Fixing little things

Sometimes there are little nagging things that need to be fixed. 

On-going problem numero uno: the front gate. 

I don't remember when it started sagging.  But it has been problematic for the last few years. The issue is compounded by the ground freezing and pushing the bricks up. The edge of the gate scrapes against the bricks and can't be good for either the gate or the bricks.
You can see the scraping here directly under the edge of the gate. The Inspector was very attentive to this project.

Part of the issue is that the bolt has come loose from the wall. But I'm not convinced that it was any good to begin with. When I got home late on Tuesday, I think it was (and it was freezing cold), I went outside with a wrench and tried to tighten the bolt enough to push the frame back up.  

Things are just never that easy. The bolt and washer did not meet the edge of the frame of the gate even though I tighten it as far as it would go. 

Plan B: get something that is thick enough to fill the gap and push the frame over when the little bolt is tightened. But it also has to have a wide enough diameter to fit over the bar.

Solution:  

Step 1: Look for a thicker bolt.  Discover that, in spite of the fact that I have oodles of nails, screws, and nuts and bolts,  I don't have anything that will work.

Step 2: Ask boyfriend to pick one up from the hardware store when he is walking the dog.  (The hardware store is dog friendly. They used to have an enormous mastiff that would lounge in the sun right in front of the door. If you wanted to go in you had to climb over him.)

 

Step 3: take the 18cent bolt, a wrench, some elbow grease, and tighten that baby up. 

Step 4: be glad that this mostly solves the problem. There is still a bit of an issue with the hinge, but I think for now this will do nicely.  

The gate is inspected and approved.