Tried using composite shims on a gate install in Denver and learned a hard lesson

I was hanging a heavy cedar gate on a slope last Tuesday and used those plastic composite shims to level the hinges. They crushed down about an eighth of an inch under the weight after two days and the whole gate sagged. Anyone else had shims fail on them like that or do you stick with metal ones?

3 comments

3 Comments

sanchez.ivan18d ago

Ngl, plastic shims are just not meant for that kind of weight.

sagejackson17d ago

Actually the issue with plastic shims isn't usually tensile strength, it's compressive creep. They'll squish and flatten out under load over time, not snap or break.

wesley63917d ago

Read an article from a materials engineer a while back that broke down the tensile strength of different shim materials. Plastic ones just start creeping under heavy loads, especially if there's any heat or moisture involved. They basically deform over time instead of holding their shape.