Glossary

Access control · Articulated arm motor · Bi-folding gate · Cantilever gate · Exempted development · Force limitation · Galvanising · GSM opener · Leaf · Manual release · Photocells (photo beams) · Pier · Powder coating · Rack and pinion · Ram motor · Safe Electric registered electrician · Safety edge · Section 5 declaration · Sliding gate · Sliding gate motor · Swing gate · Telescopic sliding gate · Track · Underground motor

Access control

Remotes, keypads, intercoms and GSM units that decide who can open the gate.

Articulated arm motor

A swing gate motor with a folding arm. Suits thick piers where a ram won't fit.

Bi-folding gate

Leaves that fold as they open, for entrances without room for a full arc.

Cantilever gate

A sliding gate carried on rollers beside the opening, with a counterweight section, so nothing crosses the drive.

Exempted development

Work that doesn't need planning permission, within set limits. Gates up to 2 m are generally exempt, subject to conditions.

Force limitation

Control of the force a powered gate can exert, so it reverses when it meets a person or object.

Galvanising

Coating steel in zinc to stop rust.

GSM opener

A unit that opens the gate from a phone call or app.

Leaf

One gate panel. Double gates have two leaves.

Manual release

A key or lever that frees an electric gate so it can be opened by hand, for example in a power cut.

Photocells (photo beams)

Infrared beams across the entrance that stop or reverse the gate when broken. The HSA says they must back up force limitation, not replace it.

Pier

The brick, stone or block pillar a gate hangs from. It has to be sound enough to take the gate's weight.

Powder coating

A baked-on colour finish for steel and aluminium gates. Over galvanised steel it adds a second layer of protection.

Rack and pinion

A toothed bar (rack) on the gate and a toothed wheel (pinion) on the motor. How sliding gates are driven.

Ram motor

A linear motor with a piston arm fixed between the pier and the gate. The usual choice for swing gates.

Safe Electric registered electrician

The registered electrician who connects and certifies the power supply to an electric gate.

Safety edge

A rubber strip on the gate's closing edge that makes it reverse on contact.

Section 5 declaration

A formal decision from your council on whether a project is exempted development. In Clare: form P07, a site map and an €80 fee.

Sliding gate

A gate that moves sideways along the boundary to open. Needs a clear run beside the opening.

Sliding gate motor

A motor beside a sliding gate that drives a pinion along a toothed rack fixed to the gate.

Swing gate

A gate hung on hinges that opens in an arc, like a door. Usually a pair (double leaf) between piers.

Telescopic sliding gate

Two leaves that slide over each other, for wide openings with little room to the side.

Track

The rail set in concrete across the opening that a tracked sliding gate runs on. Keep it clear of stones and ice.

Underground motor

A swing gate motor in a box below the hinge, out of sight. Needs good drainage.