A friend has just had her driveway widened. It needs a gate or rather 2 gates as a 5 bar will be too small. They live on a narrow winding lane, thus the need for the width to do a decent turn to get out. The gates are needed for security.
Also there isn't much room to open and shut one big gate, so two will probably be the answer. Can she get sliding gates and if so what type is best please?
Any ideas?
Thinking outside the box, was the current gate is wide enough, for cars etc? could they extend the garden wall a bit (either side or both sides) rather than fitting a super long/wide gate?
I pictogram might help... sliding electric gates are great and all, but, $$$$$$$$$ when you add on sensors, and security key pads, radio fobs etc.
The gates are needed for security.
My initial thoughts is security of what, because a gate is not going to stop anyone from coming in or going out.
Unless you mean security for a pet (i.e. Keeping it off the road) but that's solved with a bit of training.
We're on a country road and have a 5 bar gate across the driveway (set back 10m so the entrance can splay out) - in 23 years we've almost never had the gate closed... Never been burgled and never had a dog go beyond the gate posts unaccompanied.
Anyway, electric or manual?
My feeling is that running power to the gate post and having a beam across the driveway that switches on all the outside lights might be more of a deterrent than a gate.
Edit: and don't forget that a sliding gate needs somewhere to slide into when it opens.
Bi-folding gates in either steel or wood.
Manual will work okay. Gate opening/closing on a narrow lane could become a pain, so allow space to get fully off the road while opening/closing.
Rain will be a trial; they'll either be left open or get automated
Smaller gates put less strain on the hanging post.
Sliders take quite a bit of space, even more if you want it to look neat.
If they can set the gate back it won't need to be so big and will give space to open/shut gates without stopping in the road.
All depends on space, layout and requirements really.
I bought new gates a year and a half ago from timber gates.co.uk. Our front garden has a 7ft (and a bit) wide gap but is not for vehicles (garage is down the side) so I got two 3' 6" 6 bar gates. 2 gates with a throw over loop between the two works well and is easy to open and close.
The gates are made in Helmsley and we went to the sawmill to pick them up. It's a part of JT Atkinson builder merchants so you can also buy the same through them.
My initial thoughts is security of what, because a gate is not going to stop anyone from coming in or going out.
Unless you mean security for a pet (i.e. Keeping it off the road) but that's solved with a bit of training.
Maybe not someone on foot, but it will stop someone from driving onto your property and taking anything they can lay their hands on, plus it’s added security for any dogs that might be on the property.
A friend of mine has a property situated on the Fosseway, not far from Castle Combe, which has a large garden, and a driveway with a large gate that’s now got an automatic opening/closing system, because her home is also a hotel, so visitors need to be able to come and go, when she’s there, but when she isn’t, the gate can be locked for security.
She also has a dog, who is trained, but no matter how well you think your dog is trained, they can be distracted and if the owner is in the house, they have no idea what might suddenly attract the animals attention and it run off after whatever they saw.
If I turn up at the small front gate, and Albi’s around, he’ll come tearing out to see me, to throw his ball for him!
Maybe not someone on foot, but it will stop someone from driving onto your property
This is why I asked (I missed sharkbait asking earlier because Font Colour). If it's to prevent vehicular access, a pop-up bollard or two will do that.
The security is needed as they are quite rural and open to easily getting around the back of the house. A gate is just the same as a farmer for his field.
Needed for security (presumably for cars being nicked) but gates awkward .... Bollards !!
A gate is just the same as a farmer for his field.
Farmers usually use gates to keep livestock in and not people out - they're not exactly secure 😉
Anyways putting aside the fact that, being rural, it's probably very easy for someone to access the house other than going through the drive, these are my thoughts:
Twin gates are pretty good - we had them at our old house but never really used them as it was a PITA opening and closing them all the time. Twin gates that do not match height-wise when closed make my teeth itch!
Do that have room to move the gate further into the driveway*? Doing this would then require a smaller gate and allow the car to pull [more] off the road before having to get out and open the gate.
* I'm guessing not but thought I'd check
Electric gates get rid of some hassle and are usually fitted to twin gates I think. A few of our friends have them and generally there always seems to be an issue with them when it's windy .... but they all have solid gates, barred gates might be better.
Obvs they would need power running to the gate posts and there's a significant cost involved.
