There are all kinds of reasons to install a fence around your property. Fences add privacy, they add security, and they can also add beauty. But when it comes to choosing a fence gate design, there’s a whole new slew of questions you need to ask. Because a fence is great, but with no way to bypass it, all you’ve done is lock yourself in your home. Choosing the wrong gate, though, can undo all the hard work put in by the rest of the fence.
4 Questions You Need to Ask When Choosing a Fence Gate Design
Question #1: How Hard Is It To Get Through?
A fence gate represents the point of minimum security. It is, after all, a spot in your fence that’s meant to be breached. So you need to ask how hard the gate is to get through, and how secure you need it to be.
For example, if you fenced your yard to keep in dogs and small children, then a gate doesn’t have to be particularly hard to open. A simple thumb latch located too high for the little ones to reach should be more than enough to maintain your fence’s security. However, if you’re trying to keep out trespassers, then you might want something a little harder to bypass. A locked gate, one with a keypad or even an automated sensor, might be a better investment in that case.
Question #2: Form, Function, or Both?
A gate can be either the center of attention, or something that’s meant to fade into the background. A fence’s front gate, for example, can make a statement about who lives there. If you have a wrought iron fence, say, then the front gate might have a symbols worked into it. The initials of the homeowner, say, or a fantastical creature. A rear or side gate, though, isn’t meant to draw that kind of notice. In those instances it’s a better idea to pick a subtle gate that blends in with the rest of the fence. The camouflage can make the gate harder to notice, which will add to its security.
Question #3: How Many Gates Will You Have?
Even the most secure fences tend to have a few gates. For example, do you have a side gate that leads from the driveway to your front walk? Do you have a rear gate that lets you leave your home from the backyard, walking down a path into the woods? Will all your gates be the same, or will you have main gates and secondary gates? Lastly, though, you need to decide if all your gates will have the same level of security, or if certain gates are more important than others.
Question #4: Keep Nature in Mind
When you choose a gate, as when you choose a fence, you need to keep in mind that nature is not a static thing. If you have small trees, or tamed bushes, you need to ask what’s going to happen years down the road when those plants have grown. This is particularly true for gates that are set in hedges, for homeowners who prefer to have natural greenery protecting their yards instead of chain link or wooden slats. Unless the homeowner is going to take specific care, it’s possible that the hedge might swallow the gate, and need to be trimmed back with extreme prejudice.
These are, of course, just a few of the issues that can crop up when it comes to choosing the proper gates for your fence. If you need help, or you simply have questions you want the experts to field, all you have to do is contact us today!