Glyn and Andrea's
Blog

	Andrea 27 Jan 2012
	Fast Free Quotations

If you are anything like me, you will like access to instant information. We are all so used to 'googling it' that there is rarely a need to wait to find something out. However, when it comes to bespoke products like our gates it can be difficult to get an accurate price quickly. At Spa Gates we have developed our price calculators over some years to make them as accurate as we can and they have become an invaluable tool, allowing me to give full, precise quotations within minutes and removing the need to give the notoriously inaccurate 'ballpark figure' so often requested. My fast and free Quotation service is particularly convenient for Builders when they ask me for prices for tenders, especially when they have a deadline to meet. Architects also make good use of the detailed specifications within the quotations to include in their proposals.

If you want a fast, free gate quotation just give me a call and I will do my best to help.

	Andrea 20 Sep 2011
	To slide or not to slide

Over the last ten years or so, sliding gates have become more and more popular to the point where we now install more sliding gates than anything else. The reason for their popularity is obvious. They are invaluable space-savers in suburban situations where driveways are shallow, cars are large and privacy and security are both desirable. Where a sliding gate is installed, there is no need to concede valuable parking space to allow gates to swing open. As well as being space-efficient, sliding gates are the perfect remedy to a sloping drive. Where a drive rises towards the house from the gate, swing gates are not usually an option, but as long as the ground across the gateway is flat, a tracked sliding gate can be fitted. If the ground across the gateway slopes, then a cantilever sliding gate is the solution. Cantilever gates are projected across the gateway without the use of a track. They are fixed at one side by a substantial subframe concreted into the ground and counterbalanced by an extension piece also on that side of the gate.

We make and install both types of sliding gate and I will be happy to discuss which would be right for you !

	Andrea 22 Jul 2011
	Clusters

In my job, I have the pleasure of talking to many different people from all over the country. Often, when it comes to taking details of where the caller is from, I already have a very good idea from their accent! Sometimes for no apparent reason, I get an unexplained cluster of calls, all from within a few miles of each other. Recently, I had three calls from Anglesey all in the same week, and then a number of calls from Liverpool. It is always good to chat to customers from places that I know, and I enjoyed hearing about all the positive changes that have happened in Liverpool since I went to University there.

Another cluster of calls, led to us delivering a huge 8m sliding gate just north of Aberdeen, a set of steel–framed oak gates to Dunblane and a sliding City Gate to Newcastle.

On a similar theme, I also notice trends in the type of enquiries that I receive. It can be for a certain gate design or configuration. In the last couple of weeks, the trend has been for painted timber gates. We are about to make a set of timber gates painted in a muted green shade, with matching powdercoated steel frame. Can’t wait to see them !

	Glyn 3 Jun 2011
	Intercoms, intercoms, intercoms

Whatever the situation, there is usually an intercom solution. We offer a range of intercoms from simple wired audio intercoms to the latest GSM model. Where gates are close to the house or cable has already been laid, a simple wired audio intercom can be installed. Where there is a long, winding drive or where the gate is used by the occupants of a block of flats, the GSM comes into its own. Effectively, the GSM acts as a mobile phone in a box! The GSM intercom calls preprogrammed numbers in turn until it gets a response, and the gate can be opened via the landline or mobile.

Our most popular intercom option is the wireless audio intercom and keypad. This has proved to be both reliable and economical. We are now pleased to offer the new L3100-WVK wireless video intercom. With a range of 300m in free field, this is an excellent choice for anyone who wants a video intercom without the inconvenience and cost of laying cables !

	Andrea 4 Feb 2011
	A New Design

It's always exciting to bring a new slant to a popular design, and this time that's exactly what we have done. Our new gate, the Marlow, is based on our Hardwick design but features Western Red Cedar boards in a chevron pattern. The reflective symmetry of this gate really seems to give the timber another dimension. I predict that this gate will join the Hardwick on our list of bestsellers !

	Andrea 20 Dec 2010
	Looking back over 2010

Looking back over 2010’s blog I realise that I’ve only managed 3 entries since last Christmas. Oh dear, I feel a New Year’s resolution coming on!

At this point in the year it’s always interesting to look back at past jobs, but not wanting to repeat myself, I’ve decided to do things a little differently this time. As it’s the time of year for awards ceremonies, I’ve decided to present my own. Here are my winners of Spa Gates’ Unofficial Awards 2010;

2010’s Tallest Gate: This has to go to the impressive set of Cherwell gates that we fitted in the grounds of Hever Castle back in August. At 3m tall, they are the tallest set of gates that we have fitted to date.

2010’s Widest Sliding Gate: This award goes to the 6m Bidford automated sliding gate that we installed in Maidstone in April. Interestingly, this gate was fitted with a standard BFT automation kit but plugged into a large solar panel!

