How to Choose a Driveway Gate

A driveway gate comes in really handy for keeping people out of your driveway. They are not all that expensive and can greatly improve the security of your home. It is however important to make sure that you choose the right one for your needs if you are going to have one installed.

The most important thing when you are choosing a driveway gate is to get one that is the right size. Obviously this means that it has to cover the width of your driveway. If you have a straight driveway this is fairly straightforward, you just need to measure the width of the driveway. If on the other hand you have a curving driveway you will need a larger gate as both sides have to be installed straight across from each other over the curving driveway. If you have a curved driveway that also has a slope to it you may want to have a professional come and work out the size that you need.

It is also important to make sure that you have a wide enough opening in your gate for your car to get through. This is particularly important if you have a driveway that is wide enough for two cars, you will want to have a gate that is wide enough to allow two cars through. Also keep in mind that you will need to have enough width to allow larger vehicles like delivery trucks and emergency vehicles to get into your driveway when necessary. Some gates have a beam that runs over the driveway to support them, if you choose one of these you will also have to measure the height of the vehicles going in and out of your driveway.

The next consideration is how your driveway gate opens. There are basically two options here, they can swing open or they can slide open. In general swinging gates are cheaper and also more popular, they do however require room to be able to swing open. This is generally not a problem however as a driveway usually has the necessary space. A sliding gate is an option to consider if you don't have room for a swinging gate, it does however take up additional space on your lawn. Whatever option you choose make sure that you get one that opens automatically, after a few times getting out of your car to open a manual gate in the rain you will regret trying to save money by not getting an automatic one.

The last consideration and probably the most important for many people is the appearance of the gate. Your driveway gate is going to be the first thing that most people see when they drive up to your house so you are going to want to make sure that you get one that looks good.

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How to Install a Driveway Gate

The first thing to decide on when installing a driveway gate is whether you are going to build the gate your self or use a kit. If have never done it before it is probably best to use a kit and for the rest of this article we are going to assume that is what you are going to do. If however you decide to build your own gates there is lots of information on the internet about how to do it.

The next consideration is where you are going to put the gate. The natural thought for most people is to put the gate at the very end of the driveway, this is usually not the best option however. You have to keep in mind that you are going to have to wait for the gate to open, it is best to not have to do this on the road. Ideally you should leave enough space for your car to sit at the end of your driveway while the gates open, keeping mind of course that you need enough room behind the gate to park your car. It is also important to make sure that the gates will be able to opens safely so look around for any obstructions that might be in the way.

The first step in the actual installation of a driveway gate is to level the ground on either side of the driveway at the location where you are planning to put the gate. The gates won't open properly if there is a change in elevation. It should not be too difficult to level the ground as we are talking about a fairly small area so you should be able to do it with a shovel.

The most difficult part of the installation is digging the post holes. The first step in doing this is to figure out exactly where to put them. This you should be able to find in the instructions that come with your driveway gate. It is important to make sure that you get the posts the right distance from each other and from the driveway as well as to the right depth so make sure that you read the instructions and measure carefully.

You can dig the post holes using a post hole digger, this is by far the easiest way to do it as you will not need to go too deep. When you are digging the post holes however it is a good idea to go down about six inches deeper than is necessary and put in some concrete for a base, this will help to keep things nice and steady.

Once you have the post hole dug you are going to need to put in the posts. It is critically important that the posts be straight and level, both horizontally and vertically, you can check this with a plumb bob. When you put in the second post it is also critically important that it is at the same height as the first one, a laser level will make this easy but you can also use a string level if that is all you have.

Once you have made sure that the posts are straight and level take some time to double check that they are the right distance apart. I can't stress enough how important getting the posts in the right place is to proper installation of a driveway gate. If you get it wrong you are going to need to get out a hammer drill and break up the concrete just to move the posts, a major hassle that you will want to avoid. Once you are sure that everything is right you can fill in the post holes with concrete to secure the posts.

Once the posts are firmly in place most of the work is done. At this point it is just a matter of attaching the gate to the posts which is fairly straightforward. The exact steps will vary from one gate to another so make sure that you read the instructions that come with yours.

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