How to make sliding gates. How to make a sliding gate yourself: step by step instructions and diagram

Sliding gates are in the same demand as standard swing gates. If the installation of such doors on adjoining territory do not think, it is only because they differ in relatively complex assembly. However, this is not a reason to refuse gates that, if necessary, go to the side. They can be built by any man who understands the design, made the right calculations and is ready to strictly follow the manufacturing instructions.

The design and principle of operation of sliding gates

The basis of the design of sliding gates is a frame that changes its location in space thanks to special trolleys, which are also called cantilever blocks. Equipped with these elements, the gate frame can roll both to the left and to the right.

It is necessary to correctly install the channel to which the sliding gates will be attached

Carts are mounted on a concrete base, created at the beginning of work on the construction of the mechanism of the door structure, mounted away from the driveway. The sliding gate leaf moves along a rail, that is, a narrow steel beam attached by a welding machine under the frame. The rail acts as a guide and supports the weight of the entire structure.

Principle of operation

Automatic opening and closing of sliding gates is provided by rollers fixed on a swinging base. These structural elements are arranged in pairs, and each of them must be higher than the previously installed one.

In order for the automation to work correctly, the gate needs a counterweight.

In general, the main elements of sliding gates responsible for changing the position of the door leaf are:

• several cantilever blocks that distribute the weight of the structure;
• guide rail;
• end roller, consisting of a platform and a base and guaranteeing a smooth entry of the door leaf into the catcher;
• upper bracket (supporting), excluding deviations and falls of the retractable structure;
• end roller catcher mounted on a holder located near the pole.

With the help of end rollers, the door leaf moves along the rail

Preparation for construction: drawings, sketches, dimensions

Depicting sliding gates on paper, indicating the dimensions, follows after the calculations. To do this, you need to perform the following tasks:

• determine the width of the future gate using the formula L = A + I + (a + b + c + d), where L denotes the width of the structure, A - the width of the passage, I - the distance between the carriages, dimensions a, b, c, d - technological indents ;
• decide what the gate will be in height;
• find out what the counterweight should be, balancing the sash during movement, given that the minimum allowable load length is 40% of the opening width;
• calculate the web weight of the structure, which is affected by the material used (for example, square meter steel sheet 2 mm thick weighs 17 kg);
• based on the weight of the gate leaf, set the dimensions of the components and the supporting beam, for example, for a structure of 300 kg, you need a beam about 4 mm thick with 9 × 5 cm ribs;
• find out how durable the components should be, that is, take into account the frequency of use of the gate and the strength of the wind.

Before choosing a roller mechanism, you should read some tips. For sliding gates made of profiled sheet, installed in an opening of 4 m, it is best to take reinforced roller bearings up to 350 kg. If you plan to put the gate in an opening of 7 m and sheathe the structure with wood or forged elements, then it is more expedient to purchase sets up to 800 kg.

The roller mechanism must withstand sashes that have considerable weight

Drafting

After doing the calculations, you can start drawing up drawings. In the diagrams, it is required to indicate the main dimensions of the sliding gate, that is, the height and width of the structure, the length of the opening and the guide beam. It is recommended to supplement the drawings with a frame welding scheme.

The drawing must indicate the dimensions of the structure

The choice of building materials and components for the gate

Before proceeding with the manufacture of sliding gates, it is necessary to make right choice material and accessories.

Material selection

It can be difficult to choose the material to create the frame and sash. It is more reasonable to make the backbone of the structure from shaped pipes or wooden bars, and the following building materials should be used for the gate leaf:

• wall corrugated board, which weighs little, is easily mounted, does not deteriorate due to mechanical stress and looks aesthetically pleasing;
• sheets of metal that are heavy and therefore require special skills during installation, but guaranteeing high structural strength;
• wood, the main differences of which are an attractive appearance and quick deterioration in the absence of proper care (mandatory treatment with protective agents is required);
• forged elements that make the gate a real work of art, but require serious investments.

Wall corrugated board is lightweight, so it is easy to install

Having decided to build sliding gates from wood, forged elements or sheet metal, it must be borne in mind that these materials are heavy, which means that reinforced fittings and components will have to be used.

Accessories

For the manufacture of the door structure, you will need the following parts:

• bearing profile;
• supports for rollers and carriages;
• support rollers that will limit vibrations;
• upper and lower catchers;
• a roller that acts as a support;
• guide caps.

When choosing components, you should proceed from the size and weight of the gate

When choosing accessories in a store, one should proceed from the parameters of the opening and the weight of the canvas that will be hung on the frame. In addition to the standard set of accessories, it is recommended to purchase adjusting plates that can eliminate minor errors in calculations without compromising the entire structure.

Material calculation and tool preparation

Usually the opening for the gate is 4 m, and profiled sheets are used in the manufacture of the door leaf, so before starting construction work, you need to prepare the following:

• embedded channel 40 cm wide and ½ the width of the gate;
• 15 m of iron bars (reinforcement);
• 10 m 2 wall corrugated board;
• profile pipe 60 × 60 mm in size and at least 5 m long or bricks (for poles);
• pipe 60 × 30 mm, length 20 m;
• pipe 40 × 20 mm, length 20 m;
• liquid concrete M250 with the addition of crushed stone;
• sand;
• coloring emulsion, primer and solvent (one can each);
• packaging of electrodes;
• bracket;
• 200 pieces of rivets and anchors with studs or a set of self-tapping screws (if the posts are metal).

Required Tools

When working with the listed materials, you will need some tools:

• grinder with a disc for cutting metal products;
• apparatus for welding;
• screwdriver;
• drill;
• concrete mixer (for constant mixing of liquid concrete);
• shovel;
• axe;
• a hammer;
• building level, plastic tape with division into centimeters and a plumb line.

Step-by-step instructions for making a gate

Before proceeding with the construction of sliding gates, it is necessary to decide whether to build new pillars or leave the old ones. The second option is possible if the supports are made of brick or reinforced concrete blocks with a section of 20 × 20 mm. You can also refuse to dismantle old poles when shaped metal pipes with a cross section of 60 × 40 mm are securely fixed in the ground. Otherwise, new supporting structures should be erected, for example, brick ones.

Construction of a mechanical structure

The production of sliding gates is carried out in stages:

1. First of all, the pillars are erected by completing two brickwork. On each brick support, 3 steel plates 100 × 100 mm in size and 5 mm thick are fixed. The top plate is placed on the inside of the post, mating with the edge next to the opening. At the same time, 20 cm recede from the upper edge of the support. The lower plate is fixed in the same way, and the middle one is fixed in the central zone of the column.

   Instead of brick, you can put metal poles

2. At the level of zero marks, that is, at the border of the surface at the entrance to the opening, they pull the cord, drawing it close to the back of the pillars and 2 meters further from them. The horizontality of the stretched matter must be checked.
3. In the ground, which is adjacent to the supporting pillars, they dig a hole 50 cm wide and at least one and a half meters deep. To reinforce the foundation and ensure its connection with the sliding gate channel, 3 skeletons with a square section (140 cm long) are welded. The fabricated frames are welded from the bottom of the channel, in the middle of its shelf. In this case, the axes of the extreme skeletons are located at a distance of 40 cm from the edges of the profile, which will be located in the concrete base.
4. Ten centimeters of the pit are covered with sand and covered with a polyethylene film. The made “pillow” is rammed, after which a channel with reinforcement bones is placed on it. This part is positioned, docking with the carrier column parallel to the gate movement line.
5. The structure exposed in the pit is poured with concrete gradually, from time to time making holes in liquid concrete that will allow air bubbles to escape. The top layer of the mixture is smoothed, and the surface of the channel is wiped with a damp cloth. Further work on the foundation is carried out after the concrete has completely hardened, after one or two weeks.

