The gates are a critical part of a system and every detail must be considered when designing your entry.  

 The first thing that should be on everyone's mind is safety! Underwriters Laboratory has create a safety standard called the UL 325. This document should be discussed in detail with whomever you decide to have install your equipment.  

 The gate and gate openers operation depends on the posts, how they are buried, and the hinges. A properly buried post is critical! This must be plumb and set into concrete. We typically dig a 2ft. wide and 3ft. deep hole for the posts. Cross bracing is usually done to prevent twisting before the concrete is poured. The gates hinges should be a high quality hinge, and most has grease fitting to properly lubricate them. Single gates should not be longer than 14 feet. If your driveway is wider than 14 feet a dual gate system should be considered. Your gates installation will directly effect the life of your gate opener! 

 When considering the automation of your gates we strongly urge you to consider the addition of a walk-thru gate. Sooner or later, no matter what gate opener that you choose, something will go wrong and climbing the fence is a hazard.  

 When choosing a gate opener you must do your homework. This isn't an inexpensive purchase and the life of the opener will depend on the entire system being installed in a professional manner.

 Post mounted or linear drive systems work fine for the average homeowner. Many different brands have been designed over the years and we have selected two separate choices that have been proven over time. The Elite Miracle One is the higher grade system and does cost a little more. The Patriot Swing gate opener is a nice medium duty operator that works well in many applications.  

 If your application won't allow the post mounted systems or you want to invest in a light duty commercial system we have two choices in this area as well. The DC Solutions Mega-swing is a great operator. This unit bolt to a concrete pad and runs from (2) 12volt batteries. The DoorKing 6100 is another good choice in operators. Both of these operators are rated a commercial openers.  

 What else must we consider?

 Most brands of openers come with an onboard automatic closing feature. The settings vary from 5 seconds ~ 60 seconds. This allows the gate to automatically close after the preset time. The additional items that MUST be considered when using this feature is that the opener will time out and close no matter what's in the gates path. Several products have been developed to assist with preventing a vehicle from being hit. You basically have two different devices that can help prevent this from happening. The loop system is the best, but also the most expensive to install. To install a loop system in your driveway we must saw cut a predetermined size loop into the center. This area is usually a 4ft. x 8ft. rectangle. We then place XLPE wire in the cut looping it around several times. This creates an electric field that changes when a vehicle enters this area. A loop detector is installed in the gate operator that monitors the loop and tells the gate to hold open until the area is clear. The second type of system used for this is a photo-beam. Typically two or more photo-beams will be installed so that if anything breaks the beam then the gate opens and remains open until the path of the beam is cleared. This type of system is usually less expensive to install but it's not as reliable as the loop system. The problems we typically see with these are misalignment often occurs causing a service call. The wiring above the ground sometimes isn't installed in conduit and weed whackers can cut the wiring. Another typical problem is that this system is mounted above ground and landscaping is usually placed close so these can be hidden from view. The landscaping grows, thus breaking the beam and a service call is spent clearing this area. A cost that no one wants.  

 The other are that seems to be overlooked is surge protection. Georgia is a high lightning area and properly installed surge protection is a huge benefit. Many installers will mount the surge device in the same enclosure as the gate control board. This does very little in protecting the processors from the static charge. We install the Ditek surge equipment. You can see the Ditek line at www.ditekcorp.com. We strongly urge you to look at their web site for home protection products. The Ditek equipment must be properly installed to assist in reducing the lightning strikes that cause damage.

 Another topic is user controls. A visor or hand held transmitter is the normal device used for the residents entry controls. Many different types of transmitters are available. The things that you will want to consider are range, security, and reliability. Please discuss this will the sales person in detail.  

 The second type of user controls that you must consider are the visitor entry. This ranges from a wireless inexpensive keypad to a sophisticated telephone entry system. The costs for these range from approximately $150.00 to over $3500.00 depending on the type of entry you elect have installed. Please make certain that when choosing the location to mount this type of device that your vehicle will not obstruct any lanes of traffic. This type of device can not be mounted closer than 10 feet from the gate due to the UL 325 limitations for safety.

 The third type of user control that we should discuss is automated exit devices. We typically install a probe that is buried next to the driveway that will sense a moving vehicle and open the gate. These can also be used to turn on lights and other devices.  

 This covers the standard components installed in most residential applications.  

 If you would like more information please give us a call.    

Patriot Swing Gate Openers