013 (6)
  • July 2013 (7)
  • June 2013 (11)
  • May 2013 (8)
  • April 2013 (7)
  • March 2013 (9)
  • February 2013 (10)
  • January 2013 (6)
  • December 2012 (5)
  • November 2012 (2)
  • October 2012 (2)
  • September 2012 (2)
  • August 2012 (5)
  • July 2012 (6)
  • June 2012 (3)

Tags

Addiction Antiques and Collectibles Blogging Books Chalk Paint Chalk Painted Furniture Christianity Christmas Coastal Style Crafts DIY Drop cloth projects Entertaining Faith Fall Decor Flowers Food Freedom Freedom Friday Freedom Session French Country Friendship Furniture Painting Gardening God's grace Home Decor Home Decorating Hospitality Inspiration Junking Lakeside living Marriage My Home My Story old junk transformations Prayer Recipes Recovery Redemption Shopping southern living Spring Tablescapes thrifting Tutorial

Fistbump Media, LLC

Copyright © 2021 · All Rights Reserved · Designed by Blogger Boutique for Old Things New Blog