   While working with concrete, it must be constantly mixed so that it does not freeze.

6. A pipe with a cross section of 60 × 30 mm is divided into segments to create a gate frame. Stiffening ribs and diagonals are attached to it, made of a pipe with a size of 40 × 20 mm. It will be easier to weld parts if you make a mounting table - a structure of three stands of the same height and boards. Before welding, carried out on a special platform, all pipes are cleaned of corrosion using a grinder. The seams created by welding are leveled with a grinder, and the protruding ends of the pipes are welded with plugs.

   Assembling the gate frame on the mounting table will make the difficult task easier

7. A guide beam is welded to the lower zone of the finished gate frame. At first, this part is attached only with clamps to check whether the axles and beams of the structure are in the correct position. After that, welding is used, making seams of 40 mm.
8. The skeleton of the gate is placed vertically and coated with a primer that protects the metal from corrosion. After the first layer, a second layer of the agent is applied to the product. The dried composition against corrosion is covered with two layers of paint. The emulsion is not applied only on the reverse side of the carrier beam.

   Apply paint evenly with a sprayer

9. To metal frame the gate is attached to the sheet of corrugated board. For this, fasteners are used.

Sliding gate installation

Installing a door structure requires the following steps:

At this stage, you need to check how the gate "walks" and see if the verticality and horizontality of the structure are observed when closed. Gate correction is carried out by adjusting nuts on studs. If no problems are found, then the fasteners need to be tightened.

After inspecting the gate, you can proceed to further installation work:

Video: budget sliding gate option

Usually sliding gates are preferred to be finished with wood materials. At the same time, only construction raw materials are used, the quality of which is beyond doubt. The wooden covering of the gate must be resistant to mechanical stress, otherwise it will quickly become cracked and lose its shape.

Door structures with wood cladding are a winning option, but they are expensive.

The wood used for cladding the gate must be resistant to mechanical stress.

If it is not possible to invest a lot of money in the construction of sliding gates, then you should think about finishing them with plastisol. True, with the use of this material, the door structure on the territory of a private house will not look respectable. Still, plastisol looks like a smooth or corrugated sheet coated with polyester. But this building material is durable and therefore often used in the construction of parking lots.

Gates made of plastisol are durable and practical

When neither wood nor plastisol is to your taste, you can try to trim the sliding gates with sandwich panels or corrugated board. And the original lining of the door structure will be clapboard lining. Thanks to this material, the gate will become reliable and last a long time.

Having installed sliding gates, you should take care of the safety of their use. The operation of such a door structure requires adherence to the following rules:

• do not create obstacles for the movement of the gate;
• visually control the opening and closing of the structure;
• do not stand in the movement zone of the sash;
• refuse to use the gate if the control devices are damaged;
• do not try to independently alter the design of the gate;
• do not use the gate as a means to move any objects.

Building a sliding gate is not as problematic as it might seem. To put into operation a complex door structure, it is necessary to study it thoroughly and follow all the instructions for manufacturing an object.

In this article, we will tell you about all the intricacies of construction and installation, as well as all the possible problems that you may encounter if you decide to make a sliding gate with your own hands. When faced with the task of installing a sliding gate for the first time, the biggest mystery is the drawing of a sliding gate. In fact, the design of sliding gates is very simple, their installation scheme is also not complicated, and below we will describe the basic principles for installing sliding gates, having understood which you will no longer have questions about how to install them yourself. But first things first.

Sliding gates. We consider the optimal width of the opening

This is the most important question that you must answer to yourself first of all. Under the width of the sliding gate, we mean the width of the gate itself, i.e. free distance between the gate posts when the gate is fully open. To answer this question, you need to decide on just a few points:

• Which vehicles will enter through these sliding gates? Only cars? Gazelles? Tractor? Kamaz?
• At what angle will all these vehicles, especially trucks, enter?

According to my own feelings, sliding gates should be so wide that when passing through them, there is a gap of at least 30 cm on each side between the gate posts and mirrors (or better, all 50 cm.) And now some statistics about the width of some cars (including mirrors).

• Ford focus 3 = 2.01 m.
• Ford Explorer 2015 = 2.29 m.
• Gazelle (all-metal van) = 2.5 m.
• KamAZ = 2.9 m.

Just don't say that you have already built everything and no more trucks will ever come to your site. I assure you that in life there will be enough situations in which you will need to let trucks into your site. And now let's answer the question of at what angle such cars can drive towards you? According to statistics, the angle of entry of such cars into the site is 45 degrees to the goal line. See for yourself, the length of a typical KamAZ 65111 is 7.34 meters, and now go to the place on your site where you plan to install sliding gates, look at the space behind them and try to answer the question of whether this space is enough for the truck to in order to turn around and drive into your sliding gate at right angles to the goal line?

If we turned out to be right and the angle of entry of the truck will be approximately 45 ° to the gate line, then according to the Pythagorean theorem, in order for a KamAZ 2.9 meters wide to pass into the target of your gate at an angle of 45 degrees WITHOUT A GAP AT ALL between the mirrors and the gate posts, the width of the gate should be 4.1 meters. However, we do not recommend using this figure because, firstly, it does not take into account the gap, and secondly, there are situations when a car passing through the gate can either swing for any reason or slide to the side on snow, ice or dirt, slip and move to the side, etc. Based on these considerations, we recommend installing sliding gates with an opening width of at least 4.5 meters.

If we move from theory to practice, then our own experience suggests that the optimal gate width is 4.5 meters, and the ideal gate width is 5 meters.

Please note that everything written above referred to the width of the gate opening, but not the width of the gate leaf! If we talk about the door leaf, then there is one important point that needs to be considered. The width of the door leaf should be approximately 20 centimeters larger than the width of the gate opening! Otherwise, when the gate is closed, you will have a gap visible at an angle to the plane of the gate (see photo below). If you forgot to ask to make the door leaf a little wider than the planned opening width, you can correct the situation by installing the gate posts a little closer to each other than planned. Thus, you will reduce the width of the opening by about 15-20 centimeters, but you will avoid the formation of a gap.

Sliding gates. Nuances with the height of the sliding gate

It may seem to many that this moment is not worth attention and discussion at all, but this is not so. We partly agree. Indeed, ignoring this moment will not create any significant problems for you apart from aesthetic. Many people think that if the height of the fence leaf adjacent to the gate is 2 meters, then the height of the gate leaf should be 2 meters. In reality, this is not so. Let's look at an example:

• We have a fence made of profiled sheet, having a height of 2 meters and installed without tape and without a gap at the bottom. In this case, the profiled sheet rises directly from the ground to a height of 2 meters. (we published an article on installing a fence earlier: Fence posts. We build a fence without mistakes with our own hands)
• When ordering or manufacturing the frame of the door leaf on your own, you are guided by the same profiled sheet, which has the same height as that of the fence - 2 meters, right?

Now let's see what happens as a result. In both cases, you are guided by the same height of the profiled sheet, but you do not take into account the fact that in the case of a fence, the profiled sheet starts directly from the ground and its upper edge is at a height of exactly 2 meters above the ground. At the same time, in the case of gates, the lower edge of the sliding gate cannot touch the ground, it is raised by about 10 cm from the ground.

