A Comprehensive Guide to Visual Examinations and Maintenance on your Sliding Gate
With a range of conditions across the country, maintaining your sliding gate is one of the easiest and most important jobs you can do to keep everything running smoothly and operating correctly.
Doing maintenance and taking care of your sliding gate means guaranteeing durability and functionality for many years. Particularly during the change of seasons and weather extremes. When done regularly the maintenance of your sliding gate is quick and easy.
Keeping the track and around your motor clean.
One of the easiest things you can do is to make sure the gate track, the area around the gate and the motor are kept clean and free of debris. Most gates will put up with a bit of dirt, sand and water, but keeping that to a minimum will allow your gate to run freely for as long as possible.
Keep the track free of any debris and make sure there's no areas where water is unable to escape. As for the motor, keep the area around and underneath free from dirt and plant material. These attract water and bugs and either of those are bad news for a gate motor over a long period.
Keep the moving parts lubricated.
Gate track, wheels, guide rollers and rails and even the motor itself will need regular lubrication to keep them running smoothly. With the right product, this is quick and easy. Pick up an oil based lubricant like the our GRR005 Aerosol Spray Lubricant and give the components a fresh spray every 3-6 months. Avoid using a solvent based spray like CRC or WD-40 as these tend to attract dirt and won't off the correct lubrication.
Check for any physical wear or damage.
By the time your annual gate check comes around, your gate has been through temperature changes, extreme weather and opened and closed a thousand times or more. That's a lot of stress for any system.
The track, wheels, gear rack and guide rollers can be checked easily. Even the gate itself should be checked for any damage or deformities. You'll be surprised how many times a neighbour or delivery driver may accidentally run into your gate and never say a word!
Give the motor some TLC. It's doing all the work!
Pick a nice clear day and grab your tool kit. Turn the power off to the motor and do some quick checks on your automatic motor to make sure it keeps doing the hard work you take for granted on those cold rainy days. Check for any loose bolts around the base, and check under the cover for any signs of moisture or bugs that might have looked for a place out of the rain during the winter months. Just remember, they already have a home in your garden, so don't be afraid to spray some bug barrier around the base of your motor to direct them back to that lush lawn instead of inside your motor housing.
Download our PDF maintenance guide and set your calendar!