So, you’ve decided you want a set of electric gates for your property. That’s great, though we do say so ourselves – there are all sorts of benefits to installing electric gates, both for private and commercial properties. If you’ve never bought any before though, the process can sometimes seem quite daunting right from the off. Happily, that’s where we come in here at Gate Auto – our mission is to make the entire process as simple and straightforward for you as we can.
Now, we should establish something right of the bat – when it comes to electric gate kits, you’ll need to get it installed by a professional. It’s very much not a DIY job, even if someone else tell you so! A professional installation solves a lot of issues before they have a chance to arise – it’ll be faster and more efficient for starters, and a lot safer too. You won’t need to worry about poring over specifications or double-checking certain elements – we’ve been trading for more than 30 years, so you can have complete peace of mind we do not supply substandard products.
Once you’ve sorted out the obvious (your budget), you’ll then need to have a think about…
Regulations and planning permission
This is a good one to start off with before doing any kind of home renovation to be honest, up to and including installing electric gate kits. If you’re not careful and you accidentally breach any building regulations, local authorities may even end up ordering you to take down your new renovations. That can be hugely expensive several times over, so definitely take the time to check – and don’t forget that regulations can vary between different areas.
Check that you have an appropriate power source available
You probably don’t need to be an expert in gate automation to know that powering the gate is another fairly vital prerequisite. Most of the time this will be your mains power supply, but depending on the type of area you’re working with, you may have other alternatives to hand. Either way, it’s something our engineers will need to know about as soon as possible, just to make sure that your gates will have access to all the energy they’ll need to properly function.
The type of gate you want
Ah yes – this is one of the biggest decisions! The type you choose will determine weight of the gate leaf, the length of the gate, and the material of the gate. There are all sorts of options to choose from, including swing gates, sliding gates, and telescopic gates. The type that’s best suited to your property will depend on a number of factors. To some extent it’s up to personal preference – you might pick a certain style of gate because it fits in with the aesthetics of your home or business, for example.
Mot of it, though, will be governed by practicality. Some might be better suited to the application you have in mind for them (such as increasing security for your premises, or preventing unauthorised parking), and they might also be influenced by the specifics of the space you’re working with – cantilever gates and sliding gates are often used when traditional swing gates aren’t a practical option.
Safety
As we’ve touched on above, obviously anything we supply here at Gate Auto will adhere to very strict safety standards as a bare minimum. But when you come to buy them, our team can also talk you through any additional elements we may recommend, such as safety edges. We can also talk you through any crucial knowledge that you or anyone else (whether that’s your family, or your staff) might need to operate them safely. That includes talking about the emergency release for example, and what you’ll need to know about that.
Maintenance
Even the best electric gate kits need regular service and maintenance to make sure they continue working at peak performance throughout their operational lifetime. Generally we’d recommend scheduling regular preventative maintenance to catch any issues before they develop into serious (and expensive) problems. The frequency of the maintenance is generally about once a year, but it does depend to some extent on how often the gate will be used.
The main thing with maintenance is to get yourself up to speed on some of the most common problems that gate can have, which can save you money on unnecessary and expensive callouts. For example, if your gates aren’t moving, it’s always a good idea to first check that nothing is blocking the sensors!
Security and access control
If you’re primarily buying your gates for security, then you’ll probably want to have a think about methods of access control, such as code access, and remote locking and similar mechanisms. Today here at Gate Auto, we provide a huge range of options for access control, some of them quite sophisticated – you can even control your gates from your phone for example, which is handy if you need to let someone in and you’re far away from home!
Now, this isn’t an exhaustive overview of everything you’ll need to know – but it’s a pretty good start. If you have any further questions or need further clarification, don’t hesitate to ask our team here at Gate Auto. For over 30 years here at Gate Auto we have been supplying and fitting high-quality gate automation. We provide a wide range of electric gate kits, garage door openers and many more accessories, so you can get the most out of your gates. Feel free to browse our ranges right here on our site or give us a call on 01282 677300!
