4 Things You Can Do to Keep Your Automatic Gate in Tiptop Shape

There’s nothing like installing an attractive new automatic gate to give your house a good-looking makeover.

But automatic gates, like with everything that has an electronic component to it, require some maintenance services to last. Keeping your gate in good shape also ensures you that it’s working safely and properly. You don’t want your gate swinging out on you or anybody getting electrocuted at the gate opener.

Fortunately, maintaining a high-quality automatic gate is easy. It needs only a bit of effort and good communication with your choice of gate repair service.

1. Keep it Clean

It doesn’t take long for a gate exposed to the elements to rust, tarnish or flake off if you don’t care for it. For metal gates, a regular wash and wax should keep it looking good over the years, but be careful not to get water to the gate opener. Wooden gates can do well with some oiling and re-painting.

2. Keep it Lubricated

Apply a few drops of marine-grade grease to the gate’s important parts, including the chain, roller, pulley, hinges and screws. Oiling should be done approximately twice a year to reduce friction and keep your gate free from wear and tear. A word of caution: Never use WD-40 to lubricate your gate if you don’t want damaged parts.

3. Inspect the Parts Regularly

Check for bolts and screws that have loosened up, and call gate repair services to tighten them. Do not tighten the screws yourself, as you can overtighten them and damage the gate for good. Also, inspect the gate opener, drive chain, metal racks, and other parts.

4. Deal with Pests

Even before you install a new gate, it’s best to get one with gate operators that have enclosed circuits. This prevents slugs, snails, and other insects from coming in and leaving slime or some other form of moisture inside, which could get you or anyone handling the operator electrocuted. Your gate maintenance service should be able to deal with pests accordingly.

A gate specialist from Tri State Gate notes that in the end, the amount of maintenance you need to do on your gate depends on the quality of the gate you get in the first place. Naturally, a high-quality gate will be more expensive up front, but it can save you the time and effort of maintaining it in the long run.