Gates
Building a gate which will not sag or fall apart over the years is usually beyond the home handyman. Pickets can be nailed to a simple Z shaped frame. This will give reasonable service, providing you are not expecting too much of your gate. A well built wooden gate requires deep mortised joints which are dowelled and preferably glued. We use epoxy resin to consolidate our pinned deep mortised joints, virtually guaranteeing the gate frame will maintain its integrity for many years. This method is quite labor intensive and so adds to the cost of the gate. An alternative method is to screw the cladding to a galvanized metal frame. Lightweight and strong, metal frames provide a cost effective solution. We use both types of frame. Often the feature gate will be a solid mortise and tenon affair, while the driveway and service gates will have metal frames.Woven wire gates are silicon bronze welded using stainless steel scrolls, strong Emu wire and a galvanized frame. This produces a rust free base for a powder coat finish which will maintain its condition for many years.

Automatic gate opening systems
Automatics are becoming more affordable as globalization takes hold. They are now being manufactured all over the world. This means the convenience and security which these systems offer are within the reach of the average homeowner; and once you’ve experienced their benefits, you’ll wonder how you ever did without them.

They are available for both sliding and swing gates.

Sliding gates:
These gates usually roll across the driveway on a 1/2 round track. They have a guide at the top of the gate to keep it on track. The motor has a cog wheel and toothed track. When the remote is pressed, the wheel turns, moving the gate. It is a simple and effective system which has been around for many years now.
Note here the automatic opening unit. The control board, battery and motor are housed under the blue cover. Also note the cog wheel and toothed rack, and the roller (housed inside the rectangular tube) and 1/2 round track on which the gate rolls.

The remote receiver.
Power is supplied by a 240 volt outside power point. The units can be plugged directly into a power point at the gate, or can be connected via low voltage wire to a power point on the house or in the garage. Features include automatic opening/closing, torque control, and pedestrian mode.

Automatic opening/closing:
The gate will open with the remote signal, and then automatically close after a pre-determined time, say 30 seconds.
Torque control: The gate will stop and reverse if it is obstructed, say by a car. This can be set to any strength.Pedestrian mode:The gate will open a short distance, say one metre, to let pedestrians in and out. One button on the remote is reserved for this purpose.Manual Button: The gate can be opened by a button outside of the gate if public access is desired.

Swing Gates:
Swing gates open inwards and are the normal type of gate.
Two types of system have been developed. The older style has a wheel which turns an arm, which turns the gate. The receiver board is built into one of the motors, which are fixed to the back of a post or pier. This method is reliable, but suffers from being a little bulky. It needs about 150mm at the back of the post and some space behind the gate to operate because of the elbow in the arm. It is a good unit for brick piers, but is not suitable where space is a consideration, such as when the gate is close to a side fence. They need a 240 volt power point at the gate, with a low power cable running to the unit on the other side of the driveway.
The newer types have “actuators”, basically arms which extend in and out. The control box is separate, with a cable running from the control box to each actuator. They will fit on any 120mm post and can be used even when the gate is hard up against a side fence. Many will be low voltage and have battery backup, with low voltage cable running from the unit to a power point on the house.

Coel.CT Automatic Swing Gate Openers and sliding gate openers.
Coel.Ct are an established company in Italy (The home of automatic gate openers) who manufacture reliable state of the art gate openers which work well and look great.The control box plugs into a 240 volt power point on the house, garage or fence. Low voltage garden cable then runs in conduit to the actuator (gate motor). The system is fully optioned, with 2 or more remotes, aerial, sensors, limelight, intercom opening, etc.

We import the systems you see here.
And we have a good understanding of what will work for you. We can fit them for you if you are in Melbourne, or can freight them to your door if you live elsewhere. They can be fitted by a handyman, with a bit of advice from us. You can call us and we will talk you through
the installation process.