Where should the top end of the diagonal brace on a wood gate be located?

• A. Latch side of the gate
• B. Hinge post
• C. Center of the gate
• D. Gate frame corner

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that a diagonal brace stabilizes the gate by preventing sag and racking. When the brace runs from the bottom corner at the hinge side up to the top corner at the latch side, it forms a triangle that braces the gate against the weight of the gate pulling downward on the latch side. With the top anchored on the latch side, the brace takes the load and keeps the frame square, resisting twisting.

If the top end were on the hinge post, or positioned at the center or a corner of the frame without that latch-side top connection, the brace wouldn’t counteract the gate’s tendency to sag toward the latch side as effectively. The result would be less resistance to deformation and more misalignment over time.