Gates for garage

[pauld]

Hi Guys! Having successfully complete my first small project, I am starting to plan the next one! I want to make some gates for the garage, these will be hidden behind the wooden doors that are on there at the moment. The plan is that if anyone decides to break in and gets the wooden doors open they will be met by the steel gate just behind! Now, I would appreciate some advice on the design of the gate. I was thinking of just a frame round the outside and then vertical bars within the frame. The opening is 2.3m wide (and 1.9m high) and I was hoping to do this with a single gate, otherwise I will have a job getting the trailer out if I have two gates each half the width. Are there any clues in working out what size box section I would need etc? I was thinking of something like 40x40x2.5mm box section for the outer frame, and then 12mm bars, would this be strong enough, or should I be looking at something more substantial?

Thanks
Paul

 

[wyn]

If it's a single gate and opens out you will have the garage wide open when you go in and out.

If it opens inwards you will need a 2.3m arc of empty space.

Maybe 1 large gate and a smaller one for access. Or something along those lines.

 

[pauld]

If it's a single gate and opens out you will have the garage wide open when you go in and out.

If it opens inwards you will need a 2.3m arc of empty space.

Maybe 1 large gate and a smaller one for access. Or something along those lines.

The gate is going to open outwards. Whenever I work in there I need to move the trailer out, to make room, so would need to open it fully then. I do like the idea of an access gate inside the main gate, that could come in useful!

 

[Welderpaul]

12mm is a bit skinny - suppose it depends on the degree of security you want?
I would go with a 40SHS outside frame with 16mm infill bars with at least one horizontal cross member to secure the vertical bars.
16mm is only 6 quid for a 6.2m length.
Solid square bar infills are stronger than round bar.

 

[wyn]

Ahh......No problem with one gate then.

40 x 40 sounds reasonable maybe with bar the same size across the middle.

Would you drill the box to locate the bars or just weld them straight on.

I always like to go with homemade hinges you can make them nice and substantial.

 

[Paul.]

Solid square bar infills are stronger than round bar.

Especially if you do it like this, 16mm is the minimum for most insurance companies nowadays, with many asking for 20mm,

 

[pauld]

Ahh......No problem with one gate then.

40 x 40 sounds reasonable maybe with bar the same size across the middle.

Would you drill the box to locate the bars or just weld them straight on.

I always like to go with homemade hinges you can make them nice and substantial.

I was thinking of just welding straight on, but I guess I could drill if needed (if using round!).

 

[pauld]

Especially if you do it like this, 16mm is the minimum for most insurance companies nowadays, with many asking for 20mm,

Good tips guys! Keep them coming

The plan if formulating!

 

[Welderpaul]

If your using 16mm round, i would punch the flat bar mid rails, and drill the inside faces of the 40SHS so it all slots together - then weld it up.

 

[Hitch]

Youll want some nice substantial hinges, adjustable would be ideal for a gate that size.
Youll want to sleeve the box, or at least put a plate either side where the hinges are.

 

[irondarren]

been there done it before . As 2.3m wide its as easy to use 40mm x10mm flat for the frame. If you use round for the uprights you can drill the middle bar (yes it does need a horizantal middle bar) Keep the hinges near the corners of the frames. Put a drop bolt that goes the floor on one gate, when the second gate closes to the gate with the drop bolt, weld a plate that just clears the top of the drop bolt, in the down position. This stops any one lifting the drop bolt and forcing the gates open. Ideal if you can have a bolt that is also at the top as well.
Weld a lug with a hole to each gate at the same height, so a pad lock can pass through each lug and lock the gates shut. On the gate without the drop bolt weld a box to the gate covering the padlock lug, so when the gate is close, you can just reach into the box from underneath and barley lock and unlock the padlock. Stops bolt croppers from cutting the lock.
If your really lucky and i am bored this evening i might draw one up lol

 

[Welderpaul]

I hate making gates...Boring.

 

[aero]

I've looked at this problem, I have an up and over door that I've strengthened and tripple locked. I don't have the space for a second gate so my plan is that you have everthing locked up seperately in secure boxes. But you have leave out sacrifical tools:- electric drills set of cheap spanners etc easy stuff to replace. Obviously not angle grinders/pry bars/sledge hammers though.

The door is now strong enough to foil kids, but not a pro burglar. There will be a lot of noise made getting in but somethings to grab and hopefully enough so they leave quickly. I have an 'air raid' siren rigged up out of sight as well for if the door is opened without switching it off - for added noise. I made it up from parts from an old fire alarm system at work.

If you do get broken in to you have to make it secure quickly so they are foiled if they come back for a return visit knowing better what to expect.

 

[irondarren]

nasty little pic of double gate frames

 

[tj1110]

Would'nt use 40x40 2.5 you can cut that with a hacksaw in seconds use 4mm thick.

 

[Paul.]

The easy way to stop a hacksaw from cutting a box section is to drop a loose round bar in the box, it'll roll when the blade hits it, getting a bit carried away now though for a garage,

 

[madkayaker]

wire to the mains that will slow them down

 

[pauld]

The easy way to stop a hacksaw from cutting a box section is to drop a loose round bar in the box, it'll roll when the blade hits it, getting a bit carried away now though for a garage,

There is also the thing that currently it is just wooden doors on the garage, and the new gate is going to be hidden behind the current doors! If someone wanted to break into the garage at the moment it wouldn't take them long. When the gates are fitted it won't look any different, but would hopefully make them think twice having opened the wooden doors... if they still wanted to break in I am sure they could.

But I do like the idea of the round bar inside!

 

[madkayaker]

the sight of them might just make them think twice. Put a 500W halogen inside the door so that if they brake in they are blinded a bit

 

[rtbcomp]

Make sure the gate can't be lifted of its hinges too! (They'll pinch the gates and come back for everything else the next night!)