Security Gates
We offer a wide range of security gate, driveway gate and steel gate designs to suit your requirements.
When considering your new steel gate it is very important to always think about the end result you would like to achieve. We have curated our popular range of proven driveway gate & steel gate products to allow you a smooth experience as a potential customer.
We know the story and sadly, have been guilty of it in the past, you contact a supplier and they take ages to come back to you. To this end we have designed an online store for our most popular steel gate design types where you can design your own driveway gate or pedestrian gate and obtain indicative pricing without having to wait on someone to call you back!
From the selection below you will be guided either to our shop where you can obtain instant pricing while you custom design your driveway gate, security gate or pedestrian gate. Alternatively you will be able to contact us with the design reference directly from any picture below to enable us to help you with pricing on your very custom steel gate design faster. Please remember that all our products are made to order and to your requirements at our factory in Cape Town, South Africa.
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Clad Pedestrian Security Gates
Security Gates
Styles and Trends in Driveway Gates and Their Operating Systems
Curbside Appeal and Practicality for your Driveway
As a homeowner, you want to make sure that your property is protected, accommodating and comfortable. From the interiors to the exteriors, when you put a lot of capital investment into your home, it’s essential to ensure that it is both practically welcoming, practically protected, and visually appealing. One of the first things that you and your visitors will see when they arrive at your house is your driveway gate – so it is crucial that you pick an option that suits your style and aesthetic vision, while still working effectively as a safeguard against the outside world. Read this article if you want to learn more about the different types of driveway gates available, and how the trends have developed over time.
Considering Stylistic Trends and Automated Variants
This article is going to take you through two different issues. The first section of this article will consider the aesthetic value of your driveway gates. For example, the look, texture, design and materials that you can choose and how this will influence the overall style of your home’s curbside appearance. In the second section of this article, we will consider the history of automated openers, as well as the popular trends for gates in recent years.
Popular Gate Styles
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Modern farmhouse
The modern-farmhouse style became particularly trendy in 2020, and it’s certainly still popular today. Houses built in this style are contemporary yet cosy, with more focus on traditional and rustic decor. Clean lines are coupled with neutral tones, brushed metals, eclectic decor and organic elements such as wood.
Modern farmhouse gates are similarly made with richly coloured wood and brushed metals. They create grand entrances that bring you to believe you’re entering the countryside, even if you’re in the city. These gates usually use curved lines and are generally accompanied by stone posts to finish off the rustic look. -
Contemporary
Contemporary style is a sophisticated design scheme that incorporates elements of modern architecture amongst emerging trends in pop culture. Unlike modern design, it is an evolving style that leaves room for interpretation. For example, there is retro-contemporary, urban contemporary and casual contemporary.
A contemporary-style driveway gate is difficult to define, as they are usually customised for the house and its owner’s preferences. However, contemporary-style gates generally share common features such as the use of dark, neutral tones like black or grey. They are also generally made with aluminium, iron and wrought iron. These fabrics are often embellished with patterned cuts, and they are made to counterbalance the softer surrounding landscapes. -
Spanish and Mediterranean
Spanish and Mediterranean design schemes are recognised for their warm and inviting energy. Interior design schemes associated with this style are usually associated with decorative tile work, archways, dome ceilings, textural walls and vibrant colours. These kinds of homes are more romantic and soft in their character.
To match the interiors, some homeowners choose to customise their gates to replicate gothic Spanish castles, using wrought iron with delicately twisted, ornamental designs. Another popular Spanish style is the colonial look, using large wooden boards hinged and decorated with galvanized black steel and bolts for a more traditional look. -
Minimalist
Minimalism strives to make the most impact with the least items and materials. Minimalism originated during the end of the 1950s. From an architectural point of view, the minimalist trend certainly found its roots in the cubist Bauhaus movement, gaining stylistic influence from traditional Japanese homes too.
