From a wide range of building materials suitable for the manufacture and installation of gates, individual developers most often choose corrugated board. Preference is given to this building material for a number of reasons, among which strength, durability, decorativeness and, of course, reasonable price can be noted. Decking is made in the factory from steel sheet by the method of cold kata. A protective layer of galvanizing is applied on both sides of the metal profiles to protect the metal from corrosion and premature failure. For additional protection and to enhance the decorative qualities of the corrugated board, they are coated with a polymer layer, the color of which can be very different. To make the gates from the corrugated board with your own hands, you just need to find a couple of free days and a couple of free hands. After all, building together is always more fun and faster. True, in addition to hands, you need to stock up on a welding machine and a minimal set of tools.
What are the designs and what is a good professional sheet?
Why corrugated board? Because it provides:
- Durability of construction. Do-it-yourself gates can stand for a quarter of a century, without the need for special care and repair.
- Light weight used building materials, which facilitates installation, as well as the delivery of everything necessary to the object.
- Ability to select textures and colorsbased on the preferences of the owner of the home ownership. The gates, combined with a fence, roof and other decoration elements of the buildings on the site, will decorate any territory.
- Saving on paint, After all, gates from corrugated board do not fade under the influence of sunlight and do not fade under the influence of precipitation. When buying, pay attention to the manufacturer, because fakes may not have such qualities.
Among other things - of course this is a low price in comparison with other building materials and taking into account their characteristics.
So, there are several types of gate designs, among which two options are most common: swing and sliding.
It’s quite difficult to build a retractable gate from a metal profile with your own hands, so it’s better to invite professional builders to complete this task
It is easier to assemble swing gates independently, consisting of two identical halves, each of which opens in its own direction. Of course, you can make one large sash, turning in one direction. However, with this option, a large load on the loops on which all this “colossus” is hung is dropped. Therefore, most developers prefer the classic double-wing swing gate design. To get to the territory of the passenger car and small truck section, it is enough to build a gate 4 meters wide. The height of the welded frame can be 2-2.5 meters.
Important! If there is free space, the gate can be installed next to the gate. Otherwise, the gate (door) crashes directly into one of the wings.
Pit preparation and installation of gate posts
The supporting posts for the gate can be built from the following building materials:
- a wooden beam, the cross section of which is 150 to 150 mm;
- a round solid log, the diameter of which is at least 20 cm;
- channel beam, the thickness of which is 14-16 mm;
- profile pipe (80x100 mm), the wall thickness of which is 7 mm.
After marking the site, they begin to dig holes for installing gate posts, using an ordinary shovel or a garden drill for this
Having decided on the material for the pillars, they start digging holes, the depth of which is equal to one third of the height of the aerial part of the gate posts. It should be borne in mind that the door leaf is usually made half a meter shorter than the pillars. This stock allows you to ensure the rise of the lower edge of the gate from the soil surface by 20-30 cm, and also leave a couple of dozen centimeters on top for welding decorative elements that adorn the entire structure.
The stability of the gate depends on the strength of the pillars, so steel is chosen for their manufacture. To install a profile pipe or channel beam, a hole is drilled 1.2 meters deep and about 20-50 cm in diameter. Prepared metal poles are lowered into the hole, leveled in a strictly vertical position and poured with cement mortar. The preparation of the pillars consists in cleaning their surface from rust, subsequent priming and painting, as well as in installing upper plugs to prevent the ingress of snow and rain water.
Pillars for attaching the gate leaves are installed in a strictly vertical position, followed by fixing them with cement mortar
Related article: Installing fence posts: mounting methods for various structures
Selection of a profile sheet for door frame trim
Profile sheets are divided into three groups, which differ from each other by thickness, rib height, and degree of strength. Each group has its own marking:
- "FROM" - wall profiled sheet made of galvanized sheet of small thickness, having a small height of the ribs. Lightweight and at the same time durable material, which is usually chosen for self-assembly of gates.
- "NS" - profiled sheet, different from the material of the previous brand with a higher wave height and greater thickness. This affects their weight and level of strength.
- "N" - "carrying" profiled sheet used in the construction of iron hangars and the installation of roofs of a large area. Heavy profile sheets of this brand have a high level of strength. It is expensive and impractical to use them for cladding the gate frame.
It is best to build a gate from a professional sheet of the brand C8 and C10 (numbers indicate the wave height in millimeters). The thickness of the profile sheet varies between 0.4 and 0.8 mm. Sashes from this material weigh from 25 to 40 kg, so two workers can cope with their installation. There is no need to attract lifting equipment, which will save on the cost of the gate.
Important! Cutting the profile sheet to the required dimensions is best ordered at the factory (if possible). Using special equipment available at the factory, it is possible to ensure the accuracy of cutting, the accuracy of the cutting line, and also minimize the number of possible damage.
Frame frame manufacturing
The frame for the manufacture of the gate leaf can be made of wooden beams or from a profiled pipe of rectangular cross section (40x20 mm), the walls of which have a thickness equal to 2 mm. If the posts are metal, then the frame must be made of a similar material. The gate frame is assembled on a flat platform containing at least one leaf. To make the corners straight, use accurate measuring instruments (squares). You can use a homemade device made of rope folding in a right triangle with sides of 3.4 and 5 dm. A frame in the form of a rectangle is welded from the profile using a welding inverter, while the corners are additionally strengthened by steel corners, giving the structure greater rigidity. The long sides of the frame are divided into three parts and parallel bridges are welded to the marked points, strengthening the joints with steel corners as well. In these places, the hinges of the gate are welded.
Scheme of manufacturing a frame for gates from a profiled pipe having a rectangular or square section. The method of fixing closed gate leaves
Important! If you intend to make a gate in the gate wing, then the frame is done a little differently. In one of the wings using longitudinal and transverse jumpers welded to a rectangular frame, create a gate frame measuring 80 by 180 cm. In this case, the location of the hinges is shifted to the lower and upper edge of the gate.
Covering the door frame with corrugated sheets
They begin to cover the frame with a profile sheet right at the place of assembly of the frame. To fix the profiled sheet, special fasteners are used - screws with a hexagonal head, painted in the same color as the main material. Sheets with a wavy surface are bolted to the hinges of the gate or welded by welding. The length of the hinges for the gate must be at least one meter, and their thickness - at least 3 mm. When assembling the assembled sashes, you can use a small winch, which is hooked onto a beam placed on top of the gate posts. The bars are laid on the ground, on which the gate leaf is installed in order to fix the ends of the hinges by welding on the column. You can secure the hinges with bolts for safety. The bars are removed from under the gate leaves and check how easily they close and open.
The profiled sheet is fastened to the frame of the gate frame by special screws having hexagonal heads painted in the color of the main canvas
As you can see, there is nothing complicated in building a gate from a profiled sheet. It is only necessary to draw a drawing, calculate and acquire all the necessary materials, carry out installation work. A few days of work and a beautiful metal profile gate will become the hallmark of your home.
