Choosing the right metal gate for your site

From construction sites to residential neighbourhoods, private homes, public spaces and commercial offices, fences and gates make up a core part of the exterior infrastructure of your space – ensuring optimum privacy as well as security.

But with aesthetic detail as much a part of consumers’ selection process as the durability and effectiveness of their finished structure, finding the best metal gates which tick all of those boxes is key to ensuring that customers get the look, the quality, and the security they want from their gates.

Here at Jacksons Fencing, we manufacture and install a number of different metal gates – each boasting their own structural benefits and features to suit your needs and your site, from material and design, to gate configuration, and automation. If you're looking to compare types of metal fencing, check out our dedicated blog post.

Which metal gate material is best for you?

Metal gates have long been fundamental to the finishing of an outside space – around public buildings, parks, residential houses and neighbourhoods, and other commercial sites. Whether you’re seeking a farm gate, ornamental gates for your home, secure gates for a hazardous or high security site, or oversized gates for a school entrance, there is a tendency to opt for a wrought iron style – with its permanency in the market making it an obvious choice for consumers.

However, as wrought iron presents a heavy and high maintenance material which needs annual coating to prevent rust, which can often require welding to hold the gates in place, and which is expensive to manufacture, transport, and install, here at Jacksons Fencing we work with much more versatile and flexible galvanised steel gates. Here’s why you should consider steel gates for your next project:

Now you have the material for your metal gates sorted, it’s time to consider the other features and functional components of your gates – from design to configuration and more.

Exploring the features of metal gates: what does your site need?

Design

When it comes to choosing the best metal gates, design does not simply impact the aesthetic look of your gates – it also plays a part in the usability, functionality and safety of those gates. For example, vertical bar gates are practical and offer a smart appearance for sports grounds, parks, and schools, while welded mesh gates offer simple, cost efficient access for hazardous sites and construction areas where aesthetics are less important. Meanwhile, chain link gates are great for sports pitches and courts, while estate gates are ideal for separating areas of land and visualising borders between land sites.

In addition to selecting the design that best suits your site, we offer ornamental metal designs which combine modern materials and security systems with classic and timeless designs – giving you the best of both worlds with the timeless look of wrought iron gates but contained within the galvanised steel structure.

Configuration and Build

Once you’ve selected the material and decided on a design focus for your gates, it’s time to consider the finer details and those aspects that will enhance the usability of your gates in line with their intended purpose.

The configuration of your metal gates considers how they will open – with our solutions including a sliding function, bi-folding gates, single-leaf (like opening a single door) and double-leaf (opening in the centre) swing gates, and playground gates which maximise security and are installed with child-friendly open and close functions and anti trap designs.

Whether or not you opt to have your gates automated, our team can provide advice and information on how to maximise the usability of your gates in line with their intended usage.

Automation

The process of automation is something that can be factored into virtually any kind of new gate, with consumers and commercial clients opting for automation as a means of saving time and boosting the accessibility of their gated spaces.

Delivering all of our gate automation services under a 25 month guarantee, subject to an ongoing servicing contract being taken out in the second year of ownership, we combine installation with maintenance to make sure that your site remains secure and safe. All our gate automation is CE marked and completed to the highest standard following all currently regulations and standards.

Security

For many of our clients, security is top of the list when it comes to the selection and installation of metal gates – citing security as their main reason for installing gates in the first place.

Because of this, we only ever offer the best on the market in terms of security, with our bi-fold gates rated as PAS 68 for hostile vehicle mitigation purposes, and LPS 1175 certified versions of our swing gates which allows them to withstand attempts at forced entry.

Our team of gate manufacturers and engineers are DHF trained to a minimum level of 2, which gives them insight and experience to ensure every installation is completed to the highest of safety standards.

Which metal gates are best for you?

When it comes to selecting the right metal gates for you, from the way that they open to the aesthetic finish of the material in terms of colour and design, it is important to consider how secure you need them to be, the local environment and how you can optimise both accessibility and usability through the integration of functions like automation.

For more advice on how to source and select the best metal gates for your home, business, or commercial site, our team are always on hand to discuss your project before booking in a time to conduct an onsite consultation and installation.