How to go about Routine Gate Maintenance.
When you have agate for your home or business, you cannot ignore the need for routine maintenance. This will prolong the life of the gate. However, a perfectly installed gate may require little maintenance. Even more, using the right lubricants and grease on your gate’s moving parts, you should prolong its life in years.
Are you looking for gate maintenance in the Bay Area? Look no further than Bay Area Automatic Gates. We are a licensed, certified gate contractor in the Bay Area. We have the skills, experience and expertise for the job. Regarding maintenance of fences and gates, we have the right tools, products, and gate parts for replacement. Even more, we have a wide variety of gate operators and openers for your electric gate systems.
Gate Maintenance Routine.
As the best gate contractor, we always advice for schedule maintenance at least two to three months. This not one of the intense maintenance, but fairly exclusive maintenance. Within every 3 months, you should always do a visual inspection of your gate. Whether it is an automatic gate or a traditional gate, check out all moving parts and components of the gate. These include but not limited to;
- Gate tracks
- Hinges
- Gears
- Gate rollers
- Chains
- The gate operator
- Gate opener system and any other system within the gate.
Over time, each of this component will have at least a thin coat of the lubrication. Even though lubricating your gate is important for the gate to function, it will accumulate debris. If not removed, these types of particles and debris are potential damage to your driveway gate.
For a slide gate, the track will also accumulate debris and rust over time. Moreover, after months of the gate rolling over it, it could be bent. Yours you identify these types of anomalies, it is time to call your contractor for repair, and maintenance.
Inspecting a gate opener and control boxes.
It is imperative to ensure that the opener is in pristine condition. In the case of a solar powered opener, make sure that there is no dust accumulated on it as well as any sort of bird droppings on it. Lots of dust and debris on it, will make the panel less efficient.
In the control box, you will find that the moving parts will loosen over time. It is important to make sure that you tighten any loose bolts and nuts. Also, check for frayed wires and clear off spider webs and any other debris formed over time.
In the first three months, it is important to always spray the entire system with a hose. This will wash away debris and dirt accumulated on your gate system. Identifying a problem with your gate within 3 months, will ensure that you take care of your gate system before the gate is severely damaged.
Annual gate maintenance.
If you keep up with regular maintenance, then the only care you will have on your gate is minimal. You will only have to lubricate all the moving parts of the gate. Before annual maintenance, it is important to make sure that the gate is working perfectly.
One of the easiest ways to identify if your gate has a problem, is standing in a safe position, and listen as your gate opens or closes. If there are debris in it, or there is little lubrication, you will hear the gate squeaking.
Gate accessories.
During annual maintenance, always check that the accessories are well lubricated. These includes;
- Hinges
- Chains and wheels
- Control arms
- Gears in the opener
- The control boxes and so much more.
For your hinges, it is important to use sprayable lubricant or a thicker lithium-based grease. You could manually apply the grease on the hinges or else use a lubricating gun.
Opener chains and wheels.
These are one of the most crucial components of your gate. Always ensure that they are well lubricated, there is no grit and debris, or any sort of rust. Also, remember to use a degreaser to remove the old greasing before you apply a new one. Also, make sure you wipe away the excess grease if there is any.
Gears within the opener.
Since these are usually enclosed in the opener, it is easier to pull the cover out. Use a paint brush to remove old grease before applying a new one. Then you could use the brush to apply new grease on the gears.