Sliding gates are replacing the double hinged gates as they are more practical as well as they are more convenient. Double hinged gates take a lot of room as well as they are not very practical when one has extra vehicles which are in the driveway. Sliding gates slide with the help of wheels. They slide from left to right or right to left.
- Sliding gates need to be supported with posts but they can also be fitted into walls that are existing. However, for a sliding gate to be installed, one needs to ensure that there is space enough equal to the driveway width as well as a little extra as the gate when opened needs to have enough space to slide into.
- These sliding gates have various parts. They are the gate, the track on which the gate has to move, wheels, guiding rollers as well as latches which are used to keep the gate closed.
Automated sliding gates are convenient to operate even from the vehicle or inside the home.
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| Sliding Glass Gate |
Types of Sliding Gates
There are various types of sliding gates. They are the V track, Rear pipe track as well as the Cantilever.
- V Track Sliding Gates:
These gates are most commonly used and they have an electric gate opener. However, these need to be cleared of debris especially the V track. These are not advisable especially when there is a lot of snow or ice.
- Rear Pipe Track Sliding Gates
These sliding gates are fitted with two wheels that are on pipes and these are added to the fence panels. The front part of the gate has an assembly of a wheel carriage which consists of a V track wheel as well as a rubber wheel.
- Cantilever Sliding Gates
These are used when there is a lot of snow or ice being built up. These gates are not fitted with wheels on the ground. However, the vertical post which is on one side of the gate has wheels. The gate fits between these wheels and the gate needs to be pulled or pushed to be opened or closed.
Cantilever gates are of different types including:
- Full cantilever gates
- Top hang cantilever gates
- Bottom track cantilever gates
The disadvantage of these gates is that it requires at least one and a half times the width of the driveway.
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| Sliding Security Gate |
Factors when Installing a Sliding Gate
There are several factors one should consider while installing a sliding gate. The factors are listed below:
A) There should be sufficient space near the driveway so that the gate can slide back when it is opened.
B) 240V power should be installed or else a low voltage system should be installed or else it can be powered with solar energy.
C) There should be battery backup incase of blackouts or power outages.
D) Incase the ground is not level then extra energy could be needed while operating the gate.
E) As per the weight of the gate and friction of the gate, appropriate power has to be given to operate the gate.
Sliding gates with metal frames are more advantageous as they do not warp.
The different choices offered for sliding gates are:
Material: The material can either be made of wood or it could be of metal.
Operation: The gates can be operated either manually or automatically.
Apart from these factors, one must also remember that sliding gates can be designed as per the customer’s requirement, and for automatic door opening, they can use remotes, keypad entry or sensors.
