Fencing and Gates Perth: Gates That Match and Close Properly

Gates come in the same materials as the fence they sit in: Colorbond steel sheet, aluminium slat and batten, timber, and glass or aluminium for pool areas. Matching the material is what makes a gate look intended. The same fencer can pick the colour, slat spacing and post style to suit the run.

Size splits the choices. A pedestrian gate is the single side or front gate for people. A driveway gate is wider, either a double swing pair or a sliding gate that tracks along the fence line. A sliding gate suits a short driveway where swinging leaves would hit a parked car, and it can be fitted with a motor and remote.

Wind pushes on a solid gate like a sail, so the fencer needs to assess how exposed the opening is. A slatted gate lets some air through, while a solid Colorbond leaf needs a stronger frame and sturdier posts.

A sagging gate usually means the hinge post has moved or the frame is too heavy for its hardware. In loose or sandy ground, a post set without enough concrete can lean under the gate's weight. The far corner then drops and scrapes the ground, and the latch no longer meets its catch.

Other causes are worn hinges, a frame that has lost its square shape and timber that has swollen or warped. Each needs a different fix. Tightened hinges cost little, a reset post takes more, and a twisted frame may be cheaper to replace than straighten.

The fencer confirms the cause on site. A diagonal brace or adjustable hinge can pull a gate back into line, but only when the post underneath is still solid. A heavy Colorbond leaf can call for deeper or wider footings, which is why the post is settled before the gate is hung.

Colorbond gates drag for the same reasons as any gate, with a few quirks. The steel sheet is light, so the frame behind it carries the load, and a thin frame flexes in wind until the latch misses. The sheet also catches the breeze, which puts a steady sideways push on the hinge post.

In a Colorbond fence, one loose post can narrow the gap above or below the gate. The fix is to correct the post first and then re-hang the gate. Adjusting hinges alone only hides the movement for a while.

Cut edges on the sheet should be cleaned of swarf, the metal filings left by cutting, and touched up. Filings left on the surface rust and stain the finish.

One fencer can build the fence run and the gate together, and that is usually the tidiest result. Posts, gaps and colour come from the same plan, so the gate sits flush with the panels either side. When two trades split the work, the gate can arrive slightly out of line or in a different shade.

It also leaves one person to call if something needs adjusting later.

Price follows width, material, how the gate opens and how much groundwork sits underneath. A narrow timber side gate is a small job. A wide sliding driveway gate with a motor needs a track, footings and power, so it costs more.

Other drivers are removing an old gate and posts, uneven ground that calls for a stepped gate and extras such as a lock or self-closing hinge. Repair is often cheaper than replacement when the frame is sound and only the post or hinges have failed.

A quote sets the agreed scope, though a hidden problem such as a rotted post can still change it.

A pool gate has a different job from a side gate. It has to close and latch by itself every time, so a gate that drags is a safety problem as well as an annoyance. Pool barriers follow their own rules, and a fencer who builds them sets the gate, hinges and latch to suit.

For privacy and security from the street or neighbours, a solid Colorbond or timber gate blocks sightlines and a lockable latch keeps it shut. A front gate in the same colour and slat spacing as the fence reads as one finished boundary from the street.

Gate dragging, sagging or not latching? Give the width and what it is doing, then request a fence quote.