I DIYed myself some invisible gate latches 14 years ago and those invisible, magnetic gate latches are still working perfectly. Here's how to do your own.
At the time I was looking for a discreet gate latch. All I could find were big, honking latches that looked like they belonged on the gate of a medieval castle. I do not live in a medieval castle or a country barn so I wasn't too enamoured with the offerings.
I wanted sleek, discreet and cheap but I couldn't find any of those options so I ended up making my own gate latches.
For gate handles I used wood cupboard handles from Ikea because they were cheap and sleek.
Now I had to come up with a way to keep the gate closed because I am not a "come on in" kindda person - I'm a "stay away" I'm in my p'jamas lipsynching to Beastie Boys in the backyard at 2 in the afternoon kind of person.
Rare earth magnets were the answer.
These have worked so well for me that I used them again for the doors of my modern chicken coop. You can get the same Rare Earth magnet sets I used here on Amazon or from Lee Valley Tools.
Table of Contents
Installing a Magnetic Latch
Materials
- Drill
- Forstner Drill Bit
- Rare earth magnet set
- Scraps of wood
A Forstner Drill Bit
(In the same size as the magnet you have)
A Forstner drill bit will drill a cup with a flat bottom into wood. Don't worry if you don't have this type of bit. Neither did I. You do need one for this project but they aren't a speciality thing. You can get one from any local hardware store or you can buy a kit with 8 sizes on Amazon.
Rare Earth Magnets
Magnet, cup and washer set. (I used a 1" set)
The magnetic cup holds the magnet in place, while the washer is what is used opposite the magnet to attract it and hold the gate closed.
Installing a Rare Earth Magnet
- Cut the scraps of wood to the size you need depending on the width of your magnets. I cut my scraps to 5 inches long X 2 inches wide. The depth of the wood is ⅝ths of an inch.
- Drill your cup hole over to one side of the piece of wood. Not too close to the edge that it might splinter and break. - to make this easier mark the depth of your magnet cup onto the drill bit with a Sharpie.
- Drop the magnet cup into the hole and screw it in place.
- Slide your magnet into the cup being careful not to pinch your fingers.
REMINDER - Watch your fingers ... these magnets are strong and they bite.
Now you have to head outside with your drill, your block of wood and your washer.
5. Screw the block of wood with the magnet on it to your fence (not the gate) aligning it with the top of your gate.
6. Now screw the washer to the actual gate. Line it up so it aligns with the Rare Earth Magnet. I actually set mine off to the side a bit, so only ¾'s of the washer is touching the magnet. I did this because the magnets are so strong I couldn't even open it with the magnets at full contact.
When the gate is closed, from the outside it'll look like this. You'll see the little block of wood.
And from the other side it'll look like this. Completely invisible.
If you have an arbour, or some other weirdness with your fence, you may have to play around with this general technique to get it to work for you. For instance, on one gate in my backyard, I had to use a block of wood as opposed to a strip because of the way the structure was. No big whoop. Adapt and overcome.
The basics are the same. Screw a cup hole into a block of wood as opposed to a strip of wood and attach that to your fence.
Again, the reason for all of this (which seems like a lot of work but really isn't) is so you don't have to have ugly gate latches ruining your nice fence. Big hideous bolts and medieval looking handles that would imply a fair maiden lives here.
As an added bonus, you can push your gate open and kick it closed with your foot if you're carrying stuff and both your hands are full.
An Invisible Magnetic Gate Latch.
Make a sleek gate by using modern cupboard handles and this almost invisible magnetic gate latch.
Materials
- Rare Earth Magnets, magnet, cup and washer set. (I used a 1″ set)
- Scraps of wood that match your fence.
Tools
- Drill
- Forstner Drill bit (in the same size of magnet you have)
Instructions
- Cut the scraps of wood to the size you need depending on the width of your magnets. I cut my scraps to 5 inches long X 2 inches wide. The depth of the wood is ⅝ths of an inch. This is to accommodate 1" magnets.
