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Automatic Gate Installation in Athens, AL
Gate openers and access control for driveways and commercial entrances, sized to the gate weight and traffic.
- Free on-site estimate, price in writing
- Posts set below the frost line in concrete
- Final walkthrough on every job
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We measure at your property and put the price in writing. No charge, no obligation.
An automatic gate is four things working together: a gate, an operator, a power supply and a way to tell it to open. Each one has to suit the others. Most trouble starts with an operator bolted to a gate it was never rated to move.
Swing or slide?
A swing operator suits a driveway with room for the gate to open into, and it is the simpler and cheaper of the two. Each leaf of a double gate takes its own arm.
A slide operator runs the gate sideways along the fence line, which suits a driveway that climbs straight off the road or sits too short for a leaf to swing across. It needs clear space alongside the opening for the gate to travel into, plus either a ground track or a cantilever arrangement carrying the gate on rollers.
The operator has to match the gate
Operators carry ratings for gate weight and gate length, and both matter. A long light gate hangs more leverage off the arm than a short heavy one. We size the operator from your finished leaf, then set the force and travel limits on commissioning so the gate stops where it should.
Gate hardware gets checked as part of that. An operator will keep shoving a dragging gate until something breaks, so the hinges, posts and swing all have to be right before anyone automates anything.
Power and access control
- Power. Mains run out to the gate in conduit, or a solar panel and battery where trenching a driveway makes no sense.
- Remotes and keypads. Handhelds for the household, a keypad on a post for visitors.
- Intercom or call box. Standard on a business entrance or a property taking deliveries.
- Exit sensors. A driveway loop or sensor that opens the gate on your way out.
- Manual release. Every operator needs a way to disengage and move the gate by hand in a power cut.
Safety devices
A powered gate swings a heavy object across a space people and cars use, so it needs devices that stop it when something is in the way. Photo eyes across the opening stop and reverse the gate when the beam breaks. Obstruction sensing in the operator reverses it when the gate meets resistance. We test both at commissioning, and you should test them now and then afterwards.
What an automatic gate costs
An automated entrance prices as several parts:
- The gate, sized and built for the opening.
- Gate posts, set heavier than line posts because they carry a swinging load.
- The operator, rated to your gate weight and length.
- Power, mains in conduit or solar and battery.
- Access control, from a pair of remotes up to keypads, intercoms and loop sensors.
- Safety devices, including photo eyes.
A gate you already own costs less to automate than a new automated entrance, as long as the gate and posts are sound. Where nobody set those posts for a powered gate, replacing them comes with the job.
Upkeep
Operators ask for little, but the little they ask for matters. Keep the photo eye lenses clean, because a dirty lens reads as a blocked beam and the gate refuses to close. Keep the track clear on a slide gate. Test the manual release before you need it in a power cut instead of during one. And keep the gate itself swinging free, because an operator fighting a dragging gate wears out both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you automate my existing gate?
Often yes, as long as the gate and posts are sound and the gate moves freely. An operator will keep shoving a dragging gate until something breaks, so we check and correct the hardware first.
What happens to an automatic gate in a power cut?
Every operator carries a manual release that disengages the drive so you can move the gate by hand. We show you how to use it before we close the job.
Do I need to trench for power to the gate?
Not always. Mains in conduit is the usual route, but a solar panel and battery works where trenching a driveway makes no sense.
Should I choose a swing or a slide gate?
Swing costs less and suits a driveway with room for the leaf to open into. Slide suits a short driveway, one that climbs off the road, or anywhere with no swing clearance, as long as there is space alongside for the gate to travel.
Related: Gate Installation | Commercial Fencing | Fence Repair
How a automatic gates job runs
Thinking about automating your gate?
Call (256) 510-8095 or request a free estimate online.