In fairness, it should be noted that the gap between the ground and the lower part of the gate is adjusted using the adjusting pads, which are standardly included in the set of rollers (see photo on the right and photo below). The roller supports are put on and fastened to the adjusting platforms with the help of nuts, and with the help of the same nuts, the installation height of the roller supports (and hence the gate frame) can be adjusted within 5 cm. As a result, the minimum distance from the ground will be 10 cm, the maximum - 15 cm from the ground.

Move on. Unlike a fence, the profiled door leaf is usually inserted into the profile that makes up the frame of the door leaf, while the profile is usually welded from a 60/40 mm rectangular pipe. The gate height has already come up: 100mm + 40mm + 2000mm + 40mm = 2180mm. But that's not all, since a guide beam with a height of 60 mm is welded to the door leaf from below (for gates weighing up to 350 kg). In total, taking into account the guide beam, the distance from the ground surface to the upper edge of the gate is already 2180 mm + 60 mm = 2240 mm. As you can see, according to the calculations, the top edge of the gate was 24 cm higher than the top edge of the fence!

For reference: the dimensions of the guide beams that come with the rollers and other accessories for sliding gates vary (). Each set has its own name, and is used depending on the size and weight of the gate:

• MICRO set: sliding gates with opening up to 4m and weight up to 300kg inclusive; dimensions of the MICRO guide beam - height 55mm, width 60mm, thickness 3mm, standard length 4.5m / 5.3m / 6m;
• ECO set: sliding gates with opening up to 5m and weight up to 500kg inclusive; dimensions of the ECO guide beam - height 60mm, width 70mm, thickness 3.5mm, standard length 5m / 6m / 7m;
• EURO set: sliding gates with opening up to 6m and weight up to 800kg inclusive; dimensions of the EURO guide beam - height 75mm, width 90mm, thickness 4.5mm, standard length 6m / 7m / 8m / 9m;
• MAX set: sliding gates with opening up to 12m and weight up to 2000kg inclusive; guide beam dimensions MAX - height 135mm, width 130mm, thickness 5mm, standard length 6m / 9m;

To avoid such an aesthetic mistake, the height of the sliding gate frame must be done focusing not on the height of the filling profiled sheet, but on the height of the fence adjacent to the gate.

Sliding gates. Drawing and scheme of sliding gates.

Sliding gates have such a simple design that you do not need any drawing of the gate. Below we will explain to you the scheme of operation of sliding gates, after which you will easily understand their design, what depends on what in it, what and how it can be changed at your discretion. So, the basis of the entire design of sliding sliding gates are 2 rollers and a guide beam moving along them (sometimes called a “guide rail”). Look at the photo below.

The guide, moving along the rollers, is the basis of the whole structure. The guide is welded from below to the gate frame and now the entire frame moves along the rollers. Since the rollers should not be in the gate opening, so as not to get in the way underfoot, they are taken out to the side, outside the gate opening, and the sliding gates are respectively lengthened by the so-called "counterweight". The generally accepted design is one in which the length of the "counterweight" is equal to half the length of the gate opening. In other words, for a gate opening of 5 meters, the total frame length will be 5 + 5/2 = 7.5 meters. At the same time, 2.5 meters in this frame will be the very “counterweight”, which is a flight outside the gate opening and relies on rollers.

Strictly speaking, it is generally accepted that the length of the counterweight of the gate is 1/3 - 1/2 of the length of the opening. But we strongly recommend making the counterweight 1/2 of the length of the gate opening. Why? Because people very often make a “lightweight” counterweight - a triangle (as in the figure below). As a result, not only do they reduce the length of the counterweight to 1/3 of the length of the opening, they also truncate the "counterweight" to a triangle, thereby reducing its weight. In this case, it simply ceases to perform the function counterweight- it's too easy. As a result, the sliding gates will be “out of balance”, “peck” when closing and when fully opened, and all the loads just fall on the rollers, which fly out of this in 2-3 years, and not in 10 years, as they should . Bottom line: if the counterweight is “square”, then, in principle, 1/3 of the opening is enough. If "triangular" - then 1/2 of the opening. But the ideal option would still be a counterweight length equal to 1/2 the length of the gate opening.

That is why the basis for installing the gate is the installation of rollers. It is the rollers that hold the entire structure and experience the greatest loads in comparison with all other structural elements of sliding sliding gates. These two rollers hold the entire door leaf overhanging, so they are installed on a massive reinforced concrete foundation, into which, for convenience, an embedded part made of a channel is poured. This is done to simplify the subsequent installation of the rollers, and it is to it that the bases of the two rollers are subsequently welded, and even later - the base for mounting the engine of the rollback mechanism. (see photo above).

All other components for sliding gates practically do not carry power loads and serve to keep the door leaf from swinging. All of these sliding gate accessories are shown below. Of these, the supporting rail (square bracket with two rubber rollers), the lower catcher and the upper catcher are mounted on poles.

Let's take a look at the entire set of accessories needed to install sliding gates. Look at the diagram below, in which we numbered all the elements. So, element by element, according to the numbering on the diagram:

1. End cap for the rear of the rail. Its purpose is partly decorative, partly to prevent snow from stuffing into the guide when the gate rolls back in winter if it rolls back, clearing the snow;
2. Support rail with two adjustable rollers (square bracket with two rubber rollers). It is installed at the top of the post (closest to the mortgage with bearing rollers) and simply keeps the door leaf in a vertical position from swinging and tipping over;
3. Top catcher. It is installed on the "receiving" post. The role of the catcher is to keep the door leaf from swinging when the sliding gates are closed;
4. Bottom catcher. Almost the same as in the previous paragraph, but with a support platform on which the support roller rolls when the sliding gate is completely closed. The point is not only to keep the sliding gate from swinging, but also to unload the drive rollers and the guide, which experiences strong bending loads when the gate is fully extended;
5. Support roller. This roller is both a damper and a plug for the front edge of the guide. When closing the gate, it rolls into the “lower catcher” (see previous paragraph No. 4), dampens the impact of the closing gate leaf, rests with its roller on the “lower catcher” support platform, removing bending loads from the guide and the entire door leaf;
6. Actually the guide itself (or “guide rail”), thanks to which the sliding gates move back and forth along the rollers (rollers on the scheme of sliding gates under No. 7). As we wrote above, the guide is plugged from the back side by element No. 1, from the front side by element No. 5.
7. Support rollers with adjustable stands are the elements that carry the main load and ensure the rolling of the sliding gate. In fact, these are the most powerful structural elements that require fixing on a solid foundation in the form of a mortgage, usually mounted on a reinforced concrete foundation.

Adjustment stands are used for:

• accurate alignment of the roller bearings in one straight line (if the rollers do not stand in a straight line, they will wear out a lot. Without adjusting stands, the rollers are almost impossible to set up straight)
• adjustment of the gate installation height relative to the ground (within 5 cm)
• the possibility of replacing worn out roller bearings (if the roller bearings were welded to the mortgage without adjusting stands, then it would be problematic to replace them without using the “grinder” of the welding machine).

Installing sliding gates. Mortgage, foundation, pillars.

