This is quite a straightforward question that we often get from our customers about wrought iron gates, and the honest answer is: well, it depends. (Not the answer everyone wants to hear, we know!) Namely, it largely depends on your current circumstances, and exactly what you’re after. Generally, it’s often possible for gates to be automated – but whether we’ll be able to do the same for yours is affected by a number of factors. Here are the three main scenarios!
If you don’t yet have any automated gates
If you’ve not yet got any automated gates and you’re just sizing them up for your property, we can certainly help there. As part of the purchase process, our experts – such as our surveyors, for example – can liaise with you or any of your representatives to see exactly what kind of area we’ll be working with, and if there are any specific adaptations we’ll need to make to your gates as we manufacture them. In some cases, this may even extend to an on-site visit (dependent on your location).
One of the key variables we’ll need to establish early on is what type of motor that your gates will be using. For example, whether they’ll need an articulated arm or an underground motor (and what provisions need to be made accordingly). Once we’ve got all the information we need, from there, we can then manufacture your wrought iron gates to be automation ready.
If you already have SL Wrought Iron gates installed
To be completely honest, if you already have gates installed, then retrospectively automating them becomes a lot more difficult. That’s because the design of the gates themselves might not necessarily lend themselves particularly well to automation, and they might be missing many of the small adjustments that we’d have needed to add at the point of manufacture.
Now, that’s not to say it’s impossible, and it may well be something that you can get help with from a local company which provides this specific service. However, we are primarily a supply-only company here at SL Wrought Iron, so unfortunately it’s not something we’d be able to help with directly, unless you intended to replace your existing gates entirely, with a new set we can manufacture specifically for automation.
If you already have a gate automation system in place
Similarly to our last point, if you already have a gate automation system, then unfortunately it’s generally not something we’d be able to replace (even if the gates that have been automated were originally supplied by us).
This again is largely to do with our status as a supply company. We don’t specialise in retrofitting gates, but manufacturing them, which generally means we’ll need a lot of specific information at an early stage in order to ensure that we can provide gates with the capabilities you want. Gates that haven’t been built to the required automation specifications – even if they were originally manufactured by us – are very difficult for our engineers to work with, and we wouldn’t necessarily be able to guarantee results that match the high standards we provide for our customers.
However, once again, it’s worth saying that just because it’s not a service that we provide, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s something that can’t be done. We’d always recommend doing some further research on local companies in your area, as you may be able to easily find someone who can get it sorted for you.
That’s all the key information in a nutshell! If you’ve got any questions we haven’t answered though, or if you need any further help or advice about our handcrafted metal gates or railings – including any about how they’ll suit your property – don’t hesitate to reach out to us on 01254 236994. Alternatively, you can email us at info@slwroughtiron.co.uk. We’re always happy to help!
