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Featuring modern sliding gate design ideas, its benefits and limitations, and more than 13 modern sliding gate design ideas to get inspired from.
Sliding Gates have become popular worldwide because they are easy to operate and install and very convenient to operate. The basic purpose of any gate is security, style, and safety, and sliding gates fulfill all these parameters, making them the perfect choice for your house.
What are Sliding Gates?
Sliding gates are pretty self-explanatory, and when opening or closing, they will slide side to side. When installing driveway gates that slide, there is the choice of the gate being split in the middle and both parts moving in opposing directions, or they can all slide in the same direction. It is up to you to determine the best solution for your home.
How do Sliding Gates Work?
Sliding gates move across a driveway opening into a space to the side of one gate post that is both in line with the opening and longer than the gate itself.
It is most often a single leaf, with wheels beneath its base that runs on a track across the driveway entrance.
Sliding gates are moved by a motor to which a protruding toothed cog is attached.
This meshes with a rack mounted on the inside of the gate, opening or closing the gate as the motor rotates the cog.
Key Factors to Consider While Choosing a Sliding Main Gate Design
Your home’s exterior style will dictate the type of your gate. The gate should complement the exterior of your home and not be out of place. A galvanized sliding steel gate, for example, is perfect for a modern, contemporary house. A wrought iron sliding gate design, on the other hand, complements older or more traditional architectural properties and can be used in a variety of styles.
(1) The Type of Main Gate Design: Broadly speaking, two factors will determine the type of main gate design you choose – style and size.
There are many gate options, but the most popular ones are swing gates or sliding gates. A swing gate is used for driveways. Depending on the space available and your architectural needs, you can choose from single, double, or bi-fold swings gates.
On the other hand, a sliding gate design can give your property a contemporary, modern look.
(2) Property Size: It is vital to consider the size of your property and the amount of space you are willing to give to the front entrance gate. A sliding gate that is compact and easy to install will work well for smaller driveways; however, large driveways can accommodate a swing gate.
(3) Maintenance of Gate: Different material requires different maintenance needs. A sliding wooden gate, for example, needs to be stained or treated regularly. On the other hand, a Wrought iron slider gate requires less maintenance and is more resistant to corrosion when adequately protected.
Types of Sliding Gates
Tracked Sliding Gate Design
Tracked sliding gates slide along a fixed track, upon which the majority of the gate’s weight is carried on wheels. The track is positioned in the opening and is located through the bottom of the gate. The gate itself usually has an automated operation. Tracked sliding gates are either a single or paired-leaf, or telescopic type.
Benefits of Tracked Sliding Gate Design
Space Efficient
The main benefit of tracked sliding gates is that they’re efficient in space and can be used in areas with limited room beyond the gates. They’re suitable for heavy and high gate designs and span large openings, and they can also have a lower profile from the ground.
Robust Design
Tracked sliding gates provide excellent security since they are extremely difficult to open, and the weak points within their framework are extremely difficult to reach. Due to their strong design, they’re highly robust in extreme weather conditions, such as strong winds.
More Maintenance
They are simpler mechanically in comparison to cantilever gates. However, specifiers must consider that track-sliding gates require higher maintenance levels. To allow the gate to operate effectively, the track must be maintained, regularly cleaned, and kept free of debris. They’re also not suitable for areas with uneven terrain.
Cantilever Sliding Gate Design
A sliding cantilever gate is counterbalanced and doesn’t require a track across the opening. This kind of gate is based on post-mounted rollers that slide on the form of a tubular track that is attached to the lower part of the gate.
The guide rollers on the top of the gate also allow the mobility of gates. This gate style could be a single- or paired-leaf design. Small cantilever gates are available for pedestrian access where vehicular entry isn’t required.
Benefits of Cantilever Sliding Gate Design
Quicker To Install
They take less time to set up because no foundation work is required to build the track.
Less Maintenance
They also require less maintenance because there is no requirement to keep the space under the gate free of any debris. They are generally cheaper than track sliding gates and have a quieter operation.
Ideal for Uneven Ground
Because there aren’t tracks in the ground, cantilever gates are great in areas where the gates are positioned on uneven ground or in areas where there is an upward slope towards the gate’s opening.
In terms of space efficiency, the drawback of cantilever sliding gates is that the overall length of the gate will be greater than the gap it would span on your site; this allows for the counterbalance on the trailing end of the gate.
Telescopic Sliding Gate Design
Telescopic sliding gate systems are the ideal solution for wide opening areas with little or no run-back in a single-sided sliding arrangement to set up the traditional sliding gates.
They are constructed in three, four, or even more gates and consequently reduce the need for parking space and back run.
When multiple leaves are moving simultaneously, the gate’s speed of opening and travel will increase drastically. Each telescopic gate panel moves at a different rate until the final position is achieved simultaneously, controlled by a specially designed telescopic mechanism. Telescopic gates are customized and manufactured in accordance with the requirements of specific sites; they are ideal for heavy to medium use.
Benefits of Telescopic Sliding Gate Design
- Telescopic gates are best suitable to cover wider openings & limited backspace.
- It can be designed in 2 to 3 leafs for single slide motion.
- High opening and closing speed as compared to other sliding gates.
- Telescopic gates provide long life with minimum maintenance.
- You can manually operate the gate in case of power failure.
- Trouble-free, smooth operation.
Sliding Gate Design – The Advantages
To understand why many homeowners prefer sliding gates, take a look at these points:
- For sliding gate design, a small amount of space is required: With sliding gates, a little amount of space must be available between the front and behind the gate. That’s because the gate will retract to the side of the gate, as opposed to a swinging gate that will swing inwards or outwards. This means you can place your gate near the road without any issues.
- With a sliding gate design, there is no damage to the bottom of the Gate: Because sliding gates are placed upon wheels, you won’t be faced with the issue of damaged gates caused by collision with the ground or even objects placed on the ground. This, in turn, will decrease the instances in which damages occur, and repairs have to be completed.
- Steep Slopes: If you have a steep driveway and want to use a sliding gate, it is the ideal solution since it won’t have to be moved against the steep slope. However, when you have a swinging gate, it could be a mess trying to find an option where the gate is able to open in a way that doesn’t collide with the ground.
Modern Sliding Gate Design Ideas
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Modern Sliding Gate Design Ideas (10 to 12)
Also Read: 10 Unique Modern Iron Gate Design Ideas 2022
- How much space do you need for a sliding gate?
It is necessary to have enough space on one side of your entrance for the gate to move back, so if your entryway is 3m wide, for instance it will require at least 3m of space on one side.
- Which gate is better sliding or swing?
If you don't wish to be concerned about maintenance of your gate and maintenance, then the swing gate is probably the best choice. It is very easy to maintain when compared with a sliding gate that needs the tracks to be cleared regularly and even the tiniest debris creating jamming problems on the track.
- Are sliding gates good?
Slide gates can be extremely robust and last for long without issues for a long time. Because sliding gates are typically mounted on tracks or may be constructed using cantilever designs, they are ideal for use on rough terrain and don't care whether you have a sloped driveway, either.
- Are swing gates more expensive than sliding gates?
Swinging gates are usually more affordable. There are fewer moving parts, and less setup required on the fence's end and no floor tracks make the installation of these gates less costly.
