Composite Gate

[Mike K]

Question for you guys (and ladies)out there: Knowing the reduced structural capability and the thermal expansion & contraction of composite (and PVC) decking and railing components, has anybody built a gate using a composite?

As stated in an earlier thread, I am replacing deteriorating composite decking w/ PVC as well as doing an extension to accommodate a wet bar and a gangway access to my above ground pool. For obvious reasons I need to install a 3' to 4' wide gate on the pool access and am trying to engineer a sound & sturdy one made of composite. I just cannot seem overcome the product's inherent structural downfalls in my design. (the existing railing is composite 2x4 top & bottom rails with 2x6 handrail cap & Deckorators balusters and I need to continue that appearance with the gate)

Any ideas?

Thanks

[Bobby Parks]

Hello MIke, I've tried a number of different options to try and incorporate the aluminum balusters into a gate to replicate the rail sections. I've just about decided that I'm going to just tell customers that I can't provide them with a matching gate thats not likely to be problematic. I 'm going to look into having some gates fabricated out of steel or aluminum that will be acceptable when a gate is really needed. Although these won't be perfect matches, they will perform better in the long run. Every other gate we've built either sags or requires some combination of a brace or turnbuckle. Just to cover the base, I once had the crew mount a wheel on the bottom of a large gate. It actually worked but it created a groove or track on the decking over time. Hopefully someone else out there knows a trick. Bobby

[Mike K]

That's the problem I'm having with the few I've designed...they either sag or cannot accommodate the expansion at the corners and rack out of square. I think I'm going to fabricate a metal skeleton and mount the composite rails to it with the balusters already attached. Either that or somehow convince my wife that the gate will just have to be of a different material and style. Thanks for your input. Mike

[Bob Bulick]

Hello MIke, I've tried a number of different options to try and incorporate the aluminum balusters into a gate to replicate the rail sections. I've just about decided that I'm going to just tell customers that I can't provide them with a matching gate thats not likely to be problematic. I 'm going to look into having some gates fabricated out of steel or aluminum that will be acceptable when a gate is really needed. Although these won't be perfect matches, they will perform better in the long run. Every other gate we've built either sags or requires some combination of a brace or turnbuckle. Just to cover the base, I once had the crew mount a wheel on the bottom of a large gate. It actually worked but it created a groove or track on the decking over time. Hopefully someone else out there knows a trick. Bobby

Bobby
I think this is where opportunity fo additional profit comes in. As you guys have said the material just is to difficult to depend on, weight and movement. One of the things I like is building gates. This is just another place to show off. Your idea to have one fabricated should go a step further and embellish the look from a plain jain to something that supports the homes architecture. A gate is a stand alone that in my opinion should comlement the residence not the fence. Here's a simple gate photo while it's not near any decking the original gate looked like a HD piece of **** .

[Bobby Parks]

Hi Bob, Your gate looks good and you make a good point. Even though the gate may not be able to match existing railing, it can be an opportunity to become an accent or showpiece and an added profit. I like guys like you. I'm sitting here with a glass half empty saying you can't really match rail but can provide an option thats okay, and you're sitting there with a glass half full saying its an opportunity to create a highlight and more profit. This is the kind of things that I enjoy about the forum. Bobby

[Mike K]

Thanks bobby and Bob...If I can get my wife to read your responses to my quandry I'll have plenty of "other's opinions" to give me a fighting chance to fabricate the gate I really want to install. I want to do a metal gate w/ the NCSU "Block S" logo laser cut in the middle, have it powder coated and install. She thinks I'm crazy (probably not 100% wrong) but it's my deck and it'd add a lot of personality to the addition I'm building.

[Bobby Parks]

Crazy is not so bad once you get used to it.

[Mike K]

That's what I told my wife before we got married...so she's aware of that already :)