Driveway gates

Yes. We design each driveway gate to suit the property, then measure the opening on site. The finish, height, style and colour can follow your walls, your fence or the front of the house. A modern home might suit horizontal slats or flat panels. An older house might suit a traditional design or laser-cut detail. If you have existing palisade or steel fencing, we can match the profile and spacing so the gate looks like part of the same boundary. The gate should look like it belongs there, not like it arrived on a truck. Photos of the house and anything you like help us get the design right. We share the design and the measurements with you before anything is made, and the written quotation sets out the finish and materials.

Yes. We can supply the driveway gate and the gate motor together, or build the gate now and automate it later. Either way, we build the gate so a motor fits without changes, with the right track, wheels, gear rack (the toothed strip the motor drives along) or hinges for the motor it will run on. Supplying both together means one company is responsible for the whole entrance, so there's no argument later about whether a fault lies with the gate or the motor. A good setup includes battery backup for load-shedding, safety beams to stop the gate closing on a car or a person, and rolling code remotes, which are much harder to copy. We can add an intercom, keypad or anti-tamper cage at the same time. The written quotation lists each item, so you can choose what to include.

The right choice depends on your driveway's width, slope and the space beside and behind the gate. Sliding gates suit most driveways and save space, because they run along the wall instead of swinging into the drive. They need enough clear wall beside the opening. Swing gates suit wider entrances and a more traditional look, but need clear space behind the gate to open. On a slope, a swing gate can scrape the paving as it opens, so the slope often decides for you. Sliding gates also handle wind better, which counts for tall, solid gates. Both can be automated, and both can be made in the same range of styles. On the site visit, we measure the entrance and check the slope, then tell you which suits your driveway.

It depends on the design you choose. Clearview panels, mesh, palisade and spaced bars let you see the street before you open the gate, which helps when you're arriving or leaving at night. Solid sheet metal and close slats keep your yard, cars and family out of view from the street. Each has a trade-off. A see-through gate shows you who's outside, but also shows passers-by what's inside. A solid gate gives privacy, but you need a camera or video intercom to see who's waiting. Some people choose a mix, with privacy at the bottom and a clearer view at the top, or a solid gate with a camera on the pillar. On the site visit, we talk through what you'd like to see and hide, and design the gate around it.