Automatic Sliding Gates in Brisbane

Why sliding gates suit so much of Brisbane

Brisbane's housing stock is unusually varied for one city. Inner suburbs like Paddington, Red Hill, Annerley and Wilston are full of timber Queenslanders on narrow lots, often perched on a slope with the driveway cut in beside the house. Middle-ring suburbs such as Carina, Chermside and Mount Gravatt have post-war brick and low-set homes with a carport close to the street. Out in the newer estates around North Lakes, Springfield Lakes, Yarrabilba and Ripley, the garage often sits only a car length or two back from the kerb.

In every one of those cases a swing gate struggles. It needs depth behind the opening and a level arc to swing through. A sliding gate moves parallel to the boundary, so a short or steep driveway is far less of a problem.

The side run decides it

A sliding gate needs somewhere to park when it is open. As a rule of thumb that is a clear run along the fence line roughly equal to the gate's width, plus a little room at the end for the motor. On Brisbane blocks that run is often interrupted by a letterbox pier, a water meter, a frangipani, a retaining wall or the neighbour's driveway.

Before you request a quote, walk the front boundary and note:

• The width of the driveway opening, post to post
• What sits along the fence on the side the gate would slide to
• Whether the ground along that run is level or steps up or down
• Where the nearest power point or switchboard is

Track or cantilever

Most residential sliding gates roll on wheels along a steel track set into the driveway, driven by a motor that engages a toothed rack on the gate. Tracks are simple and dependable, but they collect leaves, jacaranda flowers, grit and storm debris, and a fouled track is one of the most common reasons a sliding gate stalls.

A cantilever gate hangs off rollers behind the opening and never touches the driveway. It needs a longer run beside the opening, because part of the gate always sits behind the rollers, but it suits gravel driveways, acreage entries around Samford, Chandler and Brookfield, and low spots where water runs across the driveway after a heavy storm.

Materials and style

Powder-coated aluminium slat and batten gates dominate new builds in Brisbane. They are light, which is kind to the motor, and they hold up well in humid weather. Steel frames clad with aluminium, timber-look or screening panels suit wider and more solid gates. If you live in a character street, the gate may also need to sit comfortably with a traditional front fence; see our guide to character overlay front fences and gates.

Solid gates catch wind. In an exposed spot during a summer storm, a full-height solid panel puts real load on the motor and the track, so slatted designs with a little air gap are often the more practical choice.

Try a design first

You can sketch your gate before anyone visits. Our online gate designer lets you choose sliding or swing, a slat style, a colour and a size, then send that design with your enquiry. It gives the installer a clear starting point, even if the final design changes after the site visit.

Rules worth checking

In Brisbane, council says a fence generally needs building approval if it is more than 2 metres above natural ground, counting any screens and retaining wall together, or if it forms part of a regulated pool fence. Other approvals can apply in overlays, and Logan, Ipswich, Redland and City of Moreton Bay councils each have their own rules, so check with your council for your property.

The gate drive should be set up with reference to AS/NZS 60335.2.103, the Australian and New Zealand standard for electric gate drives, and any new mains connection must be done by a licensed electrician. If a sliding gate will not fit your boundary, compare automatic swing gates.