Electric Gate recommendations please!

[JohnnieMo]

So I'm planning to do a bunch of work with my garage/yard this summer. Garage is a 24x22' heated double. Beside the garage is a parking pad, asphalt, where I park my boat. It is closed in with a double swinging wooden gate built in to the fence. Beside the pad is a 16x10 shed in front of said fence.



On halloween last fall a nice fellow decided to drive his car in to it and skedaddle. The good news is that only the fence was damaged. The better news is that they caught the guy. The sad news is that the cops flubbed the
paperwork and all charges were dropped. The damage wasn't severe but it completely severed the key load bearing post right at ground level.








Unknown to all of them, I was sick of that crappy swinging gate anyways and want to get something better. I've had a variety of ideas floating around my head but I wanted to see what GJ members have done.

I want it to be:
- made mostly of wood
- operate via remote and be automatic
- be mostly solid so it can't be seen through
- secure

The opening is about 16'. I am willing to pour serious concrete pilings as I'm planning on a roof for the spot as well. Would be best if it slid rather than swung as snow in the winter can limit a swinging gate quite a bit. I won't use it much in the winter, but if I ever have to it would impossible. It''s also nice not to have the gate swinging in front of the garage door, however that may be mitigated once it is electric.

Love to hear your ideas and see your pictures!

 

[ambenz]

Check this out....once you have your manual gate, adding a bar gear and motor with sprocket wouldn't be too hard!

 

[soj]

Is that fence against the shed necessary? If not install a sliding gate that can open toward the shed would work great manually. If the separate fence has to stay, you need space between it and the shed for the gate, which would make the gate hard to install, adjust and service. You could have the gate on the outside of the fence, but normally it goes on the secure side of the fence.

You may have to loose some of the opening width to accommodate the opener. There are several openers available for sliding gates, but I think most are commercial, therefore more expensive. Not like swing gate openers, where lots of residential grade stuff (Mighty Mule) to choose from.

You can also make a sliding gate opener from a garage door opener. It would also need a cover from the weather.

More info on which way the gate can slide would help. Can it open toward the garage, or would that block the garage door?
-jp

 

[JohnnieMo]

The gate is best to slide to the right, behind the shed.

The fence behind the shed is not necessary and can be removed or replaced. However sliding on the outside would be perfectly fine.

As for a slide on the ground, as odd as it sounds I don't think a track would get too fouled by snow. The major issue is that the alley fills with snow drifts right along the fence. The fence could be built to shroud the track.

The issue with Calgary is that it snows a bunch, then melts and freezes again. Over time you get 6" of ice that you can't possibly remove.



As for height above ground, I think that maybe a swinging fence 6" off the ground could work. I think I just convinced myself the 4x4 on the left side wasn't up for the job. With that being said it has done the job fine for 15 years. And I'm open to putting in a new post which could become a structural support for my car port (boat port)

My concern with sliding is torsional stress. If you have a 6.5' tall, 16' long sliding gate, what keeps it from twisting and going out of alignment?

As a side note I did save an old 1/2 chamberlain garage door opener for this, but I just haven't found a design I trust.

 

[soj]

My concern with sliding is torsional stress. If you have a 6.5' tall, 16' long sliding gate, what keeps it from twisting and going out of alignment?

I would build it out of steel tubing, like you see for sliding chain link fence gates. Notice that either sliding or swinging, they have angle bracing to prevent sag. Then you can attach wood to that. A lighter alternative would be chain link with the privacy slats. You would also need a min. 4" diameter (6" would be better) schedule 40 pipe for a post.
-jp

 

[toplessHO]

altho it costs a little more you need something that doesnt rely on a track on the ground
a sliding cantilever gate using the top support as the track will help in the snow.
you will need to make the gate 2x as long so its balanced.

 

[Slednut]

Here's my electric gate. It has a telescoping bar that goes between the opener and the gate. The gate can be opened by hand or with the opener.

 

[kbs2244]

As long as you have no overhead wires to worry about, your problem is made for this type gate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-cl=85114404&v=GFFAk_wxKB8&x-yt-ts=1422579428

I like sliders. but the track need in snow country is a concern.
Go find a RR crossing and check out how they do it.
There are millions of them out there.

 

[JohnnieMo]

Thanks for the replies and vids.

For the tilting gates, the big issue is the shed. As you can see the shed hangs out over the fence. Moving the shed would be daunting.





