Gates and Automation
Driveway, pedestrian and pool gates built to match the fence
Gates for Birkdale and Eastern Brisbane Homes
A gate is the part of a fence that moves, which is why it's the part that fails. Hinges carry the whole weight on two points, latches get used thousands of times, and on a driveway gate you add a motor, a track and an electrical supply to the list. Most of the gate repairs we're called to aren't worn out, they were built light or hung badly in the first place.
We build gates to suit the opening rather than ordering a stock size and packing out the gap. Frames are welded aluminium or steel depending on the span and the material, hung on hinges rated for the actual weight, with a drop bolt or centre stop on double gates so the leaves don't flex. On bayside jobs the hardware is marine-grade stainless, because a seized hinge on a gate you use every day is an immediate problem rather than a cosmetic one.
Driveway gates bring their own constraints out here. Plenty of blocks around Birkdale and Alexandra Hills have a cross-fall or a rising driveway, which rules out some sliding setups and makes swing geometry important. Narrow frontages on the older Wynnum and Manly blocks often can't give up the swing arc, so a sliding or cantilever gate is the only sensible answer. We work that out on site before quoting a motor.
What You Get From Us
- Made to the opening, not packed out to fit a stock size
- Same profile and colour as your fence, so it reads as one job
- Hinges and hardware rated for the real weight of the leaf
- Marine-grade stainless fixings close to the water
- Pool gates built to self-close and self-latch compliantly
- Automation with battery backup for storm-season outages
- Slope and access assessed before a mechanism is specified
Gate Types
Materials
Aluminium
Light, won't corrode, and the practical choice for wide driveway gates and anything near the water. Slat, blade, flat-top and tubular infills available to match aluminium or Colorbond fencing.
Colorbond Infill
Steel sheet in a welded frame, matching a Colorbond boundary exactly. Full privacy, same colour, and the obvious pick when the gate sits in the middle of a Colorbond run.
Timber
Palings or slats on a timber or steel frame. Suits a timber fence and an older home. Needs a properly braced frame, because a timber gate that isn't diagonally braced will drop at the latch within a year.
Steel Frame
Welded and galvanised steel for long spans and heavy-duty use. Where a gate needs to take a knock, this is what goes under the infill.
Automation
We fit swing-arm, underground and sliding gate motors, with remotes, keypads, intercom integration and safety beams across the opening. Two things we always include out here: battery backup, because the bayside suburbs lose power in storm season and a gate you can't open is a problem; and a manual release so you can get in and out when the power is down for longer.
Automation needs a power supply at the gate, which sometimes means a licensed electrician running a circuit. We'll tell you up front if that's part of the job rather than discovering it on installation day.
Where We Install
- Driveway entrances across Birkdale, Cleveland and Victoria Point
- Pool gates needing to pass or regain compliance
- Narrow-frontage blocks through Wynnum and Manly where swing room is tight
- Sloping and cross-fall driveways needing cantilever setups
- Acreage entrances at Thorneside, Sheldon and Mount Cotton
- Commercial yards and gated access around Capalaba
Common Questions
Sliding or swinging for my driveway?
It comes down to space and ground levels. If you have clear flat arc to swing into, swing gates cost less and have fewer parts. If the driveway rises, falls across the opening, or there's no room for the arc, sliding is the answer. We measure the fall and the available run before recommending either, because getting this wrong is expensive to undo.
What happens in a blackout?
With battery backup fitted, the gate keeps working for a good number of cycles. Without it, you're on the manual release. Given how reliably the bayside loses power in a summer storm, we fit backup as standard rather than as an upsell, and we show you where the manual release is before we leave.
Why does my gate sag at the latch?
Almost always one of three things: the frame has no diagonal brace, the hinges are underrated for the weight, or the hinge post wasn't footed deep enough and has leaned. All three are build decisions, not wear. We can rehang an existing gate if the leaf is sound, or replace it if the frame itself has racked.
Can you automate a gate I already have?
Often yes, provided the gate is straight, the hinges and posts can take the extra duty cycle, and there's power available. We'll assess it honestly. Bolting a motor to a tired gate just means the motor tears the gate apart faster, so sometimes the right advice is to replace the leaf first.
How wide should a driveway gate be?
For a single car, 3 metres is workable and 3.6 is comfortable. If you tow a boat or caravan, which plenty of people on the bayside do, go wider than you think you need and consider the turning angle off the street as well as the raw opening. We'd rather have that conversation before fabrication.
Does a pool gate have specific rules?
Yes, and they're strict. It must open away from the pool, self-close from any position including just ajar, self-latch with the release at the required height, and have no footholds in the non-climbable zone. A gate propped open or with a tired closer is the most common reason a pool fails inspection.
Gate Dragging, Sagging or Stuck?
We rehang and rebuild as well as install new, so tell us what it's doing and we'll work out whether it's a fix or a replacement.
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