How to choose the right accessories for sliding gates
Ordering sliding gates with their installation in a construction company will not be cheap. It is much more profitable to make and assemble the structure on your own, and purchase only components for sliding gates. The set includes parts and mechanisms that allow the gate leaf to fully open and close until it stops. If desired, the gates are supplemented with an electric drive with a remote control. In this case, you can control the movement of the sash without leaving the car.
Types of sliding gates
When ordering a sliding gate kit, you must be sure that it will work for you. Structurally, the gates differ into three types:
- Suspended are a beam-rail laid in the upper part of the opening. The door leaf is attached to the rollers on the rail, and has no support in the lower part.
- The rails move on a roller that is welded to the bottom of the sash.
- The cantilevers move along guides on rollers outside the opening.
The sets of accessories for them also differ.
List and description of components
Hardware for sliding gates is similar for all manufacturers, it may differ only in shape, size or material. Let's consider it in more detail.
The mortgage is a support for the entire structure of sliding gates, it is along it that the leaf moves. For cantilever gates, a foundation is required under the mortgage, for other types it is not required. The mortgage is a welded structure of three U-shaped channels, the lower part of which is buried in the ground and concreted.
The supporting profile (cantilever beam, guide) is a channel made of strong steel with edges bent inward. The guide is welded to the bottom of the sash. It moves on roller carriages.
A roller carriage (roller support) is a platform on which 4 pairs of rollers are installed. It is on them that the door leaf moves. The roller is based on a ball bearing, pressed in with grease. Roller carriages may vary in size and design. For very light gates, they are made of plastic, but usually made of metal.
Support rollers for sliding gates are used in rail and cantilever types and are 2 or 4 plastic rollers between which the leaf moves. This hardware keeps the door leaf in an upright position, preventing it from deflecting in the wind.
Catchers are needed to fix the sash in the extreme position. The upper catchers hold the edge of the gate at the top, while the lower ones are connected to the knurled rollers when closing.
The knurled roller is mounted at the end of the cantilever guide. It looks like a metal box with a small wheel inside. When the gate is closed, the knurled roller is fixed by the lower catcher.
Carrying beam plugs are placed at its ends and prevent various debris, snow and moisture from entering it. They are made of metal or durable polystyrene.
The canvas is the main detail in sliding gates with your own hands... As a rule, the leaf is made of profiled sheet, galvanized or sheet steel on a welded metal frame.
The sash movement is controlled manually or automatically. If the gate is heavy, the second option is preferable.
Automatic drive
The electric motor is usually attached to a mortgage. Drive for sliding gates reliably protected from water ingress by a casing, which is equipped with cooling holes in the lower part. It is best to lay the power cable underground in advance to avoid damage. Automation of the drive provides for gate control using a remote control or a button on the gate.
Limit switches (limit switches) turn off the motor when the door leaf comes to the end position.
The protection and control unit is usually located in an electrical panel with adequate protection against water ingress.
There are several factors to consider when choosing an automation:
- the mass of the moving part of the gate;
- counterweight length and weight;
- quality of fittings and their installation;
- intensity of use.
Also, the choice is influenced by the weather conditions in your area. For a Siberian climate with severe frosts, it is advisable to select drives of increased power.
Locks for sliding gates
Castle will be needed if the design of the sliding gate will be used without automation. Hook locks are suitable for this type of gate. They can be of the following types:
- mechanical ones are opened with a key on both sides;
- electromechanical can be opened both with a key and remotely, from an intercom or remote control;
- they do not have code keys, it is enough to press the combination of numbers that the owner sets;
- cylinder keys are opened with flat keys, which are extremely difficult to counterfeit.
A home-made constipation welded to the gate is considered reliable enough.
Rail kits assembly
All of the above components can be purchased separately, but it is easier to buy a ready-made kit. In this case, you will receive all the necessary parts at once:
- cantilever guides;
- catchers;
- roller carriages;
- knurled roller;
- supporting rollers;
- stubs.
Before buying, you must check the parameters of your gate with those indicated on the package. The length of the gate and its weight must match.
Firms producing ready-made kits for sliding gates
Alutech - a group of companies is the market leader in roller shutter systems and sectional doors in Eastern Europe. Having our own production facilities and high-tech equipment allows us to produce a wide range of quality products.
DoorHan - the company is presented as the leader of the Russian market with 8 factories in Russia. Known for its own design gate designs.
Welser Profile, this largest group of companies has facilities in Europe and North America. The oldest production in this niche was founded in the 17th century as a family smithy. Its total production area currently exceeds half a million square meters.
Roltek, a domestic manufacturer, is rightfully proud of the fact that the entire production cycle takes place in Russia. Specializes in suspended and sliding gates.
The company manufactures several sets of accessories for sliding gates, designed for sashes of different lengths and weight from 350 kg to 2 tons:
- Roltek Micro - the set is designed for compact lightweight gates no more than 4 m long and weighing up to 350 kg;
- Roltek Eco is chosen to install a sash with a length of 7 m and a weight of up to 500 kg;
- Roltek Euro is used in the heavier category. It is suitable for gates 6 to 9 m long and weighing over 500 kg;
- Roltek Max is designed for very large structures installed in production facilities. With their help, they block openings up to 18 m in length. Reinforced beams can support a total weight of up to 2 tons.
The accessories are supplied with detailed instructions that will allow you to install sliding gates without the help of specialists. Subsequently, this will help you easily find the breakdown and fix it.