For many, the embedded element raises many questions, since the shape and dimensions of this embedded part are not clear and everyone starts looking for its drawing. You don't need a drawing. The meaning of this element is only to prepare a certain basis on a concrete base for the subsequent installation of rollers and a gate drive using electric welding. Based on this, the shape does not matter at all, the dimensions may vary. The channel No. 10, 12.14, 16, 20 is taken as a mortgage. The more massive the sliding gate, the more powerful the channel. The mortgage must stand directly on the line of movement of the canvas of the future gate, the platform for the engine is shifted from this line into the yard.

Look at the photo below. As you can see, rollers are mounted on the embedded element (in the photo they are under the numbers 1 and 2). The same photo shows that it would be more logical to move roller No. 2 to the right, closer to the right edge of the gate frame (the attachment point is determined with the gate fully closed).

It would seem that, ideally, roller No. 1 would have to stand at the very post (which is in the photo on the left), and roller No. 2 should melt at the very edge of the guide rail, closer to the edge of the gate frame (in the photo on the right). This is almost true, but there is one caveat! The fact is that the guide beam has elements inserted inside at the edges. The edge of the beam farthest from the gate opening is closed with an end cap (in the photo at number 4), and an auxiliary support roller is inserted into the opposite edge (in the photo at number 3), which rolls into the lower catcher when the gate is closed. Therefore, rollers no. 1 and no. 2 must be set at the appropriate distances. The length of the embedded element can be equal to the length of the "counterweight" of the gate. That is, with a gate opening width of 5 meters and a "counterweight" width of 2.5 meters, the length of the mortgage can be approximately 2.3 - 2.5 meters. To install a drive with an electric motor in the future, weld a pad to the embedded element anywhere. On the other hand, you can not do this and subsequently weld a plate protruding sideways to the mortgage on top and put the drive on it.

Now about the foundation. The foundation of sliding gates is perhaps the most important and critical part of the entire gate design. First of all, the foundation is needed for the mortgage, to which the main support rollers will be attached. Some firms and private teams offer a cheaper version of the foundation than reinforced concrete, namely, they offer to twist a few screw piles, on which a mortgage is then welded on top and, in fact, almost everything is ready. Further nearby, another one is screwed a little crookedly into this bunch of piles (since you can’t screw a whole bush of piles exactly next to it), under the pole. We will not even consider such an option. Perhaps it fits under small and light sliding sliding gates, for example, having a length of 3 meters with a light frame sheathed with a profiled sheet on one side, however, longer and heavier sliding gates will “walk” on such a foundation.

We believe that alternatives reinforced concrete foundation in this case, no, however, it can be filled in in different ways. So, for example, on the Internet it is often proposed to pour either only one foundation - directly under the mortgage, or two separate ones, one of which is under the mortgage, the second - under the "receiving" pillar. This option is shown in the diagram below.

This option is much better than the idea of ​​using screw piles, however, having two separate foundations can end up in trouble, especially in cases where such foundations are not buried below the level of soil freezing. The fact is that as a result of frost heaving, such separate foundations can move independently of each other. In this case, even with slight displacements relative to each other, everything can end up with the fact that the sliding gates will no longer fall into the traps installed on the receiving post and you will have to constantly try to reconfigure the traps. And if such deformations occur 2 times a year, for example, at the beginning and at the end of winter? What if more often? Do you want to devote your whole life to the eternal adjustment of the gate on your site and become a guru in this matter? We personally don't!

The solution to this problem is quite simple (but more expensive than two separate foundations) - both pillars must be connected by one common foundation. In this option, even in cases of displacement of the foundation, both columns will ALWAYS be parallel to each other, moving in the same bundle. Below we publish a photo of such a foundation for sliding gates.

Pillars for sliding gates are installed before pouring the foundation with concrete. In the case of sliding gates, the pillars carry practically no load, except for the wind. This means that the door leaf usually has a high “windage” and during strong winds, the wind load is transferred from the door leaf to the poles. If we talk about sufficiency, then for such gates it will be enough to take a 60x60x2mm pipe, however, for those who suffer from gigantomania just like us, we recommend making poles from a 100x100x4mm pipe.

As to whether it is worth installing “U”-shaped pillars or ordinary ones, there is no consensus here. The accessories for sliding gates described above can also be installed on single posts without any problems. We prefer U-shaped poles, but if you look closely at the photos in this article, you will see that we originally installed and poured single poles with concrete. At the same time, by installing small embedded steel plates in the lower part, to which other pillars of a smaller section were subsequently welded than the main ones. Thus, we made “P”-shaped ones from single pillars. "U"-shaped poles are preferable if later you plan to install not only a gate drive, but also one that includes photocells. Firstly, it will be more convenient to install photocells on internal poles, and not on external ones (for anti-vandal reasons). Secondly, inside the internal poles it will be convenient to conduct hidden wiring to the photocells and signal lamp. You can read more about this in our article "".

Sliding gates. Gate frame structure.

The frame of sliding gates is best welded from metal. Structurally, it is welded from pipes of rectangular or square section of two standard sizes. As a power frame, pipes of a larger cross section are taken, the internal filling in the form of stiffeners is made from pipes of a smaller cross section, for example, 20 x 20 mm.

We offer you to choose the section of pipes for the sliding gate frame depending on the weight and / or length of the gate, according to the tables below:

• Easy sewing of the gate (profiled sheet, polycarbonate, mesh, "Euro fence"):
  
• Heavy gate lining (board, forged elements, metal square, etc.):
  

It is better to immediately weld the gear rack to the frame (or threaded cylinders for fastening the gear rack). Gear rack mounts (threaded cylinders, 3 pcs per 1 meter of rack) come standard with it. Be sure to check this fact when buying! To put the automation without problems later. Otherwise, then it will be extremely inconvenient to weld it evenly to the very bottom of the gate. Its length must be at least 1 meter longer than the length of the opening. This 1 extra meter (or more) of the toothed rack protrudes on the "counterweight" of the gate in order to always be in engagement with the gear wheel of the gate drive motor. The gear rack is universal and fits 99% of drives (CAME, NICE, Dorkhan, Alutech, etc.). If you weld threaded cylinders for the subsequent fastening of the rack, then it is better to weld them in advance to the guide (guide rail) as shown in the two photos below.

And now pay attention to the photo of the sliding gate, posted below. In this photo it is visually clear how strong the loads are on the rollers that actually hold the sliding gates and on which these gates roll. Keep in mind that if you decide to make a gate in a sliding gate (cutting it directly into the door leaf), then it should be done in that part of the gate that is located closest to the carrier rollers on which the sliding gates are held. If you decide to install the gate at the far end of the door leaf from the rollers, then you will upset the balance of the weight distribution even more, “increase the leverage” and the forces acting on the rollers.

Accessories for sliding gates

If we talk about components for gates, then we would recommend ROLTEK brand components because they have proven themselves to be the most reliable of those offered on the market today. Components for gates are usually sets, the same as in the photographs and diagrams in our article (above in the text). These sets of components are divided by power, depending on the length and weight of the door leaf. You will find the best prices for accessories for sliding gates on our website in the section "Discount price store" => "". Accessories for ROLTEK gates are divided as follows, as indicated in the table below:

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If you want, you can change almost any of the objects around us beyond recognition. Everything is limited only by our imagination. Imagine that ... A fence with your own hands. If you decide to build a fence with your own hands, then for sure the underlying reason for self-construction is the task of saving money or, for ...

All that is needed for this is the appropriate tools and the ability to understand drawings and diagrams. With some diligence, the finished result will look and act no worse than a factory-made design. Such gates can be successfully manufactured and installed in the country, in country house, car park, etc.

