How to secure your home with taste

Just like the fence, the gate is one of the aspects that every passerby sees about your house and it also secures your house from strangers. So you need to choose it with consideration.

When looking for a house to rent or planning on building a house, your security is one of the most essential things to consider. Therefore, a fence and a gate are some of the important aspects to such a house because they are a way of attaining the needed security for your home. But if you have already settled for the type of fence, you will also need to consider the gate.

When choosing a gate, it is not just about putting an entrance in front of your house, it is also about the impression you give people that are coming to your home. So the beauty of the gate is also an important factor.

But before you settle for any type of gate, there are some considerations you need to pay attention to. Cathy Muyinda, a structural engineer with KK Partnership Architects says you need to consider the available space, the kind of design you want, your budget and how close to the main road your house is. Muyinda says for the different types of fences, any type of gate can be used for this fence.

TYPES OF GATES
Swing gates
Abdul Kinene a gate fabricator at SK fabricators in Kisaasi. He says swing gates are the most common choices for homeowners in Uganda. “These gates open inwards or outwards in a single- or double-door construction.” He says swing gates are easier to install and usually cost less than other gates.

Kinene says these gates do not require a lot of maintenance compared to other types of the gates. “If you have a wall fence with grills, then you can use a covered gate because it gives more security to your home,” says Kinene.

For this type of gate, he says a standard gate that is 14 feet will cost about Shs2.5m. A 12 feet one will cost you about Shs1.8m. Kinene adds that before installing a swing gate, the distance from the fence to the road or from the gate to the main house will determine if the gate should swing inwards or outwards. “If the distance to the house is large enough, you can opt for a swing inwards gate but if it is small, get a swing outward gate.”

Sliding /rolling or cantilever gates.
If you have limited space at the entrance of your house, a gate that slides sideways might be preferable to a swing gate. Kinene says sliding gates have to be installed by a professional. They are more complicated to install compared to swing gates. He recommends that you use this type of gate if there is no other option because they do not last as long as the swing gates.

Emmanuel Ssonko, of Ssonko Metal Crafts explains that rolling gates slide open on a v-track embedded in the driveway, while cantilever gates slide open on a counterbalance system. The cost of a sliding gate is Shs3m without an electric mortar. But if installed with an electric mortar, it will cost you Shs6m. You are also required to have an electrician to install the gate.

Barrier Gates
According to autogate.com another type of gate is the barrier gate and these are what you see in parking garages, at toll booths, and at other traffic control areas. A barrier gate opens when a car is getting in and closes before the next one gets in. Barrier gates are intended purely for commercial buildings. But they do not provide any security and are not visually appealing. You probably wouldn’t see one installed on a residential property.

Electric and automatic gates
Automatic and electric gates come in both swing and sliding gates. Ssonko says they can be programmed to open and close with either a remote control or a manual device which is normally manned by someone inside the house. He explains that these types of gates are comfortable and convenient since you can open the gate using a remote control without having to leave your car or house.

MATERIALS
Emmanuel Ssonko of Ssonko Metal Crafts in Ntinda, says the cost of the gate will depend on the material that you choose to use.

Fibre plate gates
Ssonko explains that fibre plates can be used to make gates. He says this material makes beautiful and long lasting gates but will cost you between Shs3.5m to Shs8m depending on the design.

Metal gates
Ssonko says you can use the steel metal, aluminum or iron for these gates. These will cost you between Shs2.5m and Shs7m depending on the designs you want and just like the fibre gate, these materials also make strong gates.

Wooden gates
For this type of gate, Ssonko says they create metal frames where the wood panels can be placed. “For this type, you will be required to get a carpenter that will cut out the wooden panels then they can be placed in the frames,” he explains. Wooden gates will cost you Shs3m and above depending on the size. While wood makes beautiful gates, it is affected by weather, mainly i n the rainy season.
Ssonko says that the common gate design is the arched gate which can be designed with metal . Another is the traditional type where usually the top part of the gate is flat with little or no design at all.