Automatic Gates and Access Systems

What You Need To Consider Before Doing A Gate Project

There is an old saying in the fence industry that "gate rhymes with hate for a reason."  A fence should be straight forward point A to Z.  A gate has moving parts and needs the right set of conditions to work properly and for the long term.  Please take the time to think about all of these factors.  This applies to gates built in Augusta or any other geographic area.

You must have a metal frame for any gate that requires automation.   Technically you can put an operator arm on a 10' double drive gate directly onto a common wood or vinyl gate.  But we strongly don't recommend it.  Over time that operator arm is going to either pull the wood or vinyl frame apart.  Or the screws will eventually strip.  INSTEAD, start with a metal frame.  Obviously if you are doing a custom aluminum, steel, chain link, or wrought iron gate, then the gate itself will be metal so it is less of an issue.  But you could still consider adding some plate support or a stronger frame where the arm attaches.  If you are doing a privacy wood or vinyl gate, then you should have a frame built of metal and the fill can be pickets or vinyl.  Yes, it costs more up front, but you won't be fighting warping or failure a few months down the line.

Do you have power or you need a solar setup?  Most residential automatic gate systems run off a battery that is constantly charged by a 120 volt outlet (the same power setup your home already uses).  So as long as you have an open breaker then we can add a new outlet for your gate.  Or if you have an open outlet in your garage or near the gate then we can plug directly into that.  That is what we typically recommend.  If local power isn't close by then we can do a solar powered gate.  These run great and mostly seen at farm and other rural sites.  Even if you lose power or don't have enough sunlight, the battery that powers the gate can still function for a few days on its own.  There is also a manual release if needed too.  So the gate should never trap you.  But do consider what your power source will be when deciding on where to place your gate.

Which way do you want the gate to swing?  Or more importantly, which way will your driveway ALLOW the gate to swing.  A gate can't swing up hill; a gate can't slide up hill, and a gate can't open into a solid object.  These sound like simple concepts (and they are) but we have seen many gate projects have to get scrapped because they simply weren't possible.  Also consider how the wide the gate will swing towards traffic.  If you drive a truck and frequently tow a trailer, then you need a long pathway leading up to the gate opening so you aren't hanging in traffic while the gate operates.  If you only have a 10' opening between the side of your house and another impediment, you probably can't get more than a 9' opening.  A gate post is normally 4".  There is hardware (hinges) to consider).  And the gate needs a pivot point.  Don't pay a lot of money for a gate that is instantly obsolete because the opening is too tight.

Consider the left to right slope of your driveway.  This is probably the most over-looked detail that is rarely considered.  Whether it is perceptible or not, we can guarantee you that almost any 10' span is not totally flat.  We install our gates to be completely bubble level over the entire span of the gate.  Meaning from hinge post to latch post, the gate is going to be totally bubble level at the top and bottom of the gate.  This level stretch will create a gap under the gate.  Sometimes the gap is a couple inches, sometimes it is significantly bigger and that creates problems.  You don't want to install a security gate a person can crawl under and you don't want a nice aluminum gate for your dog that it walk right under.  We can identify the approximate expected gap while on site with you.  But if a small gap is extremely important then you might need to alter the slope of your driveway (which is easier than you might think).

Do you need masonry work?  We can build stone, brick, and block columns.  We have seen loads of jobs get messed up because someone hired an electrician, mason, and fence contractor all for one gate project.  We can handle all facets from start to finish.  Setting the opening is extremely important to a gate project going smoothly.  Let's be sure we are all on the same page before you hire us to install a custom gate that your masonry contractor made obsolete because his columns are an 1" too close or there is no longer room to set a proper footing.

What type of controls do you need?  Every electric gate we install comes with three fobs aka clickers to open an close the gate.  We can easily add key pads and exit/entrance sensors (also called loops).  We can do cell phone entry and other wireless entry.  We can add cameras and monitoring.  Key pads and loops are simple and inexpensive add-ons.  Upgraded functionality isn't always cost-prohibitive, but it is something we need to know from the beginning of the process.  Different systems have different capabilities.  Not everything can be upgraded.

Not All Custom Gates Are Automated or Driveway Gates

The industry term is an access system.  Some of the most common applications we see are fobs to get access to community pools, turnstiles into large parking lots or secure areas, and fobs for interior cages at warehouses.  Those are all pretty basic systems that we can easily install.  Some more complicated systems are point of entry call boxes with RFID capabilities.  When doing large systems that multiple people are going to use, it is important to consider future full capacity uses as well as maintenance.  Just be sure you are selecting a system that can grow with you and consider who will manage updates and additions (if it is someone besides us).