3 Things To Think About Before Installing A New Gate
If you are planning on installing a new fence, you need to think carefully about how you want it set up. Here are a few things you need to think through before installing a new gate.
Locating
The location of your gate is very important. You need your gate to be far enough back on your property so that you have room in any vehicle you are driving to pull into your driveway and leave the road while waiting for the gate to open. If you ever pull a trailer with your vehicles, you'll want to make sure there is enough room for your trailer and vehicle to exit the road safely while you wait for the gate to open.
Additionally, you'll also want to map out how your gate will open and see if there are any obstacles that will get in the way of your gate, such as fences, trees, bushes or sheds. If there is, you'll have to arrange for their removal before proceeding with the installation of your new gate.
Gate Movement
Next, you need to decide how you want your gate to open. If you have the space for it, you can have your gate swing either outward or inward. This option works best if you have enough room to safely pull off the road and allow the gate to open; this option is not suited for short driveways without a lot of extra room to work with.
Another option is to install a gate that slides open. A sliding gate does not require the same driveway space as a swinging gate. However, your property does need to be long enough for the gate to fully slide. This works well for properties that have a greater width.
Gate Opener
Finally, you need you to decide how you want to open your gate. You can open your gate manually, but that will require you to get out of your car every time you need to leave or enter your driveway.
You can install a keypad for your gate. A keypad will allow you to set a specific code for entering your driveway. Many modern keypad systems also allow you to set a guest key-code that you can give out to guests.
Or you can use an opener, much like you use with your garage. Often times, you can use an opener in conjunction with a keypad if you want to combine those two options.
Before installing a new gate and hiring a contractor to do so, you need to determine where you want the gate, how you want the gate to move, and what method you want to use to open the gate. Answering these three questions will help you narrow down your options and choose a contractor, like Gates by Iron Horse Welding Inc----+*, who can install the type of gate you want.
