FAQ

In comparing swing and slide gates, in general, the following applies:

Swing gates
a) have fewer moving parts,
b) are safer, and
c) need less regular maintenance.

Slide gates
a) are more secure and offer more security,
b) can cover a wider span using only one gate, but
c) are generally not as safe.

There has never been a death from a swing gate accident but there have been several from slide gate accidents.

Most snowfalls should not be a problem as the gate moves through the snow. Light snow is not enough to stop the gate, but the gate path should be shoveled and kept clear. Ice should be cleared off and kept off slide gate rollers, wheels and tracks.

One of the main things that is usually required is greasing of the swing gate hinges or slide gate rollers with a standard grease gun. Otherwise, the rest of the system is fairly maintenance-free.

Enclosures and equipment should be checked and cleaned out of insects and rodents. Opening, reversing, and other components should be checked for proper operation. As with any electro-mechanical equipment, safety and other features and components should be periodically checked for proper operation, voltage, and signs of abnormal wear.

Our Preventative Maintenance Inspection (PMI) provides a way to accomplish this, with three scheduled inspections per year to check over the entire system. In addition, all customers with a PMI receive our best pricing with discounts on all service calls.

There are emergency rapid access systems available for this purpose.

The most common is a called the Knox system. For this system, we provide a Knox key switch for the gates, which the emergency personnel use to gain access.

The keys are ONLY available to authorized Police and Fire personnel and each municipality has a different key. There are also other rapid access systems we use, including the (Click to Enter) –which utilizes the emergency two-way radio frequency.

In addition, there is the SOS (Siren Operated Sensor) which utilizes the emergency vehicle siren, and the Opticon, which utilizes the emergency vehicle strobe (flashing) lights.

Unfortunately, in the City of Chicago there is no rapid access system in use.

You may have to put your mailbox outside of the gate, or you can set up an open schedule for the estimated time of mail delivery. Otherwise, if you plan on keeping your gates open during the day, they will be open for the delivery. In some cases, they may only require a postal key switch or a keypad code, both of which we can provide.

There is a manual release key, lever, or other mechanism, which disengages the motor so you can operate the gate manually. Also, we can provide BBU (Battery-Back-Up) power systems, which will allow the gates to be opened in case of power outage.

We have professional fabricators that have been making gates for our automatic equipment for over thirty years. Most of our gates are custom fabricated and can be made to match almost any existing gate, fence, or railing. Almost all varieties of our iron and steel work is powder coated. The powder is sprayed on dry, then sent through a giant oven, which bakes it on at extremely high temperatures, resulting in a much longer life than traditional priming and painting. If you see a gate or fence you like, send us a link to it, write down the address, or take a picture of it, and we can match it.

If any permits are required, they should be obtained by the customer, as they are not included in our contract. Check with your city for your local codes.

All gate and fence posts are installed in concrete footings and ground mounted operators and pedestals are mounted on concrete pads, all of which are installed deep to get below the frost line. Concrete or asphalt surfaces require coring through the surface in order to set the posts or pads.

The gates usually swing in, but in some cases, due to limited space, traffic flow, or uphill driveways, the gates may have to swing out, which would result in outside mounted or outside swinging gate operators.

Over 30 years of service in the same location, factory trained, safety first technicians, responsive staff, written installation AND service guarantees, established relationships with gate operator equipment manufacturers, and the widest network of installation advising engineers.

WITH EES YOU GET SAFETY, SECURITY, DEPENDABILITY, BEAUTY, AND WE DO IT RIGHT THE 1st TIME.

First Class Service, Professional Attitude, and Competitive Prices.