Installation Considerations
What to Consider When Ordering Gates for the Garden or Driveway
Adding a gate to your property will serve many functions, including protection and restricted access to the home or garden. However, when doing so, it is crucial to note that all aspects of the installation must be considered before ordering to avoid any costly mistakes.
Here at Metal Gates Direct, we have outlined the main areas below to which we suggest you pay close attention.
Sizes
Whilst covered in more detail within the ordering guide and measuring guide pages, we cannot stress the importance of selecting the right size gate to suit your opening measurements.
When ordering metal gates, the most important thing to know is that they are NOT LISTED as the PHYSICAL WIDTH. Instead, they are listed as the opening into which they will fit. This means that you do not need to worry about how much space to allow for items such as the hinges or latch. To reiterate, for a simple gate installation fitted between 2 brick walls, all you need to do is measure the distance between the opening (from brick to brick), and this will give you the ordering size.
Once your ordering size has been established, browse through our online store to find a match to the measurement you have, or if this is not available, you can contact us to get a quote for a made-to-measure size.
Opening
Depending on the required application of the gate and the distance it is required to span, there will be vast variations in the item's weight. This is an essential consideration because not all existing brickwork will be of sufficient strength to provide an adequate and durable means of support.
For example, if you span a large driveway and the pillars are already out of plumb, fitting heavy driveway gates to each pillar would not be advisable. This is because an underlying issue with the foundations is already apparent, and any additional weight placed onto the structure would only lead to increased movement or even a total collapse. With this in mind, if you are unsure of the suitability of any existing brickwork, please consult a local builder or as an alternate solution, the problem can be easily overcome by installing metal posts.
Design
Whilst the addition of a gate to your garden or driveway will not only add security but will help to increase privacy, they are available to buy online in hundreds of styles, sizes and designs. As a result, the correct one must be specified to suit your home's architectural style. This is because selecting the wrong design can leave the home vulnerable to criminals and make the space look poorly thought out.
With this in mind, the easiest way to pick a suitable design is to look at the overall architectural style of your property and try to find a design to suit. For example, selecting a bow-topped gate will complement existing features if your home has arched windows and doors.
What gates suit what property?
Period Architecture
This property style is best suited to a gate design with ornate scrollwork. Popular examples of such designs are as follows.
- Royal Monarch
- Westminster
- Stirling
- Edinburgh
Traditional Architecture
Covering anything from a 1950s semi-through to a chalet bungalow, the range of options for this style of architecture is limitless. Popular designs include the following.
Security
If the gate you wish to install is required to provide security as one of its primary functions, then it is strongly advisable to specify a height that is difficult for trespassers, vandals or criminals to climb over. In these instances, we suggest you look at our range of metal side gates. Alternatively, if you need to restrict access to any pedestrian entrance around the garden or where the driveway needs a high level of security, we advise you to look at our range of heavy-duty wrought iron-style estate gates.
Furthermore, where a lower level of security is required (such as the front path), we recommend you look at our wide array of metal garden gate designs.
Consider how you want the gates to lock?
Unless you specify the addition of a lock that can be operated by key (at the time of ordering) all metal gates will be supplied with a latch that can be secured using a padlock. Whilst this is adequate for 90% of installations, some homeowners prefer a more convenient method of locking the gate, so if this is something you are interested in, please contact Metal Gates Direct before ordering. We will be able to provide you with the additional price.
For further information about anything discussed on this page, email sales@metalgatesdirect.co.uk, and we will be on hand to offer help and advice. Alternatively, read the measuring guide, ordering guide and installation advice pages or refer to the frequently asked questions category to find many answers to common queries.