It is necessary that the local area has a fence. And it should have passages - a gate and a gate. But it’s not very convenient, for example, in rain or snow, to get out of the car and manually open the gate. It will be much better if you hire a special employee for this purpose. But he needs to pay. Then the ideal option is automatic sliding gates. Their installation is quite simple, but you still have to spend money on the purchase of all components. You can use both ready-made designs and home-made ones - there are not very many differences in them. Is that the cost.
Positive qualities of retractable structures
Sliding gates are usually chosen (installation and manufacturing of a simple design will be discussed later in the article) for several reasons. They have an attractive appearance, are reliable, and they also have a number of other advantages:
- The work is absolutely silent. No rattles and creaks will not interfere with you or your neighbors.
- The gate will not take up much space both in closed and open state.
- No need to clean the structure of snow, debris or ice.
- Minimum maintenance - you only need to check the running gear in a timely manner.
- The design is reliable and durable. After all, metal is used in it. Compared to wooden gates, their strength is very high.
- In addition to the gates, an automation system can be installed that increases the comfort of use.
It should be noted that automation is controlled from a distance. You, sitting in your car, can open the gate in a few seconds.
System flaws
But there are also a few drawbacks to the design, where without them? Just two minuses:
- It is necessary to make the entry space large enough. This should be especially taken into account if the arrival of large equipment is provided.
- Mandatory installation of sliding gates should be made on a monolithic platform.
If you do everything according to the rules and once spend the money on making a gate, then they will last you a long time.
Varieties of gates
In our article we will consider what types of gates are. There are three of them, you need to carefully study all these designs in order to choose the best for yourself. Some have a simple design, while others will require a thorough preliminary development of drawings, as well as considerable time and labor. Carefully study all the features of such work and the installation instructions for sliding gates. It’s not so difficult to install them yourself, especially if you follow the advice of masters. We will give some of them in our material.
Cantilever Gate
Such gates are a structure in which the sliding panel is mounted on the lower guide. It is recommended to produce just such a variant of the gate, since it has clear advantages when compared with others. For example, it does not matter what height the vehicle will pass (there is no restriction on this parameter).
Places along the canvas fence occupy quite a bit. They are burglar-resistant, but there is also a drawback - a high indicator of windage. Even a novice builder can independently build such a gate - there are no barriers to this. And if you make a competent installation of automatic sliding gates, they will be very convenient to use.
Overhead gate
This type of gate is used, as a rule, in cases where there is a limiter on top - in warehouses, hangars, etc. Movable components are located on the upper guide. This is a significant design flaw, as it is quite difficult to call in bulky vehicles into the territory. This feature should be taken into account if you plan to carry out construction work on your site that requires special equipment. However, this type of construction is ideal for cases where large equipment will not call into the yard. By installing automatic sliding gates, you will provide a high degree of comfort.
Wheel constructions
The canvas of the sliding gate is set in motion thanks to the rail - it is laid directly on the ground or reinforced concrete. The canvas has several wheels at the bottom. The disadvantage of the design is that very often clogging of the path along which the wheels move. After all, you need to consider that the rails are very close to the ground, so fallen foliage, ice, snow can accumulate on it. Not only will opening the gate be problematic, it will also begin to rust the metal. And if you have installed the sliding gate operator, then you need to ensure that nothing extraneous gets inside. Otherwise, the drive may deteriorate.
Before starting production or before purchasing a finished product, you need to analyze the pros and cons. Do you need bulky transport on the site, in what season do you plan to use the gate, how often do you need to open and close them. Based on this, we can conclude which design is best used. You also need to pay attention to your financial capabilities - the gates have a large mass, therefore, in the manufacture you need to use only high-quality materials.
Door hardware and main components
As you know, you need a metal sheet - this is the basis of the whole structure. In addition, when installing a sliding gate operator and other elements, you will also need the following components:
- Guide rail - a metal beam can be used. It is recommended to use material with a cross section of 71 x 65 mm, the length should be more than 6 meters. For the gate to last for a long time, it is necessary that the walls have a thickness of 3.5 mm or more.
- Carriage and rollers - with their help free movement of the web along the guide rail is provided.
- Using traps and end rollers it is possible to limit the movement of the canvas. In addition, these elements do not allow the canvas to fall out of the guides.
- Plugs and limiters - they do not allow the mechanism to clog with snow, mud, ice.
All components of the kit must be purchased based on the design and the estimated mass of the finished structure. You need to focus on such indicators:
- If the length does not exceed 4 m, then the maximum load on the hardware should be no more than 500 kg.
- With a blade length of up to 5 m, fittings designed for a load of up to 600 kg must be used.
- If the length of the blade is 5-6 m, fittings with a design load of up to 700 kg must be installed.
And in this way the maximum load on the structure is calculated. On sale you can find a large number of ready-made kits for installing sliding gates. But it should be noted that the accessories can be purchased separately. But it is wise to do this if you just need to save on manufacturing.
Gate width calculation
So, first of all, you need to calculate and draw at least a sketch of the future design. Moreover, you need to calculate everything very carefully, because the quality of the future design depends on this. When designing sliding gates, literally everything needs to be taken into account - vehicle access, free play, etc. Having all the data, you can proceed with the calculations. And the first thing you need to decide what should be the width of the opening.
In this case, it is necessary to take into account the dimensions of the transport that will call into the territory. For free passage, the gazelle needs at least 2.5 m, but for KamAZ at least half a meter more. When calculating, you need to focus on the fact that the car will call at an angle of 45 degrees. There should be a distance of about 30 cm between the posts that hold the structure and the mirrors of the car. Also, be sure to consider the fact that the car can tilt if the soil sags under it. Therefore, the gap should be increased to about half a meter. The ideal width is about 5 m.