To demonstrate a more minimalist approach to their curbsides, homeowners and architects often use simple materials such as galvanised steel or aluminium. Simple, solid sliding gates provide full coverage from the road and present an unassuming facade to the outside world. Using only one fabric and material, without additional ornamental designs, presents a sleek and striking minimalist look. -
French Country
This style is known for its use of distressed wood, muted tones, patterned vintage furnishings and rustic decor. French country style is elegant in its provincial nature and understated design. Soft, warm tones help the interiors and exteriors blend seamlessly into their natural surroundings.
On the exterior of a french country house, one can see this rustic style translated through natural stone facades, angled roofs, chimneys, and ornate gates. To customise your gate in a way that looks like a French country antique, some people add forged spikes to upright bars that frame a solid base of swinging wooden or steel gates. To top it all off, some even request the additional decoration of wrought iron rosettes. -
Mid-Century Modern
This is a term often used to describe the architecture and interior styles of the mid-20th century. Graphic shapes, vibrant colours and simpl, organic lines are often associated with mid-century modern designs. This particular style has made a big comeback in the 2020’s. Mid-century modern gates are nostalgic in their design style, using charming combinations of wood and or steel. They are not ornate, but instead, they make use of simple forms. These kinds of gates pair well with gravel pathways and cobblestone posts.
The History of Electric Openers
It is believed that the first person to create an electric gate was Fred W. Watson in 1881. He designed an electric system for railway crossings, which was then adapted into electric openers for driveway gates by the French. Since then, electric gates have become more and more popular for industrial, commercial and residential purposes.
Automation of driveway gates was initially most common amongst factories, making it easier for sites to control traffic and dropoffs for product supply and distribution. Thereafter, automated gates became more common in shopping malls, consumer hubs and even racing tracks. Today, almost everybody in a cosmopolitan space or an urban city has an automated gate system.
Common trends of the present include remote-controlled gates that can open and close at the touch of a button. Similarly, censored driveway gates are particularly popular for residential estates and industrial factories where traffic flows consistently. Expectations for the future of the industry include the popularisation of driveways gates that can be wirelessly connected to smart devices in order to measure the movements of residents or guests on the property.
Different Types of Gate Operators
Since the dawn of artificial intelligence, and the advancement of the internet of things, we have seen our entire lives automated. The same goes for driveway gates. A couple of years ago, it was not uncommon for homeowners to stop at their driveway, get out of the car, and manually open and close their gates before entering their homes.
Besides this being a major safety hazard, it also required a lot of extra time and effort compared to automated options. Automated operators allow for easier usage, and they don’t force you to get out of the car before you enter your home. Furthermore, these operating systems can be customised to suit the clients’ needs. Using Glow Innovations’ special quotation system, customers can stipulate exactly what they want and how they want their gates installed.
Today, we have different options when it comes to operating systems, including swing gate operators and sliding gate operators. There are a few different types of gate motors that can automate the opening and closing of your gate. For swing gate automation, the different kinds of motors are listed below.
Automated Gate Openers for Swing Driveway Gates
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Articulated Arm Gate Motors
This kind of gate opener is installed on the inside of a gate, making it invisible to the public outside the gate. The ‘arm’ here refers to a two-part arm with an elbow joint that connects the motor and the gate. The arm articulates when the gate is opening, and it extends fully when the gate is closed. -
Ram Gate Motors
Ram gate openers are partially attached to the gate as well as the post or wall alongside the gate. A straight-line arm mounted on the gate pushes and pulls the gate open by a piston, pivoting the gate to swing open. These motors are either hydraulically or electrically powered, but either way, they will require a separate control box that needs to be carefully aligned and installed by professionals. -
Linear Screw Motors
Driveway gates that are operated with linear screw motors function by an electric motor that rotates the gate along a threaded shaft. Similarly to ram gate openers, these kinds of systems require the gate opener to be attached to the gate at one end, as well as the adjacent gate pillar. These kinds of openers are easy to install and cost-effective. -
Underground Gate Motors
Underground motors are the most aesthetically understated option for automated gate openers. They are very discrete, with the motor placed underneath the floor surface on each side of the gate. To install this kind of gate motor it will, however, be necessary to drill holes into the surrounding ground. These kinds of gate openers swing driveway gates open up to 180 degrees, and they are generally either electric or hydraulic.
