How To Install Sliding Driveway Gate

Want to install an automatic sliding driveway gate merely don't know where to beginning? well like any good project you need a good solid footing, one that's in the correct place, the right size, the right strength and on the right slope.

Check out the following video on how to install footings for sliding gates or read below.

If you're in Australia and would similar to buy hardware for sliding gates, motors or total gate bank check out these links:

Hardware for Sliding Gates

Motors for Sliding Gates

Quotes for Sliding Gates

Concrete Footing for Sliding Gates

Sliding Driveway gates scroll on a metal track that needs a good solid ground. If you have a concrete driveway then you're halfway there, just at that place needs to be somewhere for the gate to open as well and a pad for the motor. If there is enough footing off to the side of the driveway that is relatively level then a physical footing will exercise. Other situations will be covered subsequently.

Yous will need to dig, at least 100mm (iv") deep or more than until you into firm ground. You're only supporting the weight of a gate, not a house, so it doesn't demand to be likewise substantial.

sliding gate footing positioning cross section and plan view

If you need a guide post information technology's best to dig this into the basis too at the same time as the footing. The motor pad will need to motion over a bit to allow room for a guide mail service.

READ MORE Nigh Guides and Stops for Sliding Gates

Concrete can hands be mixed on site with a concrete mixer considering normally only nigh 1/viii of a cubic meter (or one/6 cubic yard) is needed, which is less than the minimum amount a concrete truck will deliver.

If the motor is to take power cabling hard wired and then a conduit should be gear up into the middle of the motor pad. If you prefer a power outlet this tin exist installed on the guide post, which is neater if the cable is run inside the post or if there is no guide post it can be on a small post of its own. A power outlet should not exist fitted to the argue or wall as this is on the incorrect side of the gate, how would information technology plug in?.

Dimensions for Physical Footings

All dimensions given bold a 50mm (2") thick gate frame with goose egg fitted to the front of the frame or a 40mm (i 5/8) thick frame with up to 16mm (10/16") material fitted to the front of the frame, if the gate is thicker then actress clearance would need to exist added between the fence and the gate to allow for the extra. If the motor is a different size then the dimensions for the motor pad need to be adapted accordingly also eg. if the motor is 400mm (16") wide so the motor pad should exist at least 500mm (20") wide, go far bigger if not sure.

plan view of sliding gate footing dimensions with a guide post and power cable positioning

If the gate has guide rollers or other bracket that goes over the pinnacle of the gate a guide post won't be needed.

plan view of sliding gate footing dimensions with no guide post inc. power cabling

The length of the footing off the side of the driveway is more often than not the width of the gate + 400mm (16").

READ MORE About Space Required for Sliding Gates

When Driveways Angle Towards the Motor

plan view of sliding gate footing dimensions with no guide post and driveway angled towards the motor

If your driveway is angled towards the motor and there'southward no guide post the motor pad needs to be moved forth the contend. To get this get-go place the motor (or a substitute) with its back at the right altitude behind the fence past 325mm (13") and a corner merely touching the edge of the driveway, the motor pad width dimension always starts from the driveway side of the motor. The extension to the bottom rail of the gate will demand to be longer also. The corporeality the gate opens will also need to exist more so it fully clears the driveway.

plan view of sliding gate footing dimensions with a guide post and driveway angled towards the motor

If the driveway angles towards the motor and in that location is a guide post then this must have its corner hard up against the driveway or the corner of a ability point if fitted and the motor hard up against the guide post so the motor pad will be kickoff exist a distance along the fence from the driveway. The extension to the bottom rail of the gate will need to be even longer once more.

When Driveways Angle Away from the Motor

plan view of sliding gate footing dimensions with no guide post and driveway angled away from the motor

If the driveway is angled abroad from the motor and in that location's no guide post the motor pad tin exist closer to the driveway and the extension to the bottom rail of the gate tin exist less. The gate won't need to open up as much to articulate the driveway.

plan view of sliding gate footing dimensions with a guide post and driveway angled away from the motor

If the driveway angles abroad from the motor and in that location is a guide mail the motor pad will need to be the width of the guide post wider and extension to the bottom rail of the gate this much longer besides.

