Electric Gates

[Tommy T.]

@RobH, could you please tell me about your electric gates? As we build our house, electric gate(s) is on my wish list. I have seen a really nice sliding electric gate just down the road from here - looks good, is very quiet. I am pondering swinging or sliding gate? It will not be huge - just enough for one car. I would appreciate any information you might share, including photos?

Edited November 21, 2019 by Tommy T.

[OnMyWay]

I'm interested in this topic as well but I don't any info.  I like the sliding type if you have room.

[Tommy T.]

1 minute ago, OnMyWay said:

I'm interested in this topic as well but I don't any info.  I like the sliding type if you have room.

Yeah, I prefer sliding gate so that it won't interfere with traffic (when there will be some in the future) and they look good. But I wonder about them jamming due to dirt or rocks? And also, how difficult would it be to open one manually in case of power outage? We've got the room for a slider. According to the contractor, the gate itself would cost the same to us either way.

[OnMyWay]

12 minutes ago, Tommy T. said:

Yeah, I prefer sliding gate so that it won't interfere with traffic (when there will be some in the future) and they look good. But I wonder about them jamming due to dirt or rocks? And also, how difficult would it be to open one manually in case of power outage? We've got the room for a slider. According to the contractor, the gate itself would cost the same to us either way.

A slider will need to be on a concrete footer for the entire slide area so I don't think jamming due to dirt and rocks will be a huge problem.  If is adjacent to dirt or gravel, you probably need to clean and oil it more often.  Will you have a concrete driveway?

[RobH]

We have just had the gates replaced with stainless steel ones. The original gates were mild steel box section, they were rusting from the inside, no protection inside. they were about 3 years old. The gates open inwards and are wide enough to get a truck through. there is a side gate as well but not electric, no one uses it. We can open the gates if there's a brownout with a key thats like an old fashioned clock winder. the cost for the 3 gates was 35000 fitted. The pivots had to be changed for pillow blocks. I have no knowledge of the sliding type. I didn't fancy having to fit the guide rails at the top and bottom. There is enough room here for inward opening gates. Our regular guy did the making and fitting.they are not fancy in any way. top and bottom rails 4 x 2 and square, vertical tubes 2 inch square 4 inches apart, 1.5mm thick stainless tube. So you get a good view through them.

[Tommy T.]

1 minute ago, OnMyWay said:

A slider will need to be on a concrete footer for the entire slide area so I don't think jamming due to dirt and rocks will be a huge problem.  If is adjacent to dirt or gravel, you probably need to clean and oil it more often.  Will you have a concrete driveway?

I see... I know nothing about these.

Initially the driveway will be just gravel with a small concrete "speed bump" right across the entrance to minimize any water run-off from entering the property. I am sure we can have them make that strip a bit wider to accommodate the slide area. The plan is to have grass in the area behind the gate where there won't be gravel. The gate would slide behind the "human" gate which will also have that concrete hump that could also be expanded. So I think a concrete footer should easily work? Maybe, if finances permit, a concrete walkway and driveway/parking pad can be made in the future? There is, unfortunately, a growing list of "maybe in the future if finances permit" projects and dreams...

[Tommy T.]

1 minute ago, RobH said:

We have just had the gates replaced with stainless steel ones. The original gates were mild steel box section, they were rusting from the inside, no protection inside. they were about 3 years old. The gates open inwards and are wide enough to get a truck through. there is a side gate as well but not electric, no one uses it. We can open the gates if there's a brownout with a key thats like an old fashioned clock winder. the cost for the 3 gates was 35000 fitted. The pivots had to be changed for pillow blocks. I have no knowledge of the sliding type. I didn't fancy having to fit the guide rails at the top and bottom. There is enough room here for inward opening gates. Our regular guy did the making and fitting.they are not fancy in any way. top and bottom rails 4 x 2 and square, vertical tubes 2 inch square 4 inches apart, 1.5mm thick stainless tube. So you get a good view through them.

That seems like a very reasonable price for stainless gates. Did that include the motors and all? If you could, sometime, I would love to see a photo or two of the pillowblocks and motors and hardware for that? I am not stuck on the idea of the sliding gate, but the idea just appeals to me.

I am thinking that a single gate might work since this will only be for one car? Is that reasonable or do you think it would be better to have double gates? I will have to check measurements about whether there will be room for a single gate to swing inward - which would be my preference also.

[scott h]

2 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

electric gates?

Make sure there is a hotel nearby in case of brown outs 

[Marvin Boggs]

I kind of fancy this type, since it would not require mechanisms or tracks built into the ground.  Looks like it would work fine on just a concrete strip.  Not as pretty as a normal gate though.  

 

[Tommy T.]

12 minutes ago, Marvin Boggs said:

I kind of fancy this type, since it would not require mechanisms or tracks built into the ground.  Looks like it would work fine on just a concrete strip.  Not as pretty as a normal gate though.  

 

You are right that it is a bit ugly. I think, looking at it, that a person could easily climb over it and that is a consideration too. Sure if someone is truly determined, he can climb just about anything. We just want to make most would-be thieves have to work a bit harder for that.

But thanks for the idea!