Regarding the swinging gate. At least one side will require it to open close to 160 degrees. Otherwise I don't have the angle to back in a trailer.

I still think sliding could work. Another option could be two tall posts (like 16') and having the gate slide straight up about 9'. That would give the 9' of clearance I need to get my boat in.





Sent from my Passport

 

[rburke65]

Wow, that Lazy Gate is real slick !

 

[soj]

Just some more thoughts...

The pivot up gate seems out because of the roof overhang. Sliding straight up seems like it would be a can of worms to work out to get it to go up even. Plus, what ever powers it would have to be much stronger (or would require a counterbalance system like garage door springs) than just moving the gate sideways or in an arc.

Back to the slider. It's hard to tell for sure, but the pictures make it look like that fence is only a few inches from the shed. If so it might have to be moved out some for this to work. Put in the slider so that it opens toward the shed. Then put the fence back up to shield the gate opening area from the snow drift. Any snow that falls between the fence and the shed wall should be minimal because of the roof overhang. Now you only have to be concerned with the snow that drifts against the gate, not a pile of snow that the gate would have to "plow" out of the way.

Just some thoughts, but remember, I live way down here in Arkansas, so what do I know about snow... very little, cause that is how much snow we have here.

 

[raf0419]

I don't have a pic of my gate to share, however I worked with an online vendor and ordered an opener which met my needs. They had lots to choose from and were very helpful in answering questions should you call them. Don't quote me on this, but I think they can even provide input for actuator selection and gate design if you provide images. There are several companies to choose from.

I'm not a vendor nor am I trying to endorse one, but if you pm me I'll send you the link to the company I worked with.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[kbs2244]

If you go with a slider do the rails have to be horizontal?
I am thinking of a bit of a slant so the gate raises a bit as it opens to clear any snow.

 

[JohnnieMo]

Just some more thoughts...

The pivot up gate seems out because of the roof overhang. Sliding straight up seems like it would be a can of worms to work out to get it to go up even. Plus, what ever powers it would have to be much stronger (or would require a counterbalance system like garage door springs) than just moving the gate sideways or in an arc.

Back to the slider. It's hard to tell for sure, but the pictures make it look like that fence is only a few inches from the shed. If so it might have to be moved out some for this to work. Put in the slider so that it opens toward the shed. Then put the fence back up to shield the gate opening area from the snow drift. Any snow that falls between the fence and the shed wall should be minimal because of the roof overhang. Now you only have to be concerned with the snow that drifts against the gate, not a pile of snow that the gate would have to "plow" out of the way.

Just some thoughts, but remember, I live way down here in Arkansas, so what do I know about snow... very little, cause that is how much snow we have here.

Soj - thanks for the great ponderings. Yes, the shed is right against the fence. (literally, since the yahoo in his Pathfinder drove in to it). I don't think I can run it in between. However the fact that it is covered by the shed roof would be very handy.

Running it on the outside of the fence isn't a horribly bad idea. It isn't a lot of snow and so long as it is 4 to 6" off the ground I think that would keep me away from the ice. The ice mostly forms where the cars drive, so a swing open gate will reach into the driving lane, while a sliding gate will not.

If you go with a slider do the rails have to be horizontal?
I am thinking of a bit of a slant so the gate raises a bit as it opens to clear any snow.

I like how you're thinking! But I'm not sure it is necessary.

Another mild gotcha is that the yard is actually not square. The property line curves slightly, so the sliding gate would actually get farther away as it opens. I could just increase the thickness of the standoffs. I really think a slider is the way to go.

The only question is whether or not I build a canti-lever style or a tracked version. I had originally thought about using a coarse track and a wheel barrel wheel on the bottom, but I keep worrying about the torsional stress.

We're getting there.... I really appreciate the ideas.

@raf - if the company you worked with sells in to Canada, I'm happy to talk to them.

 

[raf0419]

I'll called them and was informed they do sell to Canada. I'll send you a PM.

 

[JohnnieMo]

Here is the aerial view showing how the property line curves. I really think this can work.

 

[JohnnieMo]

So based on the great responses in this thread I have a plan (until it changes)

I had a surveyor come and mark the property line. As I expected the post closest to the garage is about 10" outside of the property. This will become a headache with my real property report.

