I desperately need a new gate for one of my garden areas. We've used a number of latch mechanisms over the years and as I was contemplating that today, I thought permies needs a spot to gather all these ideas in one spot.
Every situation is different. What you're trying to keep in, and what you're trying to keep out varies tremendously based on factors like size, dexterity, mass and cussedness, so the idea here is to give people lots of options to choose from, so they can get the best latch for the job!
1. Hubby added a simple wooden swivel to a door in our coop which worked until it accidentally dropped with him inside. Yes, every latch has pros and cons!
2. We replaced it with a chain and hook with the chain just long enough that he could slide his hand through the gap and unhook it if someone locked him in...
3. For an old run I had a ring of wire that I made which was captured on one side and fit over the top of the fence post on the other. This is great for 1 hand operation. A more complicated version of this was more secure, but as fenceposts gradually leaned over time, it no longer lined up. We have dry summers and wet winters, so wood expands and contracts, and this can be a big problem that must be accounted for when choosing a fastener.
So what are your favorite ways, most successful ways, most permie ways to keep a door or gate latched?
And if you make one yourself, there are some BB's you can earn that way!
https://permies.com/wiki/138850/PEP-BB-homesteading-straw-latch
https://permies.com/wiki/127986/PEP-BB-roundwood-wood-nicedoorlatch
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