[Shop-talk] Automatic driveway gates

Jim Stone 1789alpine at gmail.com
Thu Feb 16 09:56:50 MST 2023 

> Apparently this message got bounced for some reason so I am sending it again just in case:

Thanks, Doug.  I did get your message and had written something about it in my last reply, but must have deleted it by mistake.  There is only about 30’ between the garage doors and the gate and a single swinging gate would create challenges parking in front of the garage, which is where we generally park our daily drivers.

Our intention is to have a metal gate frame - steel square tube if I make it myself, aluminum if I buy it - with wood slats with about 3/4” between the slats to mimic a design feature in the front of the house.  Wind is definitely a concern where we are; we were in the path of Hurricane Sandy a few years ago, although the serious damage was about 60+ miles west of us.  I am assuming the gaps between the slats (basically 6” decking boards) will be enough.  I guess that is just one more reason to seriously consider the slider.

Jim

> On Feb 16, 2023, at 11:07 AM, old dirtbeard <dirtbeard at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 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:
> 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.
> 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 <mailto: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 <mailto: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 <mailto: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 <mailto: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 <mailto: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 <mailto:alfuller194 at gmail.com>> <alfuller194 at gmail.com <mailto: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 <mailto: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 <mailto: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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>>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> -- 
>>>> Best,
>>>> 
>>>> Doug
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> 
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>> 
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>> 
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> 
> 
> -- 
> Best,
> 
> Doug

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