[Shop-talk] Automatic driveway gates

Thu Feb 16 09:07:17 MST 2023

Although I have a swinging gate and do not really have room for a slider,
there are two structural issues that I see with swinging gates:

   1. The unsupported weight across the length of them. The longer the
   gate, the more weight there is at the opening and the gates will tend to
   sag over time. I actually use a rolling floor jack on the opening end and
   large c-clamps at the hinged end to "realign" the gate latch striking plate
   from time to time (every few years) as it sags out of alignment.
   2. Wind. If you have a bar or tube type gate, it is not a problem, but
   if you want to have an opaque gate, and your locale is prone to high-winds,
   then the winds potentially can cause problems with the gate opening or
   closing.

You should not have either of these problems with a sliding gate.

Sliders though are more prone to debris in the track, derailing,
etc., particularly if the drive is not paved.

On Thu, Feb 16, 2023 at 7:53 AM Jim Stone <1789alpine at gmail.com> wrote:

> Thank you for that offer, but I don’t think it is worth your time to take
> the photos, at least at this early stage.  Like I said, I have just started
> researching this.
>
> The gate has three purposes: to keep the deer out (we have a ton), to keep
> my dog in, and to hide what is in my driveway.  My property is a thru lot,
> with my shop/garage in the back.  Ours is the only house on the street that
> has the garage in the back.  I try to be sensitive to how it looks to my
> neighbors, hence the current stockade fence/gate there.   I have a pretty
> ratty looking enclosed trailer for my Alpines and, from time to time,
> random car parts sitting next to it. Stockade fencing was there when we
> bought the house and we’re going to redo it to make it a little better
> looking but still block the view.
>
> FWIW, the driveway is currently unpaved but we plan on paving it in the
> spring.  That doesn’t necessarily impact a swinging gate, but would
> probably be something to think about with a slider.
>
> Jim
>
> On Feb 16, 2023, at 9:47 AM, Pat Horne <patintexas at icloud.com> wrote:
>
> Next question I have is what is the purpose of the gate? Keep honest
> people out? Keep someone from driving through the closed gate? Keep
> livestock in/out?
>
> There are a lot of sliding gates around here, I’ll take a look at how much
> they overlap. Some are cantilevered & some have a v-wheel that rides on an
> angle iron track across the drive. Ones I recall seeing don’t overlap on
> the side the gate goes to, but there is a stationary “Y” shaped guide that
> the gate goes into. The Y is on the gate post but could just as easily be
> on the gate.
>
> I can send you some photos if you like, it would take me a few days to go
> around & get them.
>
> Peace,
> Pat
>
> Pat Horne
> We support Habitat for Humanity
>
>
> On Feb 16, 2023, at 8:36 AM, Jim Stone <1789alpine at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Thanks for all of the advice, guys.  The area between the garage and the
> gate is not all that great and I think a single swinging gate would be more
> trouble than it is worth. That said, I am starting to think that a sliding
> gate might be the way to go and I have plenty of room on one side for the
> gate to slide.  But, I know nothing about siding gates and have some
> research to do.  And, fabricating one 16’ or so frame (I gather you need
> plenty of overlap on each end) seems a lot more work than two 6.5’ ones.
> Lots to figure out, but fortunately I have time.   I’ll try to remember to
> update the list when I am done.
>
> Jim
>
>
> On Feb 13, 2023, at 10:06 PM, old dirtbeard <dirtbeard at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi Jim,
>
> My gate opening also is just over 13' and I am using a single swing gate
> with one of the GTO SW4000 XLS gate openers.
>
> This opener is rated for up to 20' gates and 1,000 lbs. It should be about
> $1,100 if you have room for a single swing gate:
>
> https://www.gatecrafters.com/product_detail_875.aspx?gclid=EAIaIQobChMInbXKjIGU_QIVQRh9Ch1cAAq7EAQYASABEgIeJvD_BwE
>
> These all run on battery with a charger that could be from 110VAC. I ran
> 110 VAC in buried conduit to the gate (I wanted AC receptacles there
> anyway) and then plugged the charger in there, but you also could run the
> low voltage cable in the ground from the charger in the garage out to the
> gate.
>
> A solar charger also would be sufficient to keep the battery charged if