If the Driveway isn't Concrete

If you lot take a paved driveway and the pavers are non glued to a concrete base of operations, y'all can either replace a line of paver'due south with physical or pull upwards the paver's, install physical underneath and glue the paver'due south to the concrete keeping consistency in the advent of the driveway.

concrete footing on paved driveway cross section concrete footing under paved driveway cross section

If you have a bitumen or gravel driveway you will demand to supercede a strip of it with physical. If the driveway is bitumen the concrete can be coloured black using black oxide so information technology will friction match the driveway better.

concrete footing on bitumen driveway cross section concrete footing on gravel driveway cross section

Gravel driveways should be raised in the middle to prevent build up of the gravel on the track.

You volition need reinforcing steel in the footing preferably trench mesh non just lengths of rio. Rio tin be used if information technology fabricated into a mesh with brusque cantankerous pieces tied on with wire. The area of ground off the driveway doesn't really need reinforcing steel because it isn't bearing any weight although can exist put in anyway if yous want to prevent whatsoever neat of the physical.

Concrete Footings for Telescopic Sliding Gates

If there isn't plenty room off to the side of the driveway for a sliding gate to open then two or 3 sliding gate panels can be used across a driveway that stack upwards one backside one another when open, which are commonly called scope gates and require much less space to open up.

telescopic gate footing positioning cross section and plan view

The basis for these needs to be wider to permit for two or three tracks side by side.

Dimensions for Physical Footings for two panel Scope Gates

Dimensions of footing for a two panel telescopic sliding gate

2 console scope gates require 2 tracks side by side then the ground needs to be wider to permit for this.

Dimensions of a two panel telescopic gate with angled driveway

If the Driveway is angled towards to motor the gate will need to open up farther, motor and guide mail (if there is ane) will need to be moved over too and so everything clears the driveway.

Dimensions for Physical footings for Three Panel Telescopic Gates

Three console telescopic gates need an even wider footing considering they have 3 tracks next.

dimensions of a footing for a three panel telescopic gate

Ground that Slopes Up off the edge of the Driveway

If the ground slopes up from the edge of the driveway it must first exist excavated, and so have a physical footing installed and a retaining wall built that rises above the basis to keep the footing clear of any debris. Concrete or hardwood sleepers are ideal for retaining walls.

excavation for sliding gate track

The gate track should be well drained and pad for the gate motor loftier enough so rain h2o runs around it.

Basis that Slopes Upwardly off the edge of the Driveway

If the basis slopes up from the edge of the driveway and is steep a telescopic gate maybe more economic to install than a single panel sliding gate because it requires a lot less excavation and retaining.

excavation for telescopic gate track

On a steep gradient half the excavation means a quarter of the volume of soil that needs to be excavated and retained.

Footing that Slopes Down off the edge of the Driveway

If a ground drops down from the edge of the driveway where the gate is to open so the rails may be elevated with a metallic frame rather than using a big lump of concrete. This frame should exist on the aforementioned slope as the driveway. The frame should have back up posts every 1m or and then concreted into the basis and demand but be 100mm wide.

suspended metal footing for sliding gate

Once more if the gradient is steep a telescopic gate may exist more economic to install because a lot less frame is required at the the really high office.

Slope Across the Driveway

Footings for driveways that slope across must exist direct and on the aforementioned slope as the driveway. The pad for the motor should be level and high enough so rain water runs around it.

cross section of concrete footing for a sliding gate on a slope

Gradient upwards the Driveway

If the driveway slopes from the direction of the road the footing must exist on the same gradient as the driveway

end view of the footing for a sliding gate that slopes up form the road.

The pad for the motor should exist level and high enough so any pelting h2o runs effectually information technology and non through the motor.

Footing NOT to be Level if Driveway is not.

The ground for the gate track should not be level if the driveway is sloping, this volition not work. The footing may start on the same slope as the bulldoze way and gradually get level over a distance of 1.eight metres (6') or more if need be.

Source: https://www.grantsautomation.com.au/index.php?page=65

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