As you already understood, we are talking about cantilever type gates, the leaf of which moves along roller bearings. There is another design option - rail, which is considered obsolete today, and we will not consider it. And for those who are interested in a cantilever (recoil) design, we offer detailed instructions for its installation, including a set of works on preparing the gate opening, laying the foundation and the installation sequence.

Do-it-yourself sliding gates, concrete base or piles

Video on how to make a sliding gate with your own hands

Sliding gate device

• Guide - is integral with the gate leaf and takes all the load from their weight;
• Roller support (trolley) - 2 pieces, gates are installed on them in the cantilever part;
• Removable end roller - serves as a support for the edge of the gate in the closed state;
• Lower catcher - takes the load from the support roller when the gate is closed;
• Upper catcher - reduces the windage of the gate when closed;
• Bracket (upper retainer with rollers) - holds the sash from lateral rolling;
• Stand - supports are mounted on it, which ensure the movement of the gate leaf.

The process of manufacturing and installing sliding gates with your own hands provides for the construction of the foundation. A guide beam is welded to the lower edge of the sash, the load from which is taken by two roller bearings installed on the foundation. It is thanks to them that the gate leaf moves in the right direction.

The support rollers are located inside the carrier console. Gates of this design can be automatic (operated by an electric drive), or opened manually. It is very convenient to use them at any time of the year.

gate leaf requirements

In order for the structure to maintain stability and rigidity during strong winds, its sash must be sufficiently rigid to withstand wind loads.

Also, the canvas should not sag under its own weight.

It is better to purchase metal for the gate leaf of high quality, without signs of corrosion, in a satisfactory condition. The total required amount of metal and fittings can be calculated from the drawings.

Gate drawings

From different manufacturers you can find many different models of sliding gates. Finding their drawings, if desired, is not difficult, including on the Internet. We offer you the best, in our opinion, option from a technical and financial point of view.

The gate leaf is made of a metal pipe. The frame will require a profile pipe 60x40x2 mm; for the crate - 20x20x1.5 mm. We suggest using the drawing, with which you can make a frame for sliding gates with an opening width of 4 m.

After the frame is ready, a guide beam should be welded to it, which can be purchased ready-made from our company, which sells components for do-it-yourself sliding gates. After that, the frame is primed and painted in desired color metal paint.

BUT- opening width; B- guide length (opening width + 40%); Pipe - 60x40 mm.(main frame); Pipe - 20x20 mm.(crate);

Gate painting

The first step is to prepare the surfaces for painting and degrease them. For this purpose, it is necessary to clean the surfaces with sandpaper or treat them with a grinder with a grinding disc. Cleaned areas should be wiped with acetone. You can start priming.

The primer should be applied to the surface evenly, avoiding streaks and drops as much as possible. After complete drying of the primer layer, a paint layer is applied. Such a thorough approach will provide confidence that the paint will lie evenly, and the structure itself will not be subject to corrosion.

The second paint layer is applied after the first has completely dried. If the result is not too aesthetic, you can paint a third time. The time of complete drying may vary, depending on the time of year, and ranges from several hours to 2-5 days. After painting is completed, you can proceed to the next steps.

Choice of accessories

The selection criteria in this case are the width of the opening, the height of the gate leaf, and their total weight. The main element of the gate, on which their reliability and performance depends, is the guide.

The key to efficiency when installing sliding gates with your own hands is the correct selection of components that are present in our catalog in the form of ready-made sets:

• Russian - Roltec and Doorhan
• Italian - Came
• Belarusian - Alutech

The selection of components should be carried out taking into account the following requirements: The total length of the gate leaf is calculated using the formula "opening width + 40%". Components are selected according to the length of the guide beam and the permissible load.

Calculation example

For example, the width of the opening is 3.8 m. Therefore, the length of the gate leaf will be 3.8 m + 40%, i.e. 5.32 m. In this case, you can buy a standard set with a 6 m guide. Usually, when the opening width does not exceed 4 m, they purchase ready-made sets of components designed for loads up to 500 kg. The guide beam in them has a section of 71x65 mm and a wall thickness of 3.5 mm.

If the opening width exceeds 5 m, a set of components designed for more serious loads exceeding 600 kg is required. In such cases, before buying a ready-made kit, it makes sense to consult with the company's specialists for the best choice.

Sliding gate installation

Having a certain idea about the design of the gate and the features of their installation, you can carry out self-assembly. The movement of the canvas occurs with inside plot, along the fence (fence). Therefore, first of all, you need to take care of the place where the sash will roll back so that there are no obstacles in its path.

We suggest you consider the option of rolling back the canvas to the right side. The distance required to roll back the gate leaf is equal to the width of the opening plus the size of the cantilever, which, in turn, is about half the width of the opening. If this requirement is met, the process of opening and closing the gate will not cause problems. The console part itself does not close the opening, but plays the role of a counterweight.

Sequence of work

• Foundation device: pit development, excavation, installation of a mortgage element, concreting;
• Cabling device (in case it is planned to install automatic gates);
• Installation of gates and return post;
• Automation installation, gate testing.

Concrete foundation device

1st stage

In order to mark the pit for the foundation, it is necessary to set aside a distance equal to ½ of the passage width along the fence of the site, starting from the edge of the gate opening, on the side of the rollback of the gate. This will be the location for our concrete base (length). Retreat from the fence about half a meter towards the site - this will be its width. Thus, we get the perimeter of the future foundation.

In some cases, fence posts can be used as support posts for sliding gates. If this is not possible, a return pole must be provided. A pit under it is placed on the opposite side of the opening, strictly opposite the pit under the foundation. This is done taking into account that the reciprocal post adjoins the fence from the inside and does not reduce the width of the opening.

If you plan to make automatic sliding gates with your own hands, it is necessary to provide conditions for laying an electric cable under the driveway. You will need a plastic or metal pipe with a diameter of at least 25 mm.

2nd stage

Excavation is usually carried out to a depth of at least 2 m, i.e. greater than the depth of freezing. As for the Moscow region, where the freezing depth is less, it is enough to remove the soil from the foundation pit at a depth of 1.7-1.8 m.

3rd stage

In order to make an embedded element, you will need a section of channel 16, along the length of the pit for a concrete foundation. Reinforcing bars and connections can be made of reinforcement d 12. The sequence of actions is as follows: first, pieces of reinforcement are welded to the channel, then transverse connections (see image).

4th stage

The finished embedded element is placed in the pit with the reinforcement down, in such a way as to ensure a snug fit of the side surface of the channel to the fence post. Use a level to make sure that the body of the channel is fixed in a strictly horizontal position, parallel to the opening line of the gate.

Important point

The height of the top of the embedded element in relation to the plane pavement. If they are located on the same level, then the minimum gap between the road and the lower edge of the gate will be about 100 mm. With the help of adjusting platforms, it will be possible to slightly increase this gap. But it is not possible to reduce it without violating the manufacturability of the fastening.

If the standard gap size of 100 mm for some reason does not suit you, a deeper installation of the embedded element is needed.

When it is planned to install blind sliding gates with an opening width of more than 4.5 m, two support posts will be needed in order to ensure the stable operation of the leaf and its ability to withstand windage during opening and closing. Also, in some cases, the existing fence posts cannot be used as support for sliding gates.