2010’s Narrowest Sliding Gate: The winner this time is another Cherwell gate delivered to Benfleet back in October. At only 2m wide this gate shows that a sliding gate can be a useful pedestrian gate solution as well.

2010’s Furthest Export: This was a closely contended award but the winner is the Stratford gates that travelled all the way to Luxembourg, closely followed by the Stroud gates that we sent to Cherbourg in France. Both recipients were very pleased with their gates that arrived safely.

2010’s Most Promising Newcomer: The nominees for this award include the City Gate range, the Henley and the Camden. I’m awarding this one to the Henley, just because it’s one of my favourites !

I would also like to take this opportunity to give a mention to our team, who have continued to do an excellent job making our gates and fitting them in the freezing temperatures we’ve had in the last few weeks. It remains to be seen whether or not we can fit our last 2 gates of the year in the snow !

Wishing you all a safe and Happy Christmas!

	Andrea 3 Dec 2010
	Red- it’s the new black !!

You would be forgiven for thinking that our powder coated finish only comes in black. The majority of photographs on our website show our steel gate designs powder coated in black gloss. It’s traditional of course but isn’t it time to ring the changes ? This week we’ve fitted one of our new Camden Estate Gates powder coated in rich red and it looks really striking, especially against a frosty backdrop. If there’s such a thing as a festive gate this is it ! I’m often asked for a gate that is a little bit different, so why not consider a gate in one of the spectrum of powdercoated colours that are available, many of which are stock colours at our local powder coaters and will not cost you anymore. I am really looking forward to bringing more colour to my website. British Racing Green anyone ??!!

	Andrea 20 Sep 2010
	Tell us the features you would like on your gates !

My last blog mentioned the welcome signs of Spring, now my children have gone back to school for the beginning of the new academic year and there is a distinct smell of Autumn in the air. Somewhere inbetween was our busiest time of the year!

I must mention a couple of changes that have happened during that time. We introduced a complete new range of gates, the City gates. These are steel gates made from box section to give an extra chunky appearance. These are a great choice for customers who want a bold looking gate or where the gate is to be very large and a solid gate may be too heavy.

We also added the 'Henley' to our timber gate designs. It is an elegant gate that marries the privacy of the Hardwick Cedar gate with the ornate detail of the luxury Strand. It was the result of a conversation with a customer who really wanted both !

That is a point that I would really like to stress. Our website shows our gate ranges which are a good starting point when choosing a gate. However, these gates are not kept in stock and we are not limited by these designs. We make every gate to measure at our factory in Warwick, and we often make changes to the design according to what a customer would like. This may be as simple as changing the choice of finials or it could be designing an entirely new gate like the Henley !

	Andrea 13 Mar 2010
	Signs of Spring

All the signs suggest that Spring is on the way. The birds are busy, the snowdrops are out and the lambs are scampering in the fields. We have been fitting a pair of automatic Cherwell gates to a farm on the outskirts of Stratford upon Avon this week. Each time I made a call to our fitters there, I could hear pitiful bleating in the background. According to the farmer, this was the sound of lambs who had been taken away from their mother because she had had triplets and couldn’t cope. They were only quiet when the farmer’s wife came out to bottle-feed them. I thought mothers everywhere would sympathise !

As gatemakers Spring is a very welcome time and we would like to celebrate. Our new offer includes a 20% reduction on our Estate gates and a free finish of zinc priming and powdercoating. Now is the perfect time to replace your gates before the summer rush !

	Andrea 20 Dec 2009
	Memorable Jobs 2009

As we close for Christmas, it is normal for us to take a deep breath and look back at some of the more memorable jobs of 2009. One of our biggest jobs of the year was to install several sets of gates for a new school in Birmingham. This went smoothly until the builders came to remove their large temporary site offices through the newly created, and now much narrower, gateway! In May, after a lengthy planning application process to Westminster City Council, we fitted an elegant set of bespoke steel gates to a mews there. In the same month we designed, manufactured and fitted huge steel gates for a car park in Ruislip, complete with traffic lights. We shipped a set of steel gates and matching railings to Jersey in June, managing to work to a template for curving the railings, and to achieve an exact fit, without visiting the site. We were very pleased to fit bespoke railings at the magnificent new Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Temple in Leamington Spa in October. Finally, in December there was the usual festive race to complete work in time for Christmas. This included fitting an existing pair of timber gates within a custom made steel frame to make it into one large, automatic sliding gate, all on a perilously slippy slope in Napton.

Of course our business is not just about gates, but the people who make them and buy them and they are extremely important to us. We hope that the jobs described give you some idea of how varied our work is and how flexible we can be. We look forward to the new challenges that 2010 will bring.