- Drill your cup hole. Place it towards the edge of the wood not in the centre. To make it easier to know how deep to drill, mark the depth of your magnet cup onto the drill bit with a Sharpie.
- Drop the magnet cup into the hole and screw it in place.
- Slide your magnet into the cup being careful not to pinch your fingers.
- Screw the block of wood with the magnet on it to your fence (not the gate) aligning it with the top of your gate.
- Now screw the washer to the actual gate. Line it up so it aligns with the Rare Earth Magnet. I actually set mine off to the side a bit, so only ¾’s of the washer is touching the magnet. I did this because the magnets are so strong I couldn’t even open it with the magnets at full contact.
- Test the gate and if it holds, you're done!
Worried about the kids getting out? Don't. It'll do them some good to wander out into the big, bad world. Builds character. Plus it'll give you a break for that half hour before you panic and realize they're gone.
Oh, you like the kids?? O.K. Sorry. You still don't need to worry about the kids. The magnets are actually so strong that young kids can't push or pull the gates open. Sometimes Betty has trouble pushing or pulling the gate open. Which is fine by me. She doesn't need to see me dancing to Beastie Boys in my p'jamas.
Not for free anyway. I could charge for that kind of high level entertainment.
Great idea! I'm interested in using this for my new fence gates. You mentioned that you had to offset the washer and it's still quite hard to open. What do you think about a 1/2" size, to make it a bit easier? I don't mind visitors.
Hi Dustin. You could. I'd still use the larger size and offset it. The larger magnet just allows for more wiggle room if the post or gate ever sags. ~ karen!
I’m building a fence with a few gates right now and I LOVE this idea!! Do you think this idea would work with a double gate across a driveway? And if so, might you have ideas about the best way to go about it? Thank you so much!
Superb Karen. I live in the UK and was looking at buying the magnetic latch from DD Technologies but the price was exorbitant. Your solution is so practical and simple to do. Thanks for sharing
That's great! You're welcome John. ~ karen!
I'm a little confused. I know this is an older post and maybe things have changed, but when I click on your Amazon link it takes me to magnets that are 1.26" in diameter.
Hi Beth. That sometimes happens with Amazon. If it's out of or no longer selling the product I recommend, it shows the closest one possible. Try searching Amazon yourself for 1" and see if anything comes up. If not, I'd try Lee Valley. ~ karen!
Thanks Karen. I'm one of the (usually) silent lurkers who read your blog. I love it, it's actually the only blog I follow. Thanks and keep it up, you're my hero.
Well thanks Beth! (for coming out of hiding and the compliment) ~ karen!
This post is how I found your blog when I was redoing my fence in 2014! I have a corner lot, with a gate that opens to the street, at the top of a few steps. It is my main entrance to the house also, as the driveway is at the back. I was searching for a way to easily open the gate with my hands full, and here it was - a gentle knee bump does the trick! And as a bonus, it acts as a lock also, because no one can figure out how to open the gate when they go reaching for a non-existent latch! I have learned so many other tricks and tips from you over the years, too! Thanks, Karen!
You're welcome! ~ karen
Brilliant! I love this simple, minimalist solution!
I love rare earth magnets. They are so handy to keep around. I did not want to put curtain hardware on my steel garage "people door" (as opposed to the overhead door),so I used Lee Valley's rare earth magnets to attach nice, garage-worthy oil cloth "curtains" to hold them on the door frame over the window. (The door came with the house - don't think I would bother putting in a steel door and a deadbolt lock and then pick one with a big window in it. People can see right into your garage to decide if they want to break the window to steal anything. But the steel made this magnet thing easy!)