Automated Gate Openers for Sliding Driveway Gates
The process for automatically opening a sliding gate is somewhat simpler than for swinging driveway gates. Sliding driveway gates are singular, wide objects that move via wheels that run along a track beneath it. The motor will be found next to the gate, and as the motor’s shaft turns over the toothed rack inside the gate, the cog will rotate and slowly draw the gate to one side. Sliding driveway gates are ideal for driveways with limited space.
The Industry’s Popular Trends in Operators
According to key market insights, the market for gate openers has seen a lot of growth since 2020, particularly owing to the increased renovation and redevelopment of security systems for homes and businesses. Linear ram gate openers were the most popular types of openers in 2020 globally. This popularity is partly accredited to their cost-effectiveness, as well as their ability to function in limited spaces.
The second most popular type of driveway gate in 2020 was the underground gate opener, which is always appealing in residential areas thanks to its subtle appearance. Thirdly, the articulated arm opener has proven increasingly popular in recent years thanks to its durability and heavy-duty hinges, which can stand wear and tear over the years, especially for bulkier gates in commercial and industrial situations. Thereafter, sliding gates are still widely used in residential areas and remain a solid option for those with cramped spaces or angled driveways.
Contact Glow Innovations Today
Glow Innovations is a trusted business that offers everything from driveway gates to balustrading and electric fencing. Customers will find a variety of designs available in the online store and are encouraged to consult with qualified personnel regarding their design of choice and installation preferences. Order today or request a quote if you want to find the perfect style and operating system for your unique home or business.
Here are some more points to consider when deciding on your driveway gate design:
- Do you want a completely bespoke, custom design? A remote controlled custom designed automatic gate with various electronic opening options will add huge value to the surroundings. Perhaps we should be using heavier steel sections to create a solid feel.
- Would you like decorative scrolls, cast iron mouldings, logos or designs cut from steel plates inserted into the automated driveway gate.
- Is privacy your main focus? Consider the strength of a steel driveway gate frame clad with either hardwood timber slats, galvanized steel plates, maintenance free fibre cement slats or boards or a combination of these different materials.
- What colour is your steel gate going to be? Another very important aspect to consider is the final finishing of your security gate; we have mastered airless spray painting enabling us to apply the more environmentally friendly water based enamels and acrylic paints to our products. This means you receive a finished product which is easy to maintain for many years to come.
- Is cost your main concern – Design plays a huge part in determining the cost of a security gate, pedestrian gate or driveway gate. A basic common steel gate design with plain galvanized steel finish using a manually operated lock and lighter steel sections will always be cheaper than a custom once off specialty driveway gate design.
- Are you worried about contractors and reliability? A DIY option can sometimes balance the cost implications against the product quality. Labour is a large cost contributor for most suppliers.
Always remember that every driveway gate we supply from the most economical to the more elaborate are engineered to last and be extremely reliable.
We design all our steel gates using SOLIDWORKS CAD before manufacturing, you will receive a final gate design drawing for approval before anything is cut. The end result is a steel gate with your desired style and no upsetting surprises.
You could also use our in-house design team to create a completely bespoke security gate, steel gate or driveway gate product. If you have a clearer idea of your parameters, it will allow us to offer the best solution for your driveway gate, security gate or pedestrian gate design.
For Architects and Designers
Specific to Architects and Designers we offer a consulting service where we establish a suitable gate design specification document for driveway gates, pedestrian gates and the associated gate motor automation. This ensures that all companies tendering can be evaluated evenly based on a solution which is known to be workable and uncompromising. This allows the design professional to focus on other tasks of more importance and not waste their valuable time researching steel sections and fabrication best practice.
*T&C’s apply to custom design work