Facts You Need to Know Before You Buy One of our Driveway Gates for Your Snohomish Home
An automated driveway gate is a purchase that can add value and appeal to your Snohomish home. Learn the facts now and you’ll be well-prepared from start to finish.
Driveway Gate Permits for Snohomish Driveway Gates
Depending upon where you live, it may be necessary to get ahold of a driveway gate permit. Snohomish City Hall will most likely help you get required gate installation permits to get your driveway gate job going. It is also important that your gate installation technician has the required electrical permit before starting the electrical work.
Electricity to Power Your Gate
A power supply is essential when installing an automated driveway gate. Figure out if you have a source of power close to your gate location. If not, even in cloudy Snohomish, Washington, solar energy can provide enough power to your driveway gate and could even be more cost effective as time passes.
Security and Access Control
In Snohomish, and many other areas, safety and security are often the main reason households consider purchasing an automated driveway gate. Gates can deter would-be criminals from entering your property while giving easy access to your family, friends and delivery truck drivers. Your access control system makes things simple for you to monitor who comes in and out.
Our most popular driveway gate access systems in Snohomish include
- Keyless
- Digital entry pads (like a 4-digit code)
- Card readers
- Intercoms
- Telephone entry systems
The amount and frequency of people entering and exiting through your home driveway gate determines the best type of access control system to select for your residence.
Types of Driveway Gates
When it comes to driveway gates, there are two basic types: slide and swing. Space is often the determining factor for the type you decide on.
- Slide Gates. If your Snohomish home has plenty of space on either side of your entrance or a very short driveway, a sliding gate (which slides across the driveway), will probably be the most suitable fit.
- Swing Gates. If space is limited on either side of the entrance and you have extra driveway space, a swinging gate (that opens parallel to the driveway), is often the optimum fit.
A reputable driveway gate specialist will visit your Snohomish property to see the layout and size of your entry and driveway first-hand. Then they can make recommendations that consider both the available area and your vision for your home’s entrance.
Driveway Gate Maintenance and Repair
Our wet Snohomish weather is tough on automated driveway gates. Routine maintenance for your driveway gate system supplies benefits similar to routine car maintenance – it helps you grow the functional life of your driveway gate as long as possible. A vehicle gate that doesn’t function properly could leave your Snohomish home at risk for criminal activity or pose a potential safety risk. Getting the correct manuals and having a detailed walk-through when your gate installation is done, is essential to being aware of your driveway gates’ functionality – helping you to know when to call for automated gate maintenance or repair.
Safety Features
Without safety features, an automated driveway gate can pose significant safety risks. Safety devises can prevent physical entrapment and protect vehicles. These are some standard safety features to be aware of.
- Gate edges function on a “contact” basis that operate when pressed, using pressure sensitive sensors. If an obstacle is encountered, the device commands the automated gate to stop and/or reverse.
- Photo eyes are devices that are “non-contact” and operate by shooting a beam of light across the gate opening. Interrupting the beam will prevent the electric gate from closing, or will stop the gate and reverse its motion.
- Loop detectors, primarily meant for vehicle safety, are installed underneath the driveway and command the gate to open or prevent it from closing on a vehicle in the path of the gate.
Reach out to us soon to talk with a gate systems expert about a driveway gate for your Snohomish home.