Can you automate gates you did not make?
Often, yes, but it has to be looked at first. Automation puts constant load through the hinges and the posts, so a gate that is already heavy on a light post will not survive being motorised, and neither will a leaf that has racked. We will come and look at what you have got, tell you honestly whether it will take an operator, and where it will not we will say so rather than fit a motor that pulls the gate apart over a winter.
Underground motors or ram arms, which is better?
It depends on the opening and the budget. Underground operators sit in a box in the ground and are almost invisible once the gates are shut, which suits a frontage where the ironwork is the point. Ram arms bolt to the post and the leaf, cost less, go in quicker and are easier to service later. Both work well when the gate is built for them, and we will tell you which one your opening actually calls for.
What happens in a power cut?
Every installation gets a manual release, so the gates can be freed and moved by hand without tools you do not have. Where being stuck in or out would be a genuine problem, a battery backup keeps the gates working through a cut, and it is worth the money on a driveway that is the only way off the property.
Can I open the gates from my phone?
Yes. App control is a normal part of what we fit now, alongside handsets, keypads and intercoms. It means letting a delivery in without going to the door, and seeing that the gates are shut when you are not there. Tell us who needs access and how, and we will spec the controls around that rather than selling you a bundle.
Are electric gates safe with children and pets?
They are when they are set up properly, and that is not optional. Photocells stop the gates closing on anything in the opening, safety edges stop them the moment they touch, and the force settings are adjusted so the gates do not push through an obstruction. Anyone who quotes automation without mentioning any of that is selling you a risk.
How much do electric gates cost?
More than manual gates, and the automation is usually a smaller share of the total than people expect. The cost sits in the gates themselves, the posts, the groundwork for the cabling and the operator type. We measure, look at where the power can come from and how the cable gets across the drive, then give you a written price for the lot rather than a headline figure that grows.