In such cases, it will be necessary to prepare support pillars in the amount of one or two, the size of which is calculated as the height from the foundation to the top of the gate plus 50 mm. Finished structures are installed in the pit and connected in their lower part with the embedded element (see figure).

5th stage

Concreting for do-it-yourself sliding gates performed after the final installation of the embedded element. The pit is filled with concrete mortar in such a way that the concrete level is above the surface of the embedded element. Freezing time - at least six days.

1st stage

The marking of the sash movement line is performed as follows. A cord is pulled along the line of the gate opening, not reaching the return post by 2-3 cm. This will be the trajectory of the leaf movement. The cord must be pulled at a height of 15-20 cm.

2nd stage

The figure shows how to fix the adjusting platforms on the trolley platform.

3rd stage

Now it is necessary to determine the extreme positions of the first and second roller bearings. Step back 150 mm from the edge of the opening along the plane of the embedded element and draw a line for the extreme position of the first trolley. Outline the tangent of the second trolley as follows: measure the length of the gate together with the cantilever part and set aside this length, minus 100 mm, from the edge of the counter post along the plane of the embedded element. We get the extreme position of the second cart.

4th stage

The assembly of the gate is carried out as follows. Insert the roller bearings one by one into the carrier profile, placing them in the center. Bring the gate to a vertical position, move both supports to their tangents, install the gate close to the cord.

5th stage

Actually, we mount. The adjusting platforms of the second trolley must be welded, after which the sash should be completely rolled out into the opening and finally adjusted to its position. After that, weld the adjusting pads of the second trolley by welding.

• Remove the canvas from the roller carts;
• Remove the trolleys themselves from the adjusting platforms;
• Weld platforms to the embedded element;
• Attach roller carts to them;
• Push the sliding gate leaf onto roller trolleys;
• Close the gate;
• Use a wrench to make final adjustments to the door position.

6th stage

In order for the roller carts to fit correctly inside the carrier profile, the following steps must be taken. Loosen the top nuts securing the carts to the platforms and roll the gate back and forth several times, from one extreme position to the other. Convinced of freewheeling leaves, you should tighten the nuts and make sure that the quality of the movement of the gate remains at the proper level.

If it is found that the belt is moving with difficulty, loosen the fasteners slightly and correct the misalignment of the roller carriages, especially in a plane perpendicular to the movement of the belt.

7th stage

At this stage, you need to install the end roller. We insert it inside the carrier profile and tighten the fixing bolts. We weld the cover of the end roller to the profile - so that the roller reliably plays the role of an end stop during manual movement of the door leaf. The welding point in this case will be a more reliable fastening than a bolted connection.

The end cap of the carrier profile is installed on the inside of the door and welded in place. This element is needed in order to prevent snow from getting inside the carrier profile in winter. Otherwise, the snow will be rolled by the rollers of the trolley, and this may lead to jamming of the gate. When installing do-it-yourself sliding gates this point must be taken into account.

8th stage

Now you need to install the upper retainer with rollers. To do this, loosen the fasteners of the rollers and install the bracket above the door leaf so that its side with holes is directed towards the support post, and the rollers capture the top of the door leaf.

Press the bracket to the pole and secure it. Bring the gate to a vertical position, aligning it with a level, and fix it with the rollers of the upper lock.

9th stage

If you plan to sheathe the leaf of sliding gates, for this purpose you can use, for example, a profiled sheet, after ordering it to be cut to the desired size. Installation of the profiled sheet should be carried out from the front edge of the door leaf. It can be fastened to the gate crate in two ways: using self-tapping screws or by riveting, however, the second method is more reliable.

The second sheet is mounted overlapping with the first (superimposed on one wave and fixed). Therefore, it is necessary to mount right amount profiled sheets up to full sheathing of the door leaf. Last page, most likely, you will have to cut it additionally so that it fits into the perimeter.

10th stage

After the sheathing of the gate is completed, you can proceed with the installation of traps - upper and lower. Since the role of the lower catcher is to reduce the load on the roller carriages when the gate is closed, it is mounted when the gate is fully loaded. With the gate fully closed, the bottom catcher must be brought under the end roller so that the support plane of the catcher is above the level of the end roller.

The installation of the upper catcher is carried out in such a way that when the gate is closed, its upper brackets touch the protective corners of the front edge of the door leaf.

11th stage

On the do-it-yourself sliding gates can be set to automatic. In this case, the movement of the sash will be carried out using an electric drive. For this purpose, a toothed rack is attached to the door leaf - a universal part compatible with electric gate drives of all manufacturers. Such a rail is usually included in the kit of fasteners.

As a rule, a set of automation for gates is accompanied by instructions for its installation, which should be followed.

Automation selection

Sliding gate automation – more freedom, more comfort!

Don't want to manually open and close sliding gates?

The drive with remote control will allow you to do this without leaving the car.

Tools and equipment

For the manufacture and installation of sliding gates you will need:

• Welding machine, better inverter. It does not damage the metal and ensures optimum welding seam quality.
• Bulgarian with discs various kinds. With its help, it will be possible to cut metal blanks for the gate.
• An air compressor that will ensure uniform painting of the gate. In its absence, you can paint the gate with an ordinary roller.
• Pliers, hammer, drill, tape measure, level, riveter.

If you have any questions regarding the installation of sliding gates, or you want to find out the cost of services for their installation, please contact us by phone.

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Previously, sliding gates were installed only at industrial facilities and enterprises, but over time, the convenience of using such structures brought them well-deserved popularity in private households. Their mechanism is not as simple as that of conventional gates, so most owners prefer to order manufacturing and installation from specialized companies, however, if desired, you can do all the work yourself. You can learn about how to make sliding gates with your own hands, as well as about their varieties, assembly and installation stages from our article.

Forged sliding gates

What is a sliding gate?

Let's figure out what a sliding gate is, what they are and what are their differences and advantages. Gates of this type consist of a leaf mounted on rails made of a metal profile, which smoothly moves along the guides by means of special rollers. The mechanism allows you to save free space, is automated and works thanks to an electric motor with a power of 40-100 W. According to the type of fastening, sliding along the rail, cantilever and hinged gates are distinguished. Let's consider each of the structures in more detail.

Mounted

Such gates are usually installed at the entrance to the territory of industrial enterprises. Their design ensures the movement of the canvas along the upper beam using roller trolleys, and the height of the opening allows the passage of freight transport. AT recent times hanging gates, despite their reliability and long service life, are used less and less due to the significant cost of metal for their construction.

Console

This type of gate does not have an upper beam that limits the opening, and moves on roller blocks along the console, which is located above, below or in the middle of the leaf. The bottom-mounted design is easier to implement because the other two options require the construction of additional supports.

Door with console in the middle

Retractable on rail

The retractable design, moving along the lower rail on rollers, is reliable, but not very practical. Getting on the rail of debris, snow, as well as freezing on it of ice can temporarily disable the gate. Therefore, if you do not plan to constantly clean the area around the gate or live in an area with a harsh climate (heavy snowfalls, long winters), it is better to choose a cantilever opening mechanism.

Bottom rail mechanism

Choosing a material

Making sliding gates with your own hands will require the use of the following materials and components:

• pipes for the frame with a rectangular section of 60x30 mm and 40x20 mm;
• sheathing material (profiled sheet, board, lining, polycarbonate);
• metal or concrete supports;
• U-shaped channel No. 20;
• reinforcing bar with a diameter of 12 mm and concrete mix;
• electric motor;
• rack;
• a set of accessories and fasteners;
• set for electrical wiring (wires, cables, protective pipes).

