The gate on your fence serves as the access point to the rest of your property. This makes them an important safety feature, protecting your property and offering an emergency exit as is required by law. Aside from the nitty gritty, gates offer convenience and embellishment. They add a focus point to detract from the sheer blankness of a long fence. With all these considerations in mind, it’s clear that it is important to find the perfect gate for your fence.
Considerations When Choosing the Gate for Your Fence
There are quite a few things to consider while designing the gate for your fence. Once you’ve selected a design, let a professional team take care of the installation. The direction of the swing of a gate is determined by the layout of your property and by preference. Gates are braced diagonally to prevent sagging or warping.
Of Material Importance
The material out of which you make the gate for your fence is entirely your choice. Common selections are wood, aluminum, vinyl, wrought iron, composite, and chain link. Most gates are made of the same material as the surrounding fence. This makes installation more straightforward and gives a sense of unity to the structure. However, pairing a fence and a gate of different materials can be a bold style choice.
Is Bigger Better?
Your next choice is size. How big is your fence going to be? Single-door and double-door are the most common choices, and your final decision comes down to style preference and functionality. For example, if you store your boat or other vehicles behind your fence, a single gate panel is not going to cut it.
There are some standard gate sizes to keep in mind. Gates for smaller fences are typically three, four, five, or even six feet wide. Larger gates, typically of the sliding variety, are built in 10- or 12-foot sections, though gates as large as 14-, 16-, or 18-feet wide are not unheard of.
Stylish
This is arguably the most interesting facet of designing the gate for your fence. It certainly has the most variables. What kind of look are you going for in your gate style? Do you want to add a lattice pattern to part of the gate, or perhaps create the entire gate in that pattern? Board-on-board is a common and classic style. A gate made of pickets is a nice touch for an otherwise picket fence, and gates of spaced bars (iron or aluminum) work well for ornamental fences.
Give proper time to the designing of your gate so it can serve the design of your entire property. If you would like to consult a professional team to find out what is available or trending, come visit us at Bronco Fence.
Top of the Line
Planning the top of the gate does fall under the style category, but there are so many options, we simply have to highlight them. There are two things to consider when designing the top of your gate: general shape and detail. No matter what kind of details you select, the gate for your fence will probably be one of three shapes on top—arched, flat, or scalloped (which is the inverse of an arch).
The detailing of your gate’s top should match the rest of the design, but your options are not limited. Consider one or more of these common styles: framed, latticed, pointed pickets, dog-eared (which is essentially raw planks at the top), or gothic (which involves elaborately wrought metal).
Specialty Gates
Not every gate is going to be a little picket piece or a farm-style fastener that makes you want to ride horses. The right gate for your property is based on your needs, and sometimes that calls for a specialty gate.
Automated Gates
Automated gates use remote technology to more securely protect a gated area. Once unique to government property or gated communities, automated gates are becoming more accessible to individual homeowners.
Pool Gates
Pool fencing provides a measure of security for both your property and the people who enjoy it. The gate for such a fence needs to be the appropriate height to keep out unsupervised children with the right level of ease of access.
Pet Gates
Pet gates protect your furry friends from places that can be dangerous or otherwise out-of-bounds for them. They are usually temporary and mobile, but only you know what is best for your pet.
Gate Installation at Bronco Fence
Once you settle on the perfect gate for your fence, give our Bronco team a call. We can work through all the logistics and manage the installation process so you can sit back and enjoy your new gate.