We wish all our customers a very Happy Christmas!

	Andrea 26 Oct 2009
	Half Price Automation Offer

Don't get distracted by thoughts of Christmas just yet and delay ordering your gate until the New Year.
There are 3 good reasons to order right now:

  1. Our brilliant limited offer on top quality BFT gate automation.
  2. You'll beat the VAT rise in the New Year.
  3. You'll have smart new gates ready to greet your Christmas visitors !

	Glyn 1 Jun 2009
	Introducing the Bidford - Spa Gates’ answer to the credit crunch

The Bidford is our new lower cost timber gate option. It is still an attractive, robust, steel-framed timber gate but we have simplified the construction and used Scandinavian Redwood Pine to keep the cost down. It is well-suited to automation and can be made as a swing or sliding gate. For the exact specification please see pine timber gates .

	Glyn 5 Feb 2009
	The New Milano

Following a recent visit to the home of gate automation, Italy, I was struck by the numerous low sliding gates. Every house seemed to have one. They do offer a very low maintenance, cost-effective and space-efficient security solution for both domestic and commercial situations. With that in mind, we are adding the new Milano to our gate range.

	Andrea 16 Jan 2009
	Some Gates of our own

Just as a professional gardener may have a neglected lawn, we are currently guilty of owning a very tired set of gates. In fact, these gates are more exhausted, than tired. To be fair to us we did inherit them from the previous owners of our house, but for the last 18 months they have stood constantly open and look as though they are trying to lose themselves in the hedge to hide their embarrassment. There has just never been a time when it feels right to improve our own entrance, no matter how much we would like to. Anyway, the gate business is a seasonal one and January is a relatively calm month for us. I am hoping in the next couple of weeks there may be a window in which we can finally fit a pair of Spa gates to our own house. Now that will be an improvement.

	Andrea 4 Jan 2009
	New Year

It may put us in the minority, but as we prepare to go back to work tomorrow we are feeling very positive about 2009. We have some good jobs ready to get underway in January and there are more in the pipeline. We also have a hardworking and committed team here to tackle those jobs and now we have had a fairly relaxing break (we do have three children!) we are starting the new year with renewed enthusiasm.

There is usually quite a bit of dialogue between us and our customers before an order is placed, firstly with me and then with Glyn, often on site. We expect this and welcome the opportunity to make sure that everyone is confident and happy before they order. This is the part of my job that I most enjoy and I am looking forward to speaking to many more customers in 2009.

	Glyn 10 Dec 2008
	3-way wireless intercom

We very often install video or audio intercom systems between an automated gate and the residence – usually cabled (with the power cables that are generally run to the gate openers). On this occasion we were asked to install a 3 way intercom operating wirelessly (no cables). Turned out to be quite straightforward to install and set up!

	Andrea 1 Dec 2008
	Reduced VAT

When the Chancellor decided to reduce VAT, we certainly wanted to reflect the reduction in our prices as soon as we could, so we were faced with getting the Price Calculators on our website updated in just a few days. In the office we also use the website calculators to automatically produce most of our Customer Quotations for residential gates, automation, railings and access control.

Together with our web developer, we decided to change the format so that VAT costs are now shown separately. This does mean that when the VAT changes again we will not have so much trouble to change the prices and calculators next time. By the way, if you are wondering how the calculators work, the prices of all gates and automation are based on standard manufacturing and fitting times, whilst delivery distances are based on the site postcode.

	Andrea 1 Dec 2008
	Planning permission for gates

Increasingly we have found that clients need to obtain planning permission for significant entrance gate projects. Normally we would expect the client to organize this for themselves – especially if they are engaging a builder to build substantial brick pillars etc. Recently we agreed to manage the process of obtaining the planning permission for a client project. Glyn duly produced the plans for the entrance gates and railings, completed the necessary paperwork and we submitted them to Westminster council. It fell to me to make the necessary telephone calls to chase up the planners – and now permission has been granted. Now we look forward to completing the project !

	Glyn 27 Nov 2008
	Security

I did feel sorry for the client who asked me to visit them to quote for new gates after they had been burgled and had their car stolen. Security is a strong reason to have automated gates – not just to make a residence more attractive.

	Glyn 10 Nov 2008
	Use of tube to lighten tall railings

Wrought iron gates are often a heavy 2 man lift. Wrought iron railing panels are less so, unless they are taller of course. When we were asked to make several panels nearly 2 metres tall I thought we should consider tube for the vertical bars which are not part of the frame. We were quite pleased with the results – 25Kg per panel lighter (but still a 2 man lift) and no more difficult to weld or galvanize, and certainly no less effective as railings.