Help & Advice

Some of the factors you need to consider for choosing an electric gate kit are:

Opening type – is it a swing gate or a sliding gate?

Width and weight – the leaf width of the gate and the weight are what the manufacturers use to set their operating limits so you will need to know these.

Closed boarded or open pattern – If your gate is made of a solid material (timber clad for example) and you cannot see through it or the large majority of it then you need a much more powerful motor.

Underground or arm motors – For swing gates you have the option of underground gate motors which are nearly invisible or arm actuators which are mounted to the back of your gates.

Both types of gate consist of a single leaf and open and close horizontally across the opening.

A sliding gate has a length of toothed racking along the bottom of the gate which slots in to the motor which works as a gear mechanism to power the gate in either direction. The single motor is placed to one side of the gate and is a neat and tidy solution. Grooved wheels are positioned under the gate at intervals (hidden for the most part in a steel box section) which run along a track to keep the gate travelling in the correct direction.

Groundwork is required to lay grooved tracking across your driveway.

A cantilever gate is suspended above the driveway by creating an overhang at the end with the motor. A concrete pad is set in to the ground at the side of the gate, the motor is attached here and is the only groundworks required for installation. The size of the pad will be calculated based upon the weight and width of your gate.

The motor powers from one end and a heavy duty cantilever carriage (hidden from view in box section beneath the gate) allow the gate to move accurately across.

The physical design of a cantilever gate is different to a normal sliding gate to accommodate an overhang for the cantilever – again, this is calculated by the weight and width of your original gate design. For this reason, you cannot retro-fit a cantilever system to an original sliding gate.

Once installed, the concrete is easily distinguishable and your gate will just hover above your driveway as it opens and closes. Altogether, it’s a quieter and more graceful solution to a sliding gate.

This depends on the layout of your driveway and the actual space available to you.

With standard swing gates you need to have the space on your driveway to fit your car, manoeuvre and for the gates to be able to open and close fully without hitting anything!

If space is at a premium but you have horizontal space to either side of your entrance then a sliding gate is probably the best solution as it takes up no space on your driveway. You must have enough space to one side of the entrance for the gate to open fully in to in a straight line so if you have a straight wall at the front of your property then this would be perfect.

If you are unsure if either of these options would work in your particular space then get in touch with us, we can make sure you have got the right equipment for your install and the best solution for your home.