Not sure if you can get manual sliding gates - probs - but they need space to slide into and I have no idea if there's an issue with the track they run in getting full of leaves, stones, soil, etc.
Sliders don't need tracks.
I've got a 4m cantilever slider for similar reasons to the op rural and careless delivery drivers using our old open gate to turn smashing the wall and the gate on occasion. And to keep the kids off the road.
Least I've not had any more cheeky buggers try to uplift my cars during the day......
Yes they can come in other ways but If they want it that bad the insurance can sort it....
Sliding gate at least gets used unlike the old twin leafs
I'm about 1200 quid into the gate Inc faac motor and safety gear. Steel frame I built and painted with raptor. The 2cube of concrete for the counter weight I mixed in a morning with a mixer off marketplace. Trades man's quotes were 5 figures.
Our old house had gateposts (which we didn't hang gates on) and a drive that sloped down to the gateway. The new owners wanted gates which open inwards so they had cranked hinges fitted which tilt the gate as it opens. They look absolutely hideous. When they're closed it's bad enough but when they're open (which they usually are it's like somebody's trying to recreate the Crooked House pub.
This is what you need 🙂
The security is needed as they are quite rural and open to easily getting around the back of the house. A gate is just the same as a farmer for his field.
Far as I'm aware, cows aren't known for their climbing ability. 😁
I'm not being contrary, rather a "security gate" is a different ask from "a gate." Is it going to be between 10' high walls? The original solution of a five-bar gate as per your OP will keep out vehicles (and livestock), but anyone with a wont to 'get around the back of the house' will easily vault it. If the goal is simply to dissuade casual / lost 'visitors' from strolling in thinking it's public access then (what I did is) just string a chain across it.
This is what you need
Good idea, could do with a bit more damping on the opening mechanism though...
Sliders don't need tracks.
Every day's a school day! (The one I saw had a track so presumed that was how they worked.)
Some do but not all
We've got gates from Helmsley sawmill 20 years ago. Still fine.I bought new gates a year and a half ago from timber gates.co.uk. Our front garden has a 7ft (and a bit) wide gap but is not for vehicles (garage is down the side) so I got two 3' 6" 6 bar gates. 2 gates with a throw over loop between the two works well and is easy to open and close.
The gates are made in Helmsley and we went to the sawmill to pick them up. It's a part of JT Atkinson builder merchants so you can also buy the same through them.
Thanks for the replies. My friend has a campervan by this entrance. Also their garden looks like a field, which may be tempting to just wander into when the van isn't there. There are cows in the next field, but it would be highly unlikely that they would escape, however it's not impossible.
Farmers usually use gates to keep livestock in and not people out - they're not exactly secure 😉
Depends how rusted the gate is and how much baling string has been applied you can make a gate which is both impossible open and ****ing dangerous to climb.
If space is tight, a rising arm barrier might be an option
My initial thoughts is security of what, because a gate is not going to stop anyone from coming in or going out.
I think there's a psychological impact. A gate won't stop a determined thief, but it may prevent the sort of speculative wandering up the side of the house thing particularly if it's padlocked shut and it's reasonably high. I realise that on STW 'security' = Alcatraz-style high walls, barbed wires and search-lights and if you're not prepared to fit all those, it's useless, but I think it's a bit more nuanced than that.
As far as the actual gates go, we looked at all sorts of creative solutions, but ultimately simple, inward-opening double gates just worked for us. I guess if it's a really wide space, some sort of folding gate might be worth considering.
I think there's a psychological impact. A gate won't stop a determined thief, but it may prevent the sort of speculative wandering up the side of the house thing particularly if it's padlocked shut and it's reasonably high
We have an old metal five bar gate at the end of our drive. Mrs Kilo mused on getting a nice wooden one to replace it but changed her mind when the farmer we bought the house off said if you get an expensive gate people will thing there's something worth stealing behind it.
A gate won't stop a determined thief, but it may prevent the sort of speculative wandering up the side of the house thing particularly if it's padlocked shut and it's reasonably high.
=
the farmer we bought the house off said if you get an expensive gate people will thing there's something worth stealing behind it.
And padlocking the gate [let alone opening and closing it] gets old really quickly
Opened this thread expecting it to be another one about the latest Giant Anthem, am surprised.