The material is purchased after drawing up the drawing and calculating the dimensions of the gate. It is not recommended to make accessories on your own, you can buy everything you need in hardware stores and salons involved in door structures.

Required accessories

When choosing, pay attention to the quality of the metal guides. They must have the correct shape, smooth edges and a wall thickness of at least 4 mm. Check how the roller moves inside the guide. In order to avoid problems with opening in the future, it is preferable to take parts with a smooth ride. It is very important that the channel and toothed rack correspond to the length of the door leaf, taking into account the counterweight.
Automation is selected based on the approximate weight of the structure. Also important are the wind loads acting on the gate, depending on the height of the leaf and the material from which it is made. Taking into account the increased loads due to icing and snow that fall on the engine in the winter season, it is advisable to purchase models with a power reserve. For example, for sliding gates weighing about 400 kg, an electric drive designed for a weight of 800 kg is suitable.

Sliding gate scheme

When drawing up a design drawing, it is necessary to correctly calculate the height and length of the gate, as well as the dimensions of the counterweight (tail part located outside the opening). The height should correspond to the fence, the length should correspond to the width of the opening, the shank should be made about half as short as the door leaf.

Recommended parameters of sliding gates with an opening of 4 m

At the same stage, the type of frame is determined. It can consist of a frame and 2-3 sections of rectangular pipes fixed at an angle or a frequent crate of horizontal and vertical guides. If desired, a built-in gate can be provided in such gates, but this requires purchase additional materials- profiles for the frame, hangers and other fittings. In addition, the threshold of such a gate will turn out to be high, and this will create inconvenience for children and the elderly.

We build sliding gates

Since sliding gates with a top suspension and mechanisms moving along a rail are not very convenient for use in private homes, we will consider the construction stages using the example of a cantilever structure with a bottom mount. Work begins with a site inspection.

It is necessary to make sure that there is free space around the gate for the curtain to roll back, and that the terrain is fairly even. If the old gate is to be replaced, they are inspected, assessing the condition of the supports. It is not necessary to demolish and replace durable poles with new ones; they can be used for a retractable structure. Next, comes the turn of earthworks.

Foundation and guides

The base for the gate is placed along the fence (from the side of the site) in the direction of their opening. Under the foundation, you will need to dig a trench 50 cm wide and 1.5-2 m deep, depending on the level of soil freezing. At the same time, pits are dug for supports if it was not possible to save them from the previous design.

Scheme of concreting and installation of guides

At the bottom of the trench, a pillow of carefully compacted sand and gravel is poured. Then, a frame for the foundation is welded from the reinforcement, and a channel is welded on top of it. It will become the lower part of the gate, to which the motor and roller units will be attached.

The frame is placed inside the pit so that the channel is located close to the supporting pillars and is flush with the ground surface. To prevent the spreading of concrete, formwork from boards is installed along the edges of the trench. It is advisable to immediately take care of the power supply of the engine and, at the stage of laying the foundation, lay the wiring in protective polyethylene pipes.

The trench is concreted with a mixture of cement, sand and gravel in a ratio of 1:2:4, water is added depending on the moisture content of the sand, until a creamy consistency is formed. It is recommended to use a concrete mixer for mixing.

Foundation formwork

The finished solution is poured into the pit gradually, trying not to disturb the position of the reinforcing frame. After pouring, the foundation is pierced in several places with a reinforcement bar to release excess air. It takes about a month for the base to completely solidify, but you can start further installation work in a week.

Installing gate posts

The device of sliding gates does not require the use of powerful supports, usually metal or concrete pillars with a diameter of 10 cm are sufficient. They are installed at a distance equal to the opening, deepened into the ground by at least 1 m, leveled and poured with concrete. It is better to do this at the same time as preparing the trench for the foundation.

Along with metal, brick supports are popular. For their construction, a pipe or channel is installed in the center of the planned column in the manner described above and pieces of reinforcement (mortgages) are welded to it in places where the components of the gate mechanism will be located. Then, the support is covered with bricks so that the reinforcement remains outside. Subsequently, structural details are attached to it.

The structure of the brick support

Fastening of the main elements

When assembling the sliding gate structure with your own hands, first connect all the mechanical parts, and then connect the electrical ones. First of all, roller carriages are attached to the mortgages, along which the canvas moves. On the opposite pillar, from above, and sometimes from below, so-called traps are welded (slightly at first) to ensure smooth closing of the gate. The installation process will be described in more detail below.

Location of the main elements

Preparing the movable section

An important stage of work is the construction of the frame of the section, consisting of a frame and a counterweight. To do this, you need to choose a flat area of ​​sufficient size to accommodate the entire structure.

Previously acquired pipes with a rectangular cross section are inspected for corrosion and ground if necessary. Markings are applied to them and the necessary details are cut out with a grinder. Then, referring to the drawing, they are laid out on a flat surface and slightly tacked by welding. The resulting structure is checked for compliance with the dimensions and the absence of distortions, and parts of the frame are welded with a continuous seam. Stiffeners are made in the same way. At the bottom of the section, a guide profile and a gear rack are attached.

Frame construction

The finished frame is treated with a grinding nozzle, it is also recommended to prime it and paint it. To do this, the frame is installed vertically and coated with an automotive primer using a spray gun, and after drying, paint is applied in two layers.

Section sheathing

After waiting for the painted frame to dry, you can proceed to the skin. Usually, inexpensive and practical corrugated board is used as a sheathing material, but it is possible to use a board or polycarbonate. The selected material is attached to the frame with bolts or self-tapping screws every 20-30 cm, having previously marked it and drilling holes for the fasteners.

Section installation

The do-it-yourself sliding gate device is completed by fixing the section on the poles and connecting the automation. It is possible to proceed with the installation of the gate no earlier than a week from the moment of concreting the foundation and supports.

Installation sequence:

• Roller trolleys are “grabbed” to the channel laid on the foundation by welding, the rollers are placed inside the guide at the bottom of the web.
• The gates are checked with a building level and their upper part is fixed with a bracket.
• The door travel is checked and, if everything is in order, the roller carriages are firmly welded.
• An end roller is attached to the front of the section from below.
• The gate is closed and the coincidence with the traps on the support is checked, if necessary, their position is corrected.

After assembly, the welding points are treated with an anti-corrosion primer and the electric motor is connected in accordance with the documentation attached to it. The design is ready and if you take care of it properly, remembering to periodically clean and lubricate the rollers, it will last for many years.

Connecting automation - the final stage

We hope our instructions on how to make a sliding gate yourself will be useful to you. But remember, before you start work, you should draw up a project. future design and discuss it with a specialist. Good luck!

There is a lot of incomplete information on the Internet on the installation of sliding gates with your own hands, after reading it, the progress of work or the installation of sliding gates is not particularly clear.

In this manual, we will try to visually demonstrate the installation of cantilever sliding gates from and to, and help you calculate the height and width of the gate for you.

To proceed with the installation, you need drawings, there is no one drawing for all gates, it all depends on the width and height of the opening in the fence.

Sliding gate fittings

The first thing you can start assembling the gate with is the fittings, but only after calculating the weight and dimensions of the gate, the fittings can be purchased separately or made with your own hands from bearings, the fittings kit includes:

1. guide rail is usually 6 m long;
2. 2 roller bearings
3. 1 top roller bracket to avoid the swing of the gate;
4. 1 end roller;
5. 1 end roller catcher, so that the gate docks correctly during the wind and does not break the automation.