> you do not want to run cable or you do not want AC out at the gate. There
> really is no need for AC at the gate unless you want it..
>
> I also am just using the remote to open and close the gate from the cars,
> garage, house, etc. There is no reason to run control wires.
>
> I can send photos if you would like.
>
> best,
>
> doug
>
>
> On Mon, Feb 13, 2023 at 6:15 PM Jim Stone <1789alpine at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> The driveway opening is just over 13’, so two 6 1/2’ gates.  The gates
>> are about 40’ from the garage and I plan on burying a section of pvc
>> conduit from the gate to the garage to run the wire and put the controls in
>> the garage.  I’ll probably use a battery backup, but our power is pretty
>> reliable and I have a back-up generator wired into the main panel (manual
>> transfer switch) so losing power wouldn’t be too big a deal.  The back is
>> pretty shaded and running wire to a sunny area for solar panel wouldn’t be
>> any easier than just running it to the garage, so I’ll probably skip that.
>> Weather-wise we are on Eastern Long Island and our climate isn’t too
>> extreme, especially compared to Michigan!
>>
>> As for a keypad, whether or not I add one will depend on when I get this
>> all done.  We’re just starting an addition to our house and contractors and
>> construction vehicles need access to the back driveway (our house is a thru
>> lot).  After that, it is pretty much just my wife and me and the main
>> entrance to the house is in the front, so guests won’t often need access to
>> the back.
>>
>> My main interest at this point is brand recommendations.  It is hard to
>> make exact comparisons, but it looks like the basic system (minus back up
>> batteries, solar panels, etc.) will run me anywhere from around $700 to
>> $2000, which is a pretty wide range.  Common, readily available brands I’ve
>> seen appear to be Mighty Mule, Ghost Controls, Topens.  Doug on this list
>> recommended a GTO until that looks really nice, but is about $1700 for dual
>> gates and might be overkill for my needs.  That said, having a trusted
>> satisfied customer recommendation is worth a lot, so that remains in the
>> consideration set.
>>
>> I’m still in the researching phase, so any input will be greatly
>> appreciated.
>>
>> Jim
>>
>> > On Feb 13, 2023, at 3:43 PM, <alfuller194 at gmail.com> <
>> alfuller194 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> > Hi Jim:
>> >
>> > Do you have any particular needs as far as gate configuration go?
>> >
>> > My step-mother has a swing gate, but the clearance to the street means
>> you
>> > have to [1] when entering wait on the street for it to open, with added
>> risk
>> > of oncoming traffic, and [2] when leaving - wait on the street to
>> ensure it
>> > closed.
>> >
>> > A condo complex in California had a lift-up gate, which constantly
>> broke the
>> > belts that held up the gate. We really didn't need a lit gate, as there
>> was
>> > never an snow...
>> >
>> > Places in Michigan had gates that swung or retracted, but they would get
>> > hung up in the snow or ice in the winter...
>> >
>> > If you are in a place where the electric power is unreliable, you might
>> want
>> > to consider solar power and/or backup.  Do you need or want to
>> integrate a
>> > keypad into the controls? Same for an intercom?
>> >
>> > I'm sure there are more considerations, but those are what come
>> immediately
>> > to mind.
>> >
>> > ----------------
>> > All the best,
>> >
>> > Al Fuller
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: Shop-talk <shop-talk-bounces at autox.team.net> On Behalf Of Jim
>> Stone
>> > Sent: Sunday, February 12, 2023 11:30 AM
>> > To: Shop Talk <shop-talk at Autox.Team.Net>
>> > Subject: [Shop-talk] Automatic driveway gates
>> >
>> > Does anyone have any experience installing automatic driveway gate
>> openers?
>> > It looks pretty straight-forward, but any advice and/or brand
>> > recommendations would be greatly appreciated.  I will be installing a
>> dual
>> > gate opener for the driveway to my shop.
>> >
>> > Thanks,
>> > Jim
>> > _______________________________________________
>> >
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>> >
>>
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>>
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>>
>
> --
> Best,
>
> Doug
>
>
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-- 
Best,

Doug
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