{"id":14962,"date":"2022-09-30T10:23:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-30T09:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gatemasterlock.wpenginepowered.com\/?p=14962"},"modified":"2022-11-03T10:27:40","modified_gmt":"2022-11-03T10:27:40","slug":"closing-mechanisms-how-to-make-your-gate-close-automatically","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gatemasterlocks.com\/en-us\/closing-mechanisms-how-to-make-your-gate-close-automatically\/","title":{"rendered":"Closing mechanisms: How to make your gate close automatically"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Gates that are left open aren\u2019t only a security or safety risk. An uncontrolled, open gate blowing open and closed in the wind can damage the gate hardware and the gate frame itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The best way to avoid this is of course to ensure the gate is closed every single time after use. But we all know it isn\u2019t enough to put a sign up saying \u201cPlease close the gate behind you\u201d. People forget or have their hands full and so, the gate remains open until someone notices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Luckily, it is easy to sort this for your customers by using a gate closing mechanism on their gate. In this blog we will tell you a bit more about the different types of gate closers out there focusing on uncontrolled and controlled gate closers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Main types of gate closing mechanisms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When we talk about gate closing mechanisms, we have to distinguish between uncontrolled and controlled closes. In this section, we\u2019ll cover the difference a few common types of closers within each group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uncontrolled closers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

An uncontrolled closer is a gate closer which only closes the gate. It doesn\u2019t have any dampening effect, meaning the gate will close very quickly behind you. This can be useful on gates that aren\u2019t used or maintained very often but shouldn\u2019t be used when children or elderly need to use the gate often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There are many varieties of uncontrolled gate closers, but we will only cover the main two ones: gravity closers<\/strong> and spring closers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gravity closers<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A gravity is a gate closer that works by using gravity as the main closing function. They are commonly simple mechanisms and can be anything from a heavy object on a chain attached to the gate, to a rising hinge. Both of which will pull the gate shut when it is let go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As you can imagine, this has immediate effect, and the gate will close very quickly. Although, you can get rising hinges with dampeners, these are commonly made only for internal doors and would not be suitable for external gates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spring assisted closers<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Another solution that is commonly seen, is a spring-assisted gate closer. Again, a simple way of closing a gate that doesn\u2019t offer any softening or slowing down the actual close. The spring would be attached to the gate and the back of the gate post. When you open the gate, the spring would be stretched causing it to shut the gate when let go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An example of a spring closer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Both of these solutions are adored and widely used across the UK. Spring closers are notoriously known to close the gate very quickly, which can cause injuries if it hits the person walking through the gate. There is little warning with an uncontrolled gate, which is bad news for finger entrapment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Controlled gate closers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Controlled gate closing mechanisms offer that softer close we all know from our kitchen cupboards. But there are again a few ways of doing this. The main ones we do are hydraulic or gas strut closing mechanisms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hydraulic gate closers<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

These closing mechanisms use a hydraulic pressure system to dampen the close. Taking our APS closer<\/a> as an example, this is actually spring-operated but is then slowed down by using pressurized oil within. The result is a controlled gate closure. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Hydraulic gate closing mechanism on a play park gate.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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The best part is that the APS is also two-speed adjustable meaning you can adjust the closing and the final latching speed. If you are after a gate closer that is suitable for playgrounds or areas with children, this is the one we would recommend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gas strut<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The other option is a gas strut closer, which works in a similar way. Instead of hydraulics though, a gas strut uses compressed gas to dampen the close. Our GSB<\/a> is a gas strut and can even be retrofitted thanks to its simple brackets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The best thing about the above two options is that they don\u2019t require any power unlike automated gate closers, which are fully electronically controlled and can be operated from your phone for instance. Although these also offer a controlled close, they also often come at a premium and are found on large driveway gates but can be trickier to install.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why we recommend a controlled gate closing mechanism<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As described above, a controlled gate closer offers a way to close the gate in a dampened way. Although it\u2019s not necessary for every type of gate, it is the safest to make your gate close automatically. As a bonus tip, to help the gate close, we also recommend you use an auto-latching lock. This will make sure your gate latches every time, which means fewer open gates and headaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Because open gates beat the purpose of having a gate in the first place and a gate closer can help you give your customers peace of mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bear in mind, there are specific requirements for self-closing gates on playgrounds or public areas used frequently by children. We highly recommend that you familiarize yourself with these on RoSPAs website<\/a> or read this blog from one of our distributors<\/a> outlining a few basic tips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Read more about gate closers:<\/h5>\n\n\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\"gate\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/a>\n\t
\n\t\tBy Luke Finch | Mar 20, 2020 | Uncategorized @en-us<\/span>\n\t\t

Case Study \u2013 Self-closing gates, Manor Place Depot, London<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t

CASE STUDY \u2013 BELLSURE, Gas Strut Closer Manor Place Depot, London, UK Self-closing gate solutions for external gates in residential areas can be a challenge, due to outdoor environment and potential vandalism. Bellsure chose the Gatemaster\u00a0gas strut closer\u00a0for their bike shelters in a prestigious development in the heart of London. The Project Our client Bellsure was […]<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

\n\t\tRead article<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/article>\n\t\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\"Red\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/a>\n\t
\n\t\tBy Luke Finch | Nov 23, 2021 | Uncategorized @en-us<\/span>\n\t\t

How to make self-closing gates safer in public areas<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t

When you send your child to the local playground, you trust that every precaution has been made to ensure their safety.\u00a0 When it comes to the surrounding fence and gates, you need to incorporate certain safety measures like the right type of fencing and consider features like self-closing gates. The Royal Society for Prevention of […]<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

\n\t\tRead article<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/article>\n\t\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\"gas\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/a>\n\t
\n\t\tBy Luke Finch | Aug 24, 2021 | Uncategorized @en-us<\/span>\n\t\t

Self-closing gates: How to find the best gate closer<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t

Your customer has decided they want their new gate to self-close after use. No problem, as you know that a gate closer can easily do this. But do you know what kind of gate closing mechanism to use for safe and reliable closing? Like most gate hardware, there are many options on the market when […]<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

\n\t\tRead article<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gates that are left open aren\u2019t only a security or safety risk. An uncontrolled, open gate blowing open and closed in the wind can damage the gate hardware and the gate frame itself. The best way to avoid this is of course to ensure the gate is closed every single time after use. But we […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":9680,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[151],"tags":[273],"class_list":["post-14962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-en-us","tag-gate-hardware-en-us"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gatemasterlocks.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gatemasterlocks.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gatemasterlocks.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatemasterlocks.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatemasterlocks.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14962"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatemasterlocks.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14962\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatemasterlocks.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9680"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gatemasterlocks.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatemasterlocks.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatemasterlocks.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}