Slam!
Is that the “noise of summer” you
remember from childhood? When I hear the sound of a wooden screen
door with its long “automatic closer” spring slamming shut it
makes me think of endless, hot summer days filled with things to do.
It's a happy sound.
When I hear that sound coming from a
gate it makes me cringe. Why the difference? Well, a door is part
of a structure that supports it on all sides, being connected across
the top by the header and across the bottom by the floor, with a stop
running the entire latch edge. When a door slams, that energy is
transferred to the rest of the house. When a gate slams, all the
energy is absorbed by the gate and the latch post. Slam that gate
once too hard or once too often, and it soon will not latch at all.
It may not even stay in one piece.
Yet that is what some self closing
gate systems do. Unless there is a way to control the closing force on your self closing gate, you may be creating memories you'd
rather forget. Lost security from a broken gate, high repair bills
on your fence and gate, maybe a runaway dog or a toddler injured by
the gate or near your unattended pool. These can all be consequences
of a poorly designed or installed gate system.
Make sure the hardware you use is
reliable, safe, and adjustable.
Modern Fence Technologies
