Everything You Need To Know About Choosing An Automatic Gate

The decision to install an automated gate is generally triggered by a desire to upgrade the security of your home, not just by restricting access to the property but also by creating an effective screen from the outside world. As well as delivering a feeling of enhanced privacy, certain styles of automated gate will make it very difficult for an opportunist thief to catch a glimpse of the house and any valuable assets. And if you have young children, or pets, an automated gate will also guard against the risk of any unplanned and unaccompanied exits from the family home!

Automatic Gate Checklist!

If you are considering investing in an automatic gate, here are some important pointers to bear in mind:

• Make sure that the gate you purchase is CE marked and is supplied with a Declaration of Conformity. All automated gates are legally required to carry a CE mark to show that they comply with the EU Machinery Directive.
• Automatic gates are actually classed as a machine, and as such, should only be installed (and maintained) by someone that is suitably qualified and therefore familiar with the knowledge necessary to deliver a safe and legally compliant gate. Gate Safe is a charity (supported by RoSPA and the UK Police Initiative ‘Secured by Design’), which was set up to improve standards in automated gate safety. The charity has rolled out an approved training course especially for installers (the course is accredited by IOSH, the world’s biggest health and safety membership organization). Check out your nearest Gate Safe Aware installer by visiting www.gate-safe.org.
• Don’t be tempted to skimp on the safety features which any suitably qualified installer should recommend for your gate. You may not be aware, but since 2010, there have been 15 accidents including six fatalities involving automated gates. The installer is likely to recommend photo cells and safety edges for the gate – you may feel they detract from the overall aesthetic appeal of the gate but what matters more, having a great looking gate or having a safe gate?
• Check that the gate you are purchasing will offer a long life service. Timber gates should be suitably treated to offer protection against rot and wood boring pests, Jacksons timber gates come supplied with a 25-year guarantee as standard. Metal gates should be supplied with a galvanized finish to provide added protection against rust. All Jacksons metal gates are galvanized as standard and are supported by a 25-year service life guarantee.
• Look carefully and check that you also have some kind of warranty for the automation equipment that is required to power the gate. All automation products supplied and installed by Jacksons are covered by a 25 month parts and labour guarantee, subject to a service contract being taken out in the second year.
• When you receive a quote for the automated gate, be sure to confirm that this includes a 12-month fully inclusive maintenance agreement, as it is essential that all automated gates are reviewed every six months as a minimum. The quote should also include a gratis training visit for the users of the gate.

For more helpful advice on automated gates visit Gate Safe.

Ask an expert! If you have any questions about choosing and installing an automated gate our team can help! Use the comments box below.

Be Prepared To Face The Floods

The break in the recent summer sunshine and ominous predictions for flash flooding bring to mind the terrible damage caused by the floods of earlier this year. January 2014 saw some parts of the country experience the wettest weather since records began in 1910.

Of the 28 million homes in the UK, over 5 million are prone to flooding – or one in six in England alone. But around 40% of these householders are blissfully ignorant of the fact that their homes are at risk!

Flood Prevention Tips

To make sure you don’t end up joining the growing queue for insurance claims relating to flood damage, here are some steps to take to prevent or limit the amount of water, which is able to enter your property following extreme weather conditions.

• Sandbags are a popular short term fix, which, when used with plastic sheeting, can help to prevent mud and silt from entering the property. However, they are not proven to prevent all water from weeping through.
• If you are aware that a flood situation is likely to occur, it is possible to install guards that will prevent water gaining access to your home via gaps in the front / back / patio doors.
• Ventilation bricks which could potentially provide a pathway for water can be screened off by fitting covers.
• If you are living in a flood prone area, it may be wise to ensure all floors are properly sealed.
• Tactical landscaping so that the garden slopes away from the house can help reduce the amount of water that is able to access the property – be aware that hard landscaping can increase the levels of water ‘runoff’.
• Consider fitting non-return valves in sewage pipes to stop sewage backing up into the house.
• Look at installing a perimeter fence which has built in flood defence qualities.

For further information on flooding visit www.floodforum.org.uk. You can also view areas at risk of flooding on the Environment Agency website www.environment-agency.gov.uk.