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Some tips that may help you to estimate the weight are: How old is the gate? Older metal gates tend to be made with a solid metal bar, newer metal gates tend to be hollow and so, lighter, wrought iron tend to be heavy so might be worth using hydraulics.
Here's everything you need to know when deciding which electric gate kit you need.
Firstly, you need to understand the weight of each gate leaf. To help you estimate the weight it's useful to look at the age of the gate.
Older metal gates tend to be made with a heavier, solid metal bar. Newer metal gates tend to be hollow and therefore lighter. Wrought iron tends to be heavy - so in this case it might be worth using hydraulics.
If you’re unsure, it's usually a good idea to get a kit which is over spec (or speak to our helpful team who can point you in the right direction!).
You should also consider the type of gate kit you are thinking of using i.e. underground or aboveground, as underground kits tend to be suitable for heavier gates than aboveground kit.
The length required for each gate leaf depends on the type of gate: sliding or swing.
Sliding Gates
Do you have enough unobstructed space for a sliding gate to travel fully back?
To calculate the space required to fit a sliding gate, you need to double the length of the gate and add a bit of extra length for the size of the gate motor which will fit at the end of the gate
A guideline calculation to work out the travel distance for Cantilever gates is: Opening x 30% + 1 metre
Swing gates
For swing gates you need to ensure that the length of each leaf can open without obstruction and still allow for cars to park and manoeuvre without being in the way of the gates.
You can either power your gate from your mains powers or through the use of solar power.
If you're looking to power your gate through mains power, you'll need to know exactly where the nearest mains power is located.
You will then need to use an armoured cable to take the power to the gate.
Bear in mind that it is likely that your drive or entrance will have to be dug up to lay the service cables, so we recommend that you use a competent gate installer to fit this.
Solar power is the other alternative when fitting an electric gate kit. We stock the Nice Solemyo SYKCE Solar power kit which is compatible with Nice automation kits. However it is not possible to add intercoms, keypads and safety devices to a gate powered from solar due to the extra usage that these devices require.
The usage guidelines for solar power are as follows:
Winter – 6-8 operations per day
Summer 15-16 operations per day
The amount of ground work that will need to be done to the surrounding area will depend on the type of gate and automation kit being fitted.
For example, installing foundation boxes for underground motors or running conduit across the drive for cables. One way to potentially avoid this is to use an above ground system and wireless devices.
Need further help choosing the best kit for you? Call our technical team free of charge on 0113 201 6677 or browse our range of electric gate kits today.
