Our driveway gates are a modern and practical addition to your property. Although our custom driveway gates are fairly easy to maintain, they can start to lose their elegance if you neglect them for too long. But fear not, with a high quality gate from a provider like T&F Iron Works and the occasional maintenance, your new gate can last a very long time.
For us to make sure the shine and functionality of your driveway gates are kept intact, you need to perform a few small tasks to properly maintain your gate occasionally. You can do these tasks yourself without the need for a professional, here are a few of the tasks you can do to keep your gates in tip top shape:
1. Lubricate Your Gate
The chain, wheels, screws, hinges, and pulleys are all parts of your gate that benefit from lubrication (in addition to any internal chains in swing and slide type gates). These are just the most important parts that may need to be lubricated but ask your gate provider if there are any additional moving parts.
You should also always ask your gate provider for their recommendation for a lubricant that will work best on your gate. However, if you can not reach your gate provider make sure to avoid using heavy oils or WD 40 for your gate and instead use lithium grease, oil, or a lubricant based on silicone.
2. Practice Proper Pest Control
Although you may not expect it at first, pest control is a very important part of driveway gate maintenance. This is because bugs, rats, lizards, and more can make their way near the electrical components of your gate and cause all kinds of chaos inside.
This includes slugs and snails as well, as they can leave a trail of slime when they move around which can cause moisture to build up and potentially cause damage to the electric components inside your gate. The same also applies to spider webs and ant nests which if left unmanaged for long enough can also damage your gate components. Long term it’s best to take care of these home invaders before they cost you money in repair costs for your gate.
While you can do most of this pest control yourself, if you would rather not handle it or would prefer more peace of mind, we recommend speaking to a professional pest control specialist and explaining exactly what your concerns are.
3. Properly Clean Your Gate
This is a basic yet effective form for maintaining just about anything. An automatic driveway gate requires cleaning at least every once a year, while still doing some minor cleanups wherever and whenever necessary.
It might go without saying but our last tip and likely the most important is to make sure you’re properly cleaning your gate regularly. You should clean your gate at least once per year minimum with once every 3-6 months being recommended.
The more you monitor your gate the longer you can save it from rust or clogged up debris, and overall you will greatly extend your gate’s longevity.
These are not the only things you can do to help maintain your gate, but they are some of the most important ones you can do yourself. If you have any questions on automatic driveway gates, please contact us for more information.