These magnets are the bomb! My 1950’s era house has steel siding with a patio off the back. One summer I decided to make it a little bohemian room and hung white netting panels from Ikea. It also helps keep the bugs down a bit when all the panels are down. Command strips wouldn’t hold because the siding is textured to look like wood, and the support poles on the awning are round, but it’s all steel, not aluminum! That means they’re magnetic! I ran to the hardware store and bought a set of these, perfect solution! At the end of the season the get put away. No marring of the siding, no remnants of them ever being there.
Hey Karen,
I am not sure if this is the right time to comment on this thread. But, I really wanted to salute you on this genius idea and sharing for invisible gate latch.
Thanks
Your blog is my new favorite read on the internet. Who needs social networking for entertainment, when I can just come here and laugh and learn at the same time? !
Thank you for your tips, tricks, and wit.
Hi Beth! You're welcome and welcome to my site! ~ karen
What a great idea, we're building a horizontal fence and love the magnet closure idea. What is the pull rating on the 1" magnet you used?
Um ... I have no idea, lol. All I can tell you is it's a really strong magnet and it's difficult (but not too hard for a grown adult) to open. Kids have trouble pushing the gate open for sure. ~ karen!
My current gate needs to be rebuilt. The current gate is extremely wide and that makes it too heavy. I was thinking of a gate that opens like French doors. Could I use the magnet closure with something like that. Since I have a pool, I need to have it lockable. Any suggestions?
Years ago i used earth magnets on the kitchen cabinets to keep the german shepard out of them but never thought of using it for a fence gate. Thanks that ugly auto locking latch with the pull cable is going in the trash!
And I never would have thought of using them in the kitchen, lol. ~ karen!
you giuys make it seem so easy lol i couldnt do it i had to call the experts After moving into my new home in North Palm Beach, the last item on my list of projects was the fence. I got six different quotes and chose Fence Crafters not just because they were affordable but also I got a good vibe from them during the bids process. My gut feeling paid off. Their team completed my fence professionally, efficiently and affordably. I would highly recommend this company for any fence job, large or small.
Hi Karen,
I got my contractor to do a similar thing to yours but it didn't look anything close to yours from the back side. In fact, the way he did mine it looks like a wall and it is so unappealing. The front looks a bit similar to yours but on the back what he did was put a piece of wood diagonally on the back so you can grasp it and push the gate open. Completely pointless when I was going to install gate hardware with a latch. I wanted the back to look like the front but I didn't get that. He also used the green pressure treated wood which is also so unappealing especially when you can now get brown pressure treated wood.
Do you have a blog on how you made your gate? Thanks!
Hi Karen,
I was wondering if you could give an update of how this has stood the test of time? I love the idea and wonder if it's a good long-term solution?
thanks!
Hi Jana. I see you work for a website dedicated to gate hardware etc. Nice stuff. The rare earth magnets are many years old and still going strong. They're perfect. No problems or issues at all. ~ karen!
Hi Karen,
Thanks for the quick reply! Yes, we have a gate hardware company where ugly stuff is not allowed! :) I've been referring people to your project for years when a 'typical' gate latch won't work for their installation. I'm ready to try it here on a test gate! It's such an elegant solution. Really glad to hear they've held up. I'm going to order some magnets in!
Best,
Jana
Awesome idea. Magnets are going to be my new thing. How strong is the magnet you used? I know you can get them from 5lbs to 100lbs
love the science of magnetism. admire" out of the box". thinking. KUGW.
whoah this weblog is wonderful i like reading your posts.
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Thanks so much Karen. I even considered some of the modern grab bars that you would put in a shower! It seems there are so few contemporary/modern styles to choose from - most of the gate hardware I have found has that medieval look!
You're very welcome. :) ~ karen!
Where did you find the black door pull? I like that solid square look. I've looked so many places trying to find something that size and shape.
Hi Cathy. The key to any successful search for a gate handle is NOT looking in the gate hardware aisle of the hardware store, lol. These particular pulls are cabinet handles from Ikea. They're wood. I don't think they carry these exact ones anymore but might have similar. Also try Lee Valley. ~ karen!