You may live in a gated community, which is obviously very secure and as the gates are being constantly used throughout the day, they do require regular servicing and repairs. Of course, the gates would be state of the art – designed, fabricated and installed by a specialist gating firm and it would be their job to service and repair the units.
Here are a few common issues with residential community gating.
Repainting – A security barrier is in use throughout the year, rain or shine, and this means regular repainting is in order. Failing that, the barrier could be aluminum or steel that does not require painting.
Motor Servicing – The self-lubricating mechanism needs to have grease replaced with a pressure gun, which will ensure that the mechanism is always well-lubricated. Motor replacement should happen at around 5 years and most premier motors would have a 5-year warranty as standard and the service engineer would keep his eye on the motor.
Hinge Replacement – The hinging system would be designed around the weight of the gates, but with so much use, after a few months, they might become fatigued. This is only relevant to gates that are hinged opening, as electric sliding gates do not require hinges, and with automatic security gates, the motor would be heavy-duty and should last around 5 years.
Sensors – In some cases, sensors are used and each resident has a sensor on the front of their vehicles, which automatically opens the barrier, and the main sensor panel must be regularly inspected.
Manned Security – If the residential gates are manned, the security guard would notice if anything was amiss and contact the supplier’s service department who would schedule a visit as soon as possible. Unlike a domestic driveway gate, the communal barrier must always be working. Having an emergency number ensures a swift response to any issues with the gating.
Regular inspections would be carried out by the gate supplier, which would likely involve an annual maintenance contract, with a hot number for emergency servicing
If you don’t happen to live in a gated residential community and you are looking to replace your driveway gates, there are suppliers with bespoke solutions, designing and fabricating the gates to fit the property. Once you make contact, the gates company would send an engineer to your home, where you can both discuss the many design options, and when a design is finalized, they would offer an all-inclusive price for the project.
There are many design options – single or double gates, electric sliding, even the material (hardwood, oak, aluminum, steel, or even wrought iron). The technician would be very experienced and can show you many fine examples of previous projects to give you an idea of how diverse the design can be. Electric sliding gates are very popular as they require minimal space and the motor can be installed below ground level to leave an uncluttered driveway.
Communities with security gates or barriers certainly offer the residents peace of mind and there are many such living zones in the UK, all having a maintenance contract of the security gating.