Picture this: someone just crashed into your driveway’s front gate — fortunately, they weren’t hurt, but their car mangled your gate’s metal frame. Your once-stately entrance now looks damaged beyond repair… so what do you do?
Gate damage is never something you expect, but if your gate’s been damaged in any way, you definitely want to know how to fix it and prevent it from happening again.
Keep reading to learn how to assess your gate’s damage and prevent future accidents and who to call for a reliable repair!
Dealing With Gate Damage
While gate damage is a nuisance, it’s far from the end of the world!
Firstly, if the person who caused the damage isn’t a part of your home or business, you need to gather all of the evidence you can. If you or someone nearby has security cameras that caught the damage occurring, review the footage. If it was a hit-and-run, try to make out the driver’s face and license plate.
Gathering all of the information you can is essential, as you want the person who caused the damage to cover as much of the repair costs as possible.
Prevention Is Key
Though you can’t go back in time to stop the damage from happening, you can prevent your gate from being damaged again by taking a few easy steps.
For commercial properties, you can install barrier arms or gates. LED barrier arms, for example, work well for an entrance that remains dark at night. Some arms turn green while opening and are red when closed, making it easy for drivers to see where they are going.
Another preventative measure for commercial businesses is high-speed barrier arms that quickly close after a car drives through. The fast closure prevents tailgaters from entering.
Another preventative measure you can take, whether you’re a homeowner or a business owner, is to display warning signs on either side of the gate. This is an easy step that will clearly show where the entrance is; that way, you can avoid anyone accidentally running into it when pulling in or out of your property.
Remember to keep your gate’s installation and maintenance manuals and keep track of all completed inspections and maintenance. Never use a damaged, malfunctioning, or hard-to-move gate, as this will result in you possibly being liable for any injuries that occur if there is an accident.
Most importantly, never try to repair a gate yourself. Always hire a trained technician to repair and maintain your gate!
Protect Your Property
There’s always a chance that your gate will receive some damage throughout its lifetime. Still, by taking the proper precautions and hiring a reliable gate company to maintain and repair it, you’ll have no problem getting it back up and running in no time.
If you have gate damage, call the experts at 4 Sure Gates! Our expert technicians specialize in gate operator repair and installation and will walk you through the entire process.
Get in touch with the 4 Sure Gates team for a free quote — let us help you build your dream property!