Overheard a guy at the supply yard complain about post spacing

I was picking up some cedar pickets last Friday and this older crew was arguing about post spacing. One guy swore by 6 feet even on all his jobs, said anything wider and the rails sag. Got me thinking about how I always do 8 feet to save on materials, but I've had a few gates warp on me after a couple years. Maybe I need to tighten it up on longer runs. Has anyone else had gates go wonky from stretching it too wide?

3 comments

3 Comments

lucasw821mo ago

That 6 foot spacing really is the sweet spot for avoiding sag.

cole9941mo ago

Wait, you're saying 6 foot spacing? That actually blows my mind a little bit because I've been running 8 foot spans on my deck for like two years now and I'm starting to notice some serious dip in the middle. I mean, maybe it's just me but I always thought going wider would save more money and that small difference wouldn't matter much. But now I'm sitting here staring at my saggy boards wondering if I messed up big time. Idk if I should even try to fix it at this point or just live with it until I can afford to redo the whole thing. That 6 foot thing makes total sense though, I should have asked around before I started building.

kim.zara29d ago

Six foot is overkill if you use good lumber.