Cantilever sliding gates are a rather complex structure. However, they are convenient and practical, therefore they are used widely in private households and in industrial facilities. Today, there are many manufacturers who supply the market with ready-made gates and accessories for them. Having enlisted the qualified help, it is possible to carry out installation quite competently and quickly. However, if you want to save and bring creative energy into action, it is better to deal with the installation of sliding gates yourself.
Description of console gates
Cantilever sliding gates do not have size restrictions on top. In addition, they do not have contact with ground rails. This gate design is one of the most complex, but such “sacrifices” are justified. The door leaf does not come in contact with the surface; it is suspended on roller blocks using a guide beam. Roller blocks and a beam are usually located at the bottom of the gate. Sometimes the guide beam and blocks are located in the center or on top of the canvas. This approach is justified when cantilever units can be suspended on the main wall of a neighboring building.
A similar technology is also used when there are nearby building structures or structures capable of withstanding loads from the web. Otherwise, a power structure is being constructed, which is not always beneficial. In most cases, for this reason, retractable cantilever gates with a supporting beam located below.
Constructive features of cantilever gates
If you decide to make console doors with your own hands, you should familiarize yourself with the circuit diagram of this design. The canvas is installed on the frame, which is made of a metal profile pipe. A supporting beam is attached to the frame, which has a special profile. Inside the latter, roller carriages are introduced. The beam moves with the gate left and right along the carriages, the gate closes and opens.
The greatest load is experienced by roller carriages and the beam, this especially applies to the moment of complete opening or closing of the gate. To unload these nodes, an end unloading roller is used, which enters and abuts against the catcher located at the bottom. In another part, an end limit roller with a catcher can be used to secure the web when fully open.
The cantilever system for sliding gates can have an upper catcher and a guide with rollers that exclude lateral rolling. The catcher will fix the canvas in the closed state. In order to prevent foreign objects and dirt from entering the beam, plugs are used. The design is installed on the power elements, among them:
- response post;
- support pillar;
- foundation for roller carriages.
If the site has strong supports that are made of metal, concrete or brick, then they can be used as a mating or supporting pillars. If there are none, then they will have to be built from a metal profile pipe. The foundation for the console must be built separately. If you decide to make sliding gates of the console type, then they can be supplemented with an electric drive that is installed between the roller carriages. In order for the blade to be set in motion, a gear rack must be fixed to its side surface. The control unit is mounted on the drive.
Is it possible to install sliding gates
Even if you do not have financial restrictions and you have a great desire, it’s not always possible to install console doors with your own hands on the site. If the space is quite limited, then the console design will have to be replaced with another. After all, along the fence should be left at least 1.5 times the width of the doorway. This requirement is due to the fact that on the canvas there is also a technological part, the length of which will take half the width of the opening. This will evenly distribute the load on the console unit.
For the reason that such gates move in a straight line, the area left for them must be straight. In the place where the gate will move, there should not be uneven terrain that could interfere with the movement of the gate. If you decide to create a cantilever gate, it is recommended to consider the photo in advance. From them you can understand that there should be no gates on the path of movement of the structure. They are usually installed on the opposite side.
If you order such a gate with a built-in gate, then it will have high thresholds, which is not very convenient for elderly people and children. Some owners as a gate leave a distance that will be enough for a person to pass. This is not recommended, because any mechanism is designed for a certain number of cycles, and frequent use of the design can reduce the resource. If you enter the territory from a narrow lane, you need to increase the opening to facilitate maneuvering, which will negatively affect the dimensions of the canvas. If there are no such situations on the site, then you can proceed with the manufacture of cantilever gates.
Preparatory work
The gates of the console type begin to arrange with preparation. To do this, evaluate the place of work. If the design will be installed instead of the old one, then the state of the supporting posts should be assessed. If they are made of reinforced concrete or brick, then their cross-section should be 20x20 cm or more. When it comes to a metal profile pipe, the cross section is usually 60x40 cm. These supports should be installed strictly vertically and well fixed in the ground. These elements will serve as the response and support pillars. If there are none, then the posts will need to be installed.
When installing a cantilever gate with an average beam, you should dig a hole under the foundation near the support pillar . It is placed close to the support, it should go parallel to the fence, and its dimensions will be 500x2000 mm. If it is planned to erect a new fence on the territory, then all work on its construction and the construction of the gate must be combined, which is preferable.
Quite often, brick pillars are erected at the entrance, which is not only beautiful, but also practical. If you also decided to follow such an experiment, then it will be necessary to form embedded elements, they will have the form of steel plates 300x100 mm. Their thickness should be 5 mm. The upper plate is located on the inner side of the column, which is closer to the opening. The step from the top of the column to the plate should be 200 mm. Departing from the zero mark of 200 mm, install the lower embedded plate, it is necessary to act in this way in the same way.
Entrance through the gate will be the zero level. The central plate is located in the middle, between the lower and upper. Gate components will be fixed to these elements. When making console sliding gates with your own hands, you should take into account that the width of the passage is usually equal to 4 m. This standard was adopted in Europe. Manufacturers of fittings and components offer sets of elements for a given door size. To facilitate the work, it is better to use a ready-made solution.
When choosing a canvas, you must decide what it will be lined with. Each of the options has its advantages and disadvantages. The final solution can affect the choice of power elements. The most commonly used corrugated board, however, you can find options for cladding from the lining or forged decorative elements. An alternative solution is a lattice structure formed of steel pipes.
Markup
When the console gates are made with the middle beam with their own hands, the next step is to start marking. In this case, it does not matter whether a fence is erected on the territory. The markup is carried out after installing the posts. To do this, you will need to determine the level of the zero mark, as it is the level of entry into the garage doorway. The level must be marked on one column, from which the mark is transferred to another using a laser or water level. At zero points, a cord is stretched, which should be brought close to the inner surface of the supports. The rope should be further than the pillar.
