Garden Gates

[diy-newby]

Hi

I'm in a bit of a quandary regarding what to do regarding gates.

Right, detached house with access to the rear via both sides of the house. We were burgled the other week so we are looking to gate off the accesses.

Not sure whether to go timber gates or metal gates. Would prefer timber for the privacy aspect, but would also like metal for the security.

Had a guy round last night to look and quoted the following (for metal gates)

Right hand side path (approx 3 ft wide):-

Full height metal gate, dome top with spikes. Fully galvanised and painted. Would have to build a frame which is bolted to the path to house the gate as our neighbours wooden fence is not very secure (can be pushed about 3 inch so the lock would be no good).

Left hand Side (approx 4.5 ft wide):-

Same style gate although no frame required. To fill the gap, a fence would also be installed in iron to make up the difference between the gate and the existing fence running down the left hand side boundary.

Both gates would have 5 lever locks installed.

All ironwork is galvanised and ready painted. Price I got quoted was £700 (this includes all the fitting).

Is this a good price?

I am sure a wooden gate / fence would be no more than £200, would give me more privacy but not so sure about the security.

I know there is no way to stop any unwanted visits but as a deterrent what do you think is best?

[TMC]

If you have concrete paths then bolting posts or fames to them is possible whether in wood or metal If paths are soft then post holes and concreted in posts are usually needed adding to the labour costs

I have seen many wrought iron gates fitted where within a few months ply panels have been added for privacy, so I would always go for wooden gates

The gates you describe sound rather commercial in appearance for a residential property and although they would doubtless do the job may not look right. And of course they would be completely useless if an intruder could just gain access by going into your neighbours garden and hopping over a fence elsewhere on you property

Tony

[John]

Where in the country are you? The reason I ask is that my brother has his own gates and security bars type business near Leeds.

HTH

John

[diy-newby]

I'm in Leeds!!!

What is the company called?

[Dave Liquorice]

What makes you think metal is more secure? They'll probably be lighter than timber and it's easy to put a jack between the bars and push them apart (always assuming there isn't an easier rear access over a fence or WHY).

[John]

I don't like to give his details out on the 'net. If you send me an email to john(dot)ledger(at)btconnect(dot)com I will reply with his details.

Cheers

John

[A.Lee]

Fitted, then yes, that is good. Just a pair of steel gates 7' wide is £350 upwards.

I know you'd struggle to get a pair of wooden gates fitted for £200 - I replaced one myslef a couple of weeks ago for a customer and charged £75. - I will be lucky if I made £20 on that. (it comprised - 3' Wooden gate made by myself,2 good hinges, pad bolt and suffolk latch, and one fence post to screw it to). If I do one again, it'll have to be £100 to replace the gate alone, and more if new framing is needed. Alan.

[Derek Geldard]

If normal domestic 5 lever mortice locks are used (They are on mine) they can be exposed to more weather than if morticed into a door that closes into a frame and are not designed for this. A more traditional method would be a substantial sliding bolt secured with a padlock which can be as secure as you want to pay for.

In Leeds a local joiner charged me £250 for 6 hours labour only just last week.

To make up and fit custom set of gates + fencing, inc. fittings £700 wouldn't appear to be robbery.

They might be able to just hop over your gates / fence / back hedge but they can't do it carrying your telly. Normally they won't come in unless they are can see an unimpeded exit route so securely locked gates are a deterrant. Padlocks and chains are also very noisy when roughly handled.

Saxons, Topcliffe Lane, Tingley, Morley Leeds, LS27 0HL

Tel: [phone] make most (?) of the gates fitted by jobbing tradesmen in South Leeds.

DG

[John]

£250 for 6 hours labour only, Jeesh did he have a gold saw or something? I live in Leeds and have several joiner (trained) mates and they only charge in the region of £150 for an 8 hour day

They don't make the ones my brother fits, he does! If the OP replies to my earlier post I will pass on his details.

HTH

John

[The Medway Handyman]

I'd agree with Alan, the hardwear alone would cost £20+ per gate, timber another £30+ easily. The metal gate price sounds OK to me, but as someone else said privacy is an issue.

[Derek Geldard]

The 6 hours was over 2 days if that makes any difference. He's 65 years old with a lifetimes experience and is fast and efficient. We have dealt with him for ~20 years. He is absolutely mowed under with work. South Leeds (Morley) is not at all affluent and we don't chuck our brass about - go figure.

Experienced local plumbers with a good reputation charge about the same. National plumbers *Much* more, like £1300 for one "Corgi" and an

18 Y.O. "Oik" to replace my existing central heating boiler one December just before Christmas. No heating, no hot water, no baths, no showers unless *cold*. Start 8-45 am finish 15-00 pm. Materials used? I'd say OTT at 15 quid (Plus the boiler of course!).

Oh, the local plumber's answering machine said he was away on a cruise for 3 weeks. $%*-steward.

That's fine.

Send them to me as well if you like, I have several runs of cracked wobbly perforated concrete screen blocks I have to replace.

DG

[Malcolm Race]

Make a gate using 19mm T&G v-jointed timber in a ledged and braced design, say about 8 feet high. This gives a smooth surface & will be difficult for anyone to climb. Use two bolts on the top and bottom ledges and fit a mortice lock on a block of wood on or just below the centre rail. Infitted one like this about 8 years ago and despite a comment to the contrary the lock still works.

Malcolm

[John]

I , and my mates, also live in South Leeds (Rothwell) and we don't chuck our brass around either!

Experienced local brain surgeons with a good reputation charge a lot more. The type of work and skills involved dictate the price. What I was trying to say was that £250 for a joiner doing 6 hours work, however old or experienced, in my opinion is way OTT.

If your E Mail address is not a Spam trap I will.

HTH

John

[Derek Geldard]

You haven't made it clear to which comment you refer, but mine (and I don't see any other) concerned a mortice lock fitted to a gate fabricated out of wrought iron or (more likely) steel strip.

A mortice lock advertised to meet BS 3621 (or some lesser standard) only meets that specification if it is installed as specified in the standard.

In general that means f*ck all wrought iron (type) gates or 19 mm timber.

HTH 8-)

DG

[Mary Fisher]

I live in north Leeds (Chapeltown) and we don't chuck ours about either. We don't have any tradesmen (or women). This is a diy group :-)

Mine charged nothing.

Mary

[Derek Geldard]

Oh, but you do. ;-)

Really?

Let me guess. You have them bussed in from Poland?

(Many a true word ... )

I think you'll find that's not actually the case. It's more likely that someone else paid the bill. There is a difference.

However, since this is a DIY group, maybe you did it yourself. I often wondered if dentists patched up their own teeth in the mirror but that's ridiculous.

DG

[Mary Fisher]

In our opinion we don't.

We don't have any tradeswo/men doing work for us.

No, we do everything ourselves.

There have been Polish people in Chapeltown since WW2. Some in our street. Those older ones are dying off though, leaving lots of (usually) Italisan widows. It's sociologically fascinating . Not to everone, I suppose ...

OK, I was charged nothing at the point of service. Happy now?

Bet you're not.

I've done it. I've stabilised broken bones with plaster too.

Needs must ...

Mary

[PJ]

Not even a search fee? ;-)

[Mary Fisher]

No, but when the family asked what he'd done and he said he'd taken out the smaller mass they wondered if he'd removed the wrong one.

I seem to function without it and don't have the nasty symptoms I had with it so I'm not complaining :-)

I never throw things by the way - except words :-)

Mary

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[diy-newby]

HI, email sent.