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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