I've decided to completely remove the existing fence. The whole thing, including the part behind the shed. I'm then going to put in two 6x6 posts and connect them overhead.

Next l will build a custom sliding gate on wheels. In effect a rolling fence. I'll need to do some jiggery pokery to keep it guided in the proper direction.

In the end I don't see any reason to keep the fence behind the shed. With the property line mess I need that extra 6" for the gate to slide in to.


Gate design pics to come soon.

Sent from my Passport

 

[JohnnieMo]

Here is the frame of the gate mounted on rubberized castors. It rolls extremely well due to its massive weight. 3" tubular steel.



More details in my build thread.

Sent from my Passport

 

[58Yeoman]

In your situation, I'd have gone with an overhead track for a sliding gate. We had one at the factory where I worked for 40 years. Ours, of course, was tall enough for a semi truck to get through, but your posts could have been lower. It had a simple reversible motor in a covered box with chain drive a couple feet off the ground.

Never had any trouble with it going through any snow. It was chain link, but could have been built of wood.

 

[JohnnieMo]

If you're not following my build thread, here is an update. The rolling gate is working pretty well. It is extremely heavy, but rolls well on asphalt. I think it is around 400lbs. The 3" x 1.5" tubular steel is so strong that any concerns I had about torsional stress is resolved. In fact, the 6x6 posts are pretty much overkill because the gate is solely supported by the wheels.

I finished the boards with tongue and groove pine to make it lighter, but also rigid and sealed. (no lurkers this way).

I ended up using a series of guide wheels to make it track properly. It works fairly well. The biggest issue is the terrain. The gate is sooo heavy that it has broken through some of the thinner asphalt. Behind the shed is dirt so I had to lay a temporary track until I can afford to pave it properly.

But it WORKS! I'm even a bit amazed myself. Final step is to install the opener, which I might try this weekend. However the garage and boat-port project is really the priority right now.











Here is the opener I bought. It is an Aleko AC1400. It is cheap (under $250) and is fairly low duty. However it will pull 1400lbs, and should be fine for the limited use of this gate. I bet I will only open it 50 times per year.

 

[kbs2244]

Nice job
The only problem I see is your opener install diagram shows the gate on the inside of the fence.
Yours is on the outside.
Is there an easy way around this?

 

[JohnnieMo]

I don't actually have a fence any longer. The I just have a shed and a gate. The opener is on the inside of the gate. I'll take some more pics to show you tomorrow. I got the chain connected and the opener positioned. Just need to connect it all.

Sent from my Passport

 

[JohnnieMo]

I got the opener installed today to test it out. No real issues. Here are some pics. I still need to install the limit switches and bolt it down better but it works shockingly well.









Sent from my Passport

 

[JohnnieMo]

Here is my first attempt at a YouTube video showcasing my final gate and installation. Enjoy!

Sent from my Passport

 

[jhelrey]

Had one at a commercial property. They used switches, etc. but also had a safety eye. Being right in the City, that eye was messed with constantly. It was my on going headache.

Glad I don't have an alley, etc.

 

[JohnnieMo]

This opener has a sensor kit you can add however I never like them. I ended up adjusting the clutch such that it will reverse if it hits anything substantial (like a kid).

Sent from my Passport

 

[JohnnieMo]

Just a check-in here with an update.

I've had the gate installed now and operational since August (now December). It has worked pretty much flawlessly. One of the wheels de-treaded itself because it was running in the steel guide. The steel edging basically cut it to bits. So I do need to find a better solution in the new year.

We've had some snow here although not a lot. However I open the gate twice a week to put out my garbage bins and retrieve them. The snow can occasionally produce too much resistance for the motor and it will stop. I have it adjusted to be fairly weak just incase it hits a kid or a car or something. So I could dial it up.

The good news is that it does stay on track and will displace several inches of snow. If I want to open it the full 16' feet I may need to so some shoveling but early results are promising.

I'm prepared to call this a big win. This technique can work so long as you have a good strong ground that is relatively level.

 

[tthornto]

Make sure the cover fits tight and secure on the gate opener. We have a similar opener at my work and have twice that I'm aware of had small animals decide that under that cover was a nice dry warm place to sleep. They were fine til the first person showed up to work in the morning and the chain and sprocket chewed them up. The first time it was a rat and made a nasty mess, the second time it was a skunk...

 

[75149]

I like that gate & opener.