Foundation device
The foundation will take on the load from the weight of the gate. Channel number 20, the length of which will be 2000 mm, will act as the upper part. Roller units and a drive will be installed on this unit. A pit is prepared for the foundation, which should adjoin the support column. Its width will be 500 mm, while the valley will be equal to 2100 mm. Depth should be determined by the level of soil freezing in winter. In most regions, this parameter is 1500 mm.
If you install a console door kit, the technology will remain the same. It provides for reinforcing the foundation. In order to connect the base with the channel, you need to prepare 3 frames. The reinforcement No. 16 should be used for this. For transverse ties, reinforcement No. 10 is used, and the pitch should be equal to the limit from 300 to 400 mm.
The frame is attached to the lower surface of the channel. The axial lines of the frames must be 400 mm from the edges of the channel. After this, sand or sand-gravel mixture is added, which is compacted. A channel with reinforcing cages is installed on the surface. For pouring the foundation, concrete of the M-250 or M-300 brand should be used. For cooking, you should stock up:
- a bucket;
- crushed stone;
- the sand.
The amount of liquid will depend on the moisture content of cement and sand. If you want to reduce the volume of water and increase the mobility of the composition, then you should use a plasticizer. Concrete mix should be supplied gradually, only then the construction set according to the level will not be shifted. As soon as the next portion of concrete is laid, it is pierced in several places with reinforcement, which will allow air bubbles to be removed.
After laying the top layer, you should wipe the surface of the channel so that it remains clean for subsequent manipulations. The maturation of concrete will occur within 28 days, but after a week the solution will gain strength, which will allow for the installation of gates. At this time, you can do other operations.
Fabric production
If you wondered how to make a cantilever gate, then you should familiarize yourself with the technology of manufacturing the blade. The main frame will consist of a profile pipe with a cross section of 60x40 mm. Internal filling and stiffening ribs are made of pipes, the cross section of which is 20x40 mm. The carrier beam will be located below, its length will be 6 m. It is welded to the gate.
When buying accessories, you must consider the weight of the canvas and the size of the opening. The size of the opening will be 4000 mm, while the weight of the sheet with a sheathing from corrugated board can reach 400 kg. The standard set of accessories includes:
- guide beam;
- trailer roller;
- two roller bearings;
- lower end roller catcher;
- guide device;
- top catcher;
- two caps on the beam.
The methodology of the work
For the main frame, it is necessary to cut profile pipes, the cross section of which will be 60x40 mm. To exclude access to the internal cavity of the pipe during welding, the seams should be made as airtight as possible. The marking is carried out by a square and tape measure. Workpieces can be cut using an angle grinder with a cutting disc. It is better to use a rifled machine, which will ensure accuracy of compliance with the corners.
Pipes are laid out on the mounting surface, and then all the seams are caught. After checking the dimensions, all joints are welded with a solid seam. The remaining open ends are sealed with plugs. For stiffeners , profile pipes should be prepared, which are applied to the inner surface of the frame and are tightened with clamps. After that, you can grab them by welding. Guide beams are strengthened to the bottom surface of the gate. For priming and painting, gates are installed in a position that is close to vertical. For work, it is better to use an anti-corrosion automotive primer, which is applied in two layers.
If you want to speed up the priming process, you should use a spray gun and compressor. A brush is also suitable for this, but the work will stretch for a longer time, and the quality of the coating seems to be worse. Particular attention must be paid to ensure that the primer is in the gap between the turns and the beam. The gap is also closed with acrylic sealant, laid by sausages. The gates at the next stage are painted entirely in 2 layers. The surface of the carrier beam is not covered.
Once the paint has dried, the gate can be veneered. The most preferred material for this is corrugated board, because it combines a beautiful appearance, strength, low weight and reasonable cost.
Gate mounting
The cantilever gate in the next step can be installed on the channel. These manipulations are carried out no earlier than a week after the completion of concreting. To install roller carts, you must purchase a mounting plate with studs. With it, you can adjust the horizontal position and height of the gate. In addition, the gates can be removed to replace roller blocks or repair individual components.
When it is time to install the cantilever gate, the roller trolleys sit on the mounting plate. The upper nuts do not need to be tightened too much. The position of the plates is marked on the foundation. 150 mm should be measured from the edge of the channel and a perpendicular line should be drawn. With good bearing capacity of the pillars, anchor bolts will be well attached to them. The use of metal additional pillars is not required. If they are not, then a profile pipe is vertically installed on the prepared mortgages. On the supporting column, it can be welded to the edge, on the counter - from the edge of the column with a deviation in the range of 20 to 50 mm.
Installation Recommendations
When the cantilever gate is mounted, at the next stage the roller carriages are placed in the supporting beam and are shifted to the central part of the structure. With the help of another person, the canvas will need to be moved vertically above the channel. Roller carriages are bred in different lines, and the tensioned rope should touch the guide beam. This position is fixed with the help of stands from the boards.
The operation of the gate needs to be checked, this applies to their horizontal and vertical, which are analyzed in the closed position. If it is necessary to adjust the design, then use stud nuts. The gate should move along the guide. The gaps between the mating and supporting posts should be the same, while from the zero mark to the bottom edge there should be about 100 mm or slightly less. If the cantilever gate moves correctly, the carriage nuts can be tightened, while the platforms are welded around the perimeter.
Conclusion
If you decide to independently manufacture and install retractable cantilever gates, the carriages with your own hands should be inserted into the supporting beam. In general, carriages are needed to move the beams along them, which will ensure the closing and opening of the gate.