Automatic gates are a great way to secure your property; however, it can be extremely frustrating when they don&#;t function as intended. If your automatic sliding or cantilever gate won&#;t close all the way, here are a few things you can do before calling a professional.

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Sliding Vs Cantilever Gates

Traditional sliding gates slide along a bottom track. However, cantilever gates are trackless. They&#;re held above the ground and move back and forth via rollers running along the top and inside the gate with wheels attached to post-mounted rollers.

Sliding and cantilever gates are great for driveways with limited space. They stow neatly away alongside the gate and don&#;t require clearance to swing open. This feature also makes them suitable for large openings.

Troubleshooting: Physical Issues

Like swinging gates, sliding or cantilever gates require regular maintenance to ensure they continue to work properly. If yours is acting up, here are a few troubleshooting steps you can take to see if you can get it working again:

• Check if there&#;s any debris like twigs, leaves or overgrown plants and bushes preventing the gate from closing. Debris and small items in your gate&#;s path can prevent it from working properly.
  
  
• If you have a cantilever gate, verify that the rollers and wheel bearings are well lubricated and aligned. If these components become dried out or damaged, your gate may malfunction.
  
  
• If you have a sliding gate, make sure the chain is lubricated. You should do this maintenance every year to prevent the chain links from rubbing against each other and causing premature wear. Check to see if the chain has started to sag. The chain can stretch over time, causing the links to become loose and fail. You should also inspect the bottom tracks to ensure they aren&#;t rusted or damaged.

If you notice any extensive physical damage to your gate, it&#;s best to reach out to a technician from Creative Door ServicesTM for professional repair. Automatic gates are heavy pieces of equipment with many moving parts that can be dangerous to work with.

Troubleshooting: Electrical Issues

Many automatic gates have photo eye sensors that can become misaligned. If there isn&#;t a clear path between the sensors, the gate may not function properly. If this happens, realign the sensors and make sure they face each other. If the photo eye lenses seem to be aligned, they could be dirty, smudged, or covered in cobwebs. Wipe them down with a dry, lint-free cloth to get them working again.

If you&#;ve determined that the photo eyes aren&#;t the issue, try cutting the power supply and manually opening or closing your gate. If you can&#;t move your gate at all, there&#;s probably a structural issue like broken tracks or rollers that must be investigated by a professional.

However, if your automatic gate swings freely when disconnected from the power source, you may have an electrical problem on your hands. It may be caused by pests nesting inside the gate operator or rodents chewing through the wires and weakening the connection. Before taking apart your gate operator, verify that the &#;hold open&#; command hasn&#;t accidentally been left on. If the command is engaged, simply turn it off to get your gate working again.

If you can&#;t figure out what&#;s wrong with your gate, call an expert to make sure you don&#;t cause more damage to your gate operator or injure yourself trying to make the necessary repairs.

Planned Maintenance

At Creative Door ServicesTM, we want your automatic sliding or cantilever gate system to last for as long as possible. That&#;s why we offer a planned maintenance program. One of our expert technicians will periodically come to your home and inspect your gate system to ensure it&#;s working properly. They&#;ll catch any minor problems before they become major issues, saving you valuable time and money.

Residential Driveway Gates in Western Canada

If you need help determining why your sliding or cantilever gate isn&#;t closing all the way, turn to the knowledgeable team at Creative Door Services&#;. We install, repair, and maintain all types of residential gates. We also have an impressive inventory of related parts and accessories from industry-leading brands at our disposal.

If you need a quote or have any questions about our products and services, contact one of our eight branches in Western Canada today. We have locations in Kelowna, British Columbia; Vancouver, British Columbia; Calgary, Alberta; Edmonton, Alberta; Fort McMurray, Alberta; Regina, Saskatchewan; Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; and Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Automatic gates are a great way to protect your property and boost your curb appeal, but eventually, even the best residential gates will experience issues. Let&#;s review the four most common gate issues and how you can troubleshoot them. 