Web Length Calculation
There is nothing complicated here. You already have data on the width of the opening, now you need to add about 40-50% to this value. In this case, you will be able to hide the gap that will be between the gate and the fence. That’s all, we’ve done the calculation of the length of the door leaf, we can start calculating the height.
Maximum gate height
As you understand, this parameter has no practical role. But still it matters. Pay attention to aesthetics - it is necessary to calculate so that the sash is in the same plane with the main part of the fence. Otherwise, a height difference will inevitably be observed. And this is not very beautiful and aesthetically pleasing.
For example, your fence is made of profiled sheet, the total height is about 2 m. The height of the gate needs to be calculated taking into account all the parameters of the components included in the kit - the guide, wheels and carriages, the frame for holding and other elements. Be sure to consider the gap that will be between the bottom edge of the gate and the ground. It is necessary that the distance is about 10-15 cm. These conditions must be observed when installing the sliding doors "Dorkhan" and any home-made structures.
We make a design drawing
Now you can depict the entire structure on paper or in a program - to whom it is convenient. The base is a platform made of reinforced concrete. Between the racks, it is necessary to install a frame on which the catchers of the welded frame are mounted. A profiled sheet is fastened to the frame. There must be a handle on the door if an electric drive is not installed on the gate. It is desirable that there are two opening options - manually and automatically. If the automatic drive fails, you can open the gate by hand. It is worth noting that there are practically no differences in the installation of automatic sliding gates and simple ones.
Getting Started
Of course, it is quite difficult to do all the work on the manufacture of cantilever gates alone. At a minimum, you need a couple of people to help. Buy tools if you don’t have them. Be sure to prepare all the materials with which concreting the area under the gate is done. Make a list of the required materials and add everything to the budget.
How to install support posts
To reduce the cost of construction, as well as reduce the amount of effort required for construction, it is necessary to make separate concreting under the cantilever frame and poles. But there are also "pitfalls", they are associated with the features of the soil - you need to take into account the mobility of the soil, heaving, freezing. With such an impact, the design of the gate may change - the leaf may not fall into the traps, the gate will be oblique. Therefore, constantly during operation it will be necessary to make adjustments.
But you can go to the trick and install all the power parts of the fill on a single concrete base. In this case, even serious changes in the design will allow you to change the height level of the entire system.
So, we proceed to the installation of sliding gates. The installation instructions for the supports are as follows:
- The first thing to do is dig a ditch, its width should be the same as that of the pillars of the supports. And the depth is a little more than the freezing point of the soil. Be sure to consider the mobility of the soil - increase the depth by 20% if the construction takes place on sandy or floating soil.
- Then it is necessary to pour sand and gravel into two layers at the bottom - each height is about 15 cm. With the help of such layers, moisture will not come close to concrete. Consequently, the durability of the building increases. And there is another plus - a large mass of the gate will not be able to affect the quality of the platform.
- The ditch must be reinforced with a steel bar. You just need to stick it into the ground and wire it together. Welding can not be used, since it can destroy metal. No need to use thick rods - preferably 6 mm thick or less. Only special wire is used - for knitting reinforcement.
- Immediately on the rod, it is necessary to lay the steel mortgage. This is a channel, which is put down the shelves. A carriage will be attached to it in the future. Note that the channel should be horizontal - control its position strictly in level. Otherwise, the gate will skew.
- Install the formwork. In the event that you put ready support pillars, immediately place them in their places. If this is not done, then it is necessary to make the formwork so that it is possible to fill the base under the console. For the manufacture of formwork, you need to use a wooden board, which is knocked into shields. Be sure to install supports that will not allow the entire structure to fall apart.
- The filling must be done in one go. Make sure that all the air comes out - make a bayonet of the solution. Do not allow concrete to overflow on the channel. If the so-called white milk appears on concrete, the ditch is full. For several days, the solution must be watered with cold water so that no cracks appear.
The base will be ready in about 3 weeks, only after the final solidification can you continue the installation of the sliding gates (do it yourself or not with your own hands - it does not matter, because the procedure is the same).
How to weld a gate
First you need to prepare the material - cut all the pipes into pieces, focus on your project. Then weld the main components of the frame. After you weld the crate (pipes of a smaller section). The reinforcing profile should go diagonally. Welding must be performed in increments of 30 cm with an tack seam. On the lower part of the finished frame you need to weld the rail. It is impossible to sheathe right away - first a performance check is performed.
Installation of frame and accessories
Now you can install catchers and carriages on the support posts. Do it strictly according to level. Fixing is carried out only with anchor type bolts - no others can withstand high loads. After checking the mobility, you can proceed with the installation of the gate.
Gates must be put on the carriage profile and scalded with tacks in a circle. So you provide the gate with maximum stability. Final welding can be done after a functional check and the coincidence of elevation levels are carried out. Here's how to install and install sliding gates. Now we pass to the final stage.
Completion of work
The finished design can be painted in a color that should coincide with the main one. It is recommended to use paints, which include anti-corrosion agents. Apply several coats of paint, after final drying, you can proceed to sheathing. This is best done with the help of a professional sheet. It is worth noting that the installation of sliding gates "Alutech" is no different from the installation of "homemade". The requirements for the master are put forward the same.
When everything is ready, you can install a set of automation or pens. Lay the power wires to the electric drive. If you plan to install an automatic system for opening the gate, you will need to install another channel. It is not very difficult to make a system on your own, but you will have to think about where to put the photocells or limit switches. With their help, a timely stop of the electric drive is ensured.