Additional accessories for fittings:

• Mounting and adjusting support for roller bearings.
• Mechanical lock.
• Rack toothed.
• Fastening element for toothed rack.

Now about the load. Kits are different, for different weights of the gate, see the table, it shows the dependence of the weight and width of the gate.

Opening width no more	Gate weight
4 m	300 kg.
4 m	400 kg.
4.5 m	500 kg.
6 m	600 kg.
10 m	1000 kg.
12 m	1200 kg.

These data will be useful to you when choosing accessories, but most craftsmen try to make all the details with their own hands, since the kit is not cheap.

To make the hardware yourself, you need to know where and why it is attached, read about it below.

How to choose quality fittings

Main part, guide rail, the best choice there will be a rail of a European manufacturer. Detail good quality has a mirror-smooth surface and clear geometric shapes. The part must be galvanized, free of scale and rust on its surface. A quality guide has a metal thickness of 3.5 mm to 5 mm.

When choosing roller bearings, pay attention that they are made entirely of metal, plastic or rubberized ones will not last long. All geometric shapes of the metal must be correct, the slightest deviation indicates a poor-quality assembly.

As for the rest metal parts, they must be coated with zinc, the shade of zinc must be uniform, minimum thickness metal 3-4 mm.

Sliding gate dimensions

The cost of fittings will depend on the size and weight of the sliding gate. The width is calculated in this way, another 50% of the width is added to the width of the opening in the fence. For example, you have an opening width of 4 meters, divide by 2, we get 2 meters + 4 meters opening width, the total length of the guide rail will be 6 meters.

To make it easier to understand and remember, I propose a formula and a diagram:

• B - opening width;
• A - counterweight length;
• L is the length of the guide rail.

After you have decided on the size of the frame, you can begin to manufacture it, the frame is made of a profiled metal pipe 40x40x2 mm and 40x20x2 mm for the inner crate. For aluminum frames, a profile from 60 mm is used.

It is better to make the height of the gate frame equal to the length of the corrugated board. Decking is better to choose tougher. Before fastening the corrugated board to the frame, drill holes in the frame half the diameter of the roofing screw, since the self-tapping screw may not drill the profiled pipe of the frame, blind rivets can be used instead of self-tapping screws.

The width of the lower profiled tube must match the width of the guide rail.

If you have a gate width of more than 4 meters, then it is better to use rectangular pipes to assemble the base of the frame!

The photo below shows how to properly make a frame for different widths of the opening.

Gate foundation

It is quite easy to determine the size of the foundation, since it has a length equal to 1/2 of the width of the opening, according to the formula:

• B - opening width;
• L is the length of the foundation;

If everything is simple with the length of the foundation, then with the installation we have many options.

The foundation can be made of the following materials:

• Monolithic U-shaped.
• Monolithic solid.
• From screw piles.

In montage monolithic foundation there are also small features, you can use reinforcement welded to the channel, anchor bolts or long threaded studs.

Consider the option with a channel (power frame), it can be with one or two supporting pillars or without them, in both cases the power frame is attached flush to the existing fence posts. The height of the supporting posts corresponds to the height of the gate itself + the height of the roller bearings. The use of two supporting pillars near the power frame is advisable for wide gates that are strongly swayed by the wind. If support pillars are not provided, then metal mortgages are made into the stone fence instead.

In the photo, laying the foundation.

Scheme without metal racks.

Location of carrier rollers

In order to evenly set the power frame on the opposite side, where the support post with the end roller catcher is located, retreat 10 cm (post thickness) from the fence and pull the cord to the last corner of the channel, along its entire length, the edge of the channel should repeat the line of the cord.

Gate installation and adjustment

After the power frame is ready for use, level the roller bearings, install the upper roller bracket, the installation depends on the design of the bracket.

To determine in advance where to mount the lower trap, a guide rail without a gate is put on the roller bearings. The lower trap is designed not only to hold the gate horizontally, but also to relieve the load from the roller bearings; for this, the end roller must roll into the trap so that the gate rises 3-5 mm.

If, after installing the frame, the end roller sags a lot, adjust the roller bearings.

If everything is done correctly, but you have not achieved the correct operation of the sliding gate, then most likely you do not have a high-quality set of fittings, it is designed for a different weight, or the frame is assembled incorrectly, because of this, the gate sags heavily and cannot fall into the lower trap.

After all the above mechanisms are adjusted, you can proceed with the installation of automation. The video below shows how you can make an electric drive with your own hands.

Let's start with the gear rack, they are metal and nylon, metal is naturally better and more reliable. Their thickness varies from 8 to 30 mm. Standard size slats 1 meter. For fastening, use the number of rails equal to the width of the opening + 1 rail for automatic limit switches. The gap between the teeth of the drive gear and the rack should be 1-2 mm. The rack is attached to the bottom tube of the door frame using a fastener for the toothed rack. Holes in the rail allow it to be adjusted in height.

In the picture there are two options for fastening the toothed rack, we do not recommend attaching the rack to the guide rail, during welding the guide may bend, if bolts are screwed into the guide, this can also cause difficulties during installation and during operation of the gate.

Fasteners are often welded, although there is a special C-profile for the rack for their fastening. Pictured below are both options.

If you buy an electric drive, then 4 meters of gear rack are included in the kit.

For those who do not want to spend money on a gear rack, it can be replaced with a bicycle chain or, as shown in one of the videos, a Zhiguli chain.

Gate automation

Both retractable and swing can open automatically. Their operation is controlled by a remote control and switches installed in the house, and possibly at the gate. One remote control can start not only the gate, but also the garage door, and even lighting. Automatic drives consist of an electric motor, a moving rack and a control device. They can be purchased as a separate device, although it is better to order them immediately with the gate. Then you will be sure that the drive was correctly selected and there will be no surprises during assembly.

Sliding gates require one motor to move the toothed rack attached to the bottom edge of the leaf. And for sliding gates, two cylinders are required, one is attached to each of the wings. The drive has a mechanism that allows you to open the gate in the event of a power failure. Modern drives can be powered by a battery charged from the mains or solar battery. The gates open automatically and require the installation of devices that ensure the safety of their use. Photocells are needed, thanks to which the leaves do not move when an obstacle appears in their path. A signal lamp installed in a conspicuous place will inform you that the gate is opening or closing.

Drive selection

When choosing a drive, it is important that the gears of the gearbox are made of steel or brass, but not plastic or silumin. The second important element is the limit switch, it controls the points to which the gate can be opened and closed, the limit switch can be mechanical and reed switch (magnetic), as practice has shown, the mechanical one can freeze in winter. As a rule, the quality of drive parts depends on its power, the higher the power of the drive, the better its assembly. As for the carrying capacity, it is indicated in the documentation.

Basic equipment of the drive:

• 4 meters of gear rack;
• photocells;
• signal lamp;
• remote control and receiver;
• mounting plate.

For those who do not know what photocells are for, they are 2 sensors that are mounted along the edges of the gate. When an obstacle appears between the photocells, the gate opens or closes, depending on how you program the automation.

Installation of automation

The first step is to weld or screw on the mounting plate for mounting the drive, it is supplied with the drive, it can be used to adjust the height and angle of the drive.

After mounting the drive, magnetic sensors, photocells and a signal lamp are mounted. As a rule, drives are connected to the network 220 and after software configuration they are immediately ready for operation.