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4 Most Common Gate Issues and How To Fix Them

1. Gate Won&#;t Open or Close.

A stuck gate can be a major headache, but there are a few easy fixes. 

Potential Reasons Why Your Gate Won&#;t Open or Close

• Stuck in manual mode
• Obstruction in tracks from debris or pests
• Faulty remote control
• Power outage

Troubleshooting a Stuck Gate

If your gate doesn&#;t open or close, it may be a simple issue like sensors that need cleaning. Try cleaning and realigning the gate sensors and ensuring no debris or pests are blocking the sensors or tracks. Another simple issue and its solution is transitioning the gate from manual to automatic mode. If bad weather or electrical failure switched your gate opener to manual mode, return it to automatic mode and attempt to open it again.  

2. Gate Makes Unusual Noises.

If your gate makes unusual grinding, scraping, or beeping noises, it&#;s time for an inspection.

Potential Reasons for a Noisy Gate

• Malfunctioning gate opener
• Poor installation
• Lack of lubrication
• Bent tracks

Troubleshooting a Noisy Gate

In the case of a gate that makes scraping or grinding noises, the easiest first step is lubricating all moving parts with a silicone base lubricant or white lithium grease. You can also tighten loose screws or bolts and examine your gate for worn-out parts. Try operating your gate again to see if that restored smooth operation. If not, it&#;s best to schedule professional gate maintenance to ensure there aren&#;t any significant issues. 

For a beeping gate, you have an issue with the automatic gate opener, like a dead battery or an electrical shortage. Check to see if your gate opener displays an error code and what the owner&#;s manual says about diagnosing specific beeping noises. 

3. Gate Opens Slowly. 

If your gate opens slowly, you need to inspect the automatic opener and the gate itself. 

Potential Reasons for a Slow Gate

• Dirty or obstructed tracks
• The motor isn&#;t strong enough for the gate
• Poorly lubricated parts
• Batteries are dying

Troubleshooting a Slow Gate

A slow gate usually signals an issue with the batteries, motor strength, or parts. If you hear frequent beeping from the automatic opener paired with a slow gate, you may need new batteries &#; which you should let a professional gate company handle. You can also have a gate company assess your slow-moving gate to see if your gate requires a larger motor to operate properly. 

On your own, you can also examine the tracks for pests or debris and lubricate all moving parts to create a smoother, faster gate operation. 

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4. Gate Starts to Open or Close, Then Reverses.

Does your gate start to open or close then automatically reverse? Gate sensors are usually the culprit. 

Potential Reasons a Gate Starts to Open and Reverses

• Faulty gate sensors
• Obstruction in the gate&#;s path
• Blocked track or wheels

Troubleshooting a Faulty Gate

If your gate starts to open and then reverses, the first thing you should check is your gate sensors. These safety mechanisms prevent your gate from closing on anyone or anything. Gate sensors can come out of alignment or be blocked by pests, debris, or obstructions. Whatever the case, try cleaning and realigning the sensors to restore your gate to its typical function. 

How To Get Ahead of Gate Repairs

If you want to avoid the headache of a faulty, slow, or stuck gate, we recommend scheduling gate maintenance with a local gate company like Top Quality Doors. For almost 20 years, we have served Norman, OK, and the entire Oklahoma Metro Area with top-rated gate repair, maintenance, and installation. We would be happy to assist you with all your gate repair needs &#; troubleshooting and full repair or replacement. Give us a call to ask questions or set up an appointment!

What can I do if my gate won&#;t open?

First, you want to make sure that your gate is still receiving power. Gates will not open if they have been disconnected from their power source, or if there&#;s a power outage. If you don&#;t notice any issues with the power source, try to manually open your gate. If that doesn&#;t work, you likely need a professional to come and repair the issue. Contact us!

Can I lubricate my gate?

Yes! If you notice that your gate is moving slowly, you might need to lubricate all of the moving parts to make operation smoother.

How often should I have maintenance on my gate?

It is recommended by our experts that you have your gate serviced at least once a year to ensure each part of your gate is functioning just as it should!

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