The owners of any land plot strive to protect it with enclosing structures from unauthorized entry. Nowadays, there are many materials for this, but recently the greatest preference is given to a fence and a gate with a wicket made of corrugated board. This is due to the relatively inexpensive cost and good strength characteristics of the material.
Typical fence with brick pillars
Fences made of corrugated board are found in the fencing of both temporary and permanent structures. They are used for households, city buildings, office buildings and construction sites. The popularity of this fence is understandable.
Country option
pros
The corrugated board was created for several different purposes, but, as it turned out, it is ideal for fences. Consider its main positive qualities and characteristics:
- light weight, allowing installation without additional erection of the supporting structure and unobstructed attachment to the joists;
- high strength due to stiffening ribs that are formed during the profiling process;
- ease of installation;
- ease of bending and cutting the material, which requires only a grinder;
- durability due to multi-layer (anti-corrosion, decorative coating) protective treatment;
- appearance due to the extraordinary shape of the leaf and the choice of color palette.
If necessary, you can order the production of material in any color.
Fencing in the village
Minuses
Despite the large number of advantages, corrugated fences also have disadvantages:
- insufficient level of protection against unauthorized entry due to the easy possibility of damage to the material with scissors or a knife;
- self-unscrewing of self-tapping screws, which is eliminated by installing rivets, but it is worth noting that the price of such work will be much higher;
- if the support pillars are insufficiently secured, there is a high probability of damage occurring under the pressure of strong gusts of wind;
- susceptibility to corrosive attack;
- difficulties in the staining process, which can be solved by using masking tape.
Fencing posts
But do not be afraid of such an impressive list of shortcomings, since any material also has its own negative characteristics.
Types of corrugated board
The production of corrugated board takes place in the process of cold pressing of steel. Today, several types of this material can be noted, differing from each other in the shape of the wave, its length, depth or width. These parameters determine not only the strength of the material, but also the rigidity.
The variety of types of profiled sheet makes it possible to use it for a variety of purposes. Let's consider in more detail the three main types.
Roofing
Practically no different from metal tiles. The only difference is in the form. The photo shows the distinctive features.
Variety of options
The material is often used as a finishing coating for the roof, because it copes well with loads of any nature, resistant to mechanical and weathering. But it is worth noting that the roof is not the only purpose of this type of corrugated board. It is also suitable for facade cladding, decorative structures and fences.
Stenovoi
The main difference between this type of corrugated board is the low level of relief. This is clearly visible in the photo.
Wall type
The material is used for the construction of walls, cladding and facade finishing, installation of load-bearing elements, roofing and for the construction of decorative structures.
Carrying type
The material is used for those elements of structures that are most susceptible to stress. This type is suitable for the construction of load-bearing walls of garages, warehouses and houses, the construction of a new roof, fences.
Preparing for installation
Many are interested in technology, since making a fence with your own hands will be much more economical. Special skills are not required for this, only it is worth attracting one assistant for the work.
Fencing
Initially, when installing the fence, it is necessary to mark the territory. This is a very important point that requires attention, since an extra piece of land can lead to unpleasant proceedings with neighbors, and this is definitely not needed by anyone.
Galvanized sheet
The marking is carried out using pegs that will help with the placement of the bearing supports. Also, when planning on the territory of the bends, marks with the same pegs will be required. A straight hedge does not need to be marked in the middle. Separately, it is worth noting the location of the gate with a wicket on the site.
After completing the layout work, you can calculate the materials. Here, first of all, you will need to draw up a list of the necessary elements and only after that count the required number of them. As a result, the approximate price for all the necessary materials will also be known.
Fencing on a strip foundation
List of required materials:
- rectangular profile with parameters 30x60 mm - for bearing supports;
- rectangular profile with parameters 20x30 mm - for crossbars;
- profiled sheets with a minimum thickness of 0.5 mm;
- self-tapping screws with a length of at least 19 mm - for fastening the profiled sheet;
- sand, cement, crushed stone, water - for pouring supports.
Also, before starting work, it is worth preparing the tools:
- roulette;
- sledgehammer;
- welding machine;
- cord;
- level.
It is worth noting that sometimes additional devices may be required, such as a gasoline pit auger. It depends on the basic characteristics of the soil on the site.
Foundation
Installation of a corrugated board fence requires foundation preparation. Several options can be used here.
Base arrangement diagram with brick pillars
Columnar
This option involves the preparation of pits, into which they are poured with concrete. The columnar foundation is distinguished by the simplicity of technology, and the price will please. But the disadvantage of this method is that it is not suitable for heavy loads. As a result, the facade fence made of profiled sheet will require additional reinforcement.
Columnar-tape
Ribbon reinforcement scheme
Stone
This option is considered the most reliable and durable.
It is made of stones of the most varied shapes. It is used for forged metal or stone fences, less often for corrugated sheet fences. The price of such a foundation will be high and will require the involvement of an experienced specialist.
Selection and installation
The choice of a suitable type of foundation depends on many factors, but first of all, it is influenced by the characteristics of the soil, distance from the road and the weight of the fence itself.
Fencing the site with a fence
Support
Since the cost of the option with the installation of supports is the lowest in comparison with other proposed ones, it is also the most popular. Wooden or asbestos-cement pillars are used as supports.
When choosing the first option, pre-treatment with an antiseptic is required. The part of the post intended for burial should be characterized by maximum strength, therefore, it is preliminarily treated with a blowtorch, and then with a bitumen primer.
Installation of pillars
Support installation technology consists of the following stages:
- Mark the places for installing the supports. It is important to remember that the maximum distance between them should be no more than 3 m.
- Applying a manual hole auger, in the marked places it is necessary to dig holes with a depth of 1 to 1.5 m and a width of 150 mm. The depth of the pit depends on the height of the future fence. That is, the higher the fence, the deeper the pits need to be made.
- A layer (150–200 mm) of medium gravel should be placed on the bottom of each depression. Then the pillars, using a plumb line for a strictly vertical direction, and fill everything with cement mortar.
- In order for the supports to be more durable, metal rods should be welded on both sides of the supports, which also go deep into the ground.
- It will take at least three days for the cement to harden, so all work must be stopped during this period.
Wiring diagram
Frame
After the foundation under the support hardens, you can proceed to the next stage - assembling the frame for the fence. The technology consists in hanging profiles with a cross section of 40x25 mm on the supporting posts, which serve as crossbeams. The process is divided into several stages:
- It is required to place the logs in two rows: at a distance of 4 cm from the top point of the supports and at a distance of 4 cm from the edge of the earth.
- (more than 2 m) also requires the installation of a third row of crossbars, which is located in the middle.
- Self-tapping screws are used to attach the crossbars to the support posts, under which a seal is placed, which will prevent corrosion processes. For a more durable fastening, electric welding is used.
Fencing installation diagram
In order to protect all metal structural elements from corrosive processes, it is necessary to cover them with a special primer.
Corrugated board
The installation of the fence is completed by attaching the profiled sheet to the finished frame. A few tips:
- Self-tapping screws with a sealing lining are used for fastening.
- Fastening the sheets should definitely be overlapped by one wave to increase the strength of the fence.
- The spacing between fasteners should be no more than 50 cm.
To ensure your own safety, it is worth using heavy gloves for household work, since the material can easily get injured.
Sheets fixing scheme
Increasingly, on personal and suburban areas, you can see metal profile gates of a wide variety of shapes and sizes. This material has many advantages: strength, reliability, presentable appearance, long service life and low cost. How to make a gate from corrugated board yourself quickly and at no extra cost - read below.
An example of a wicket made of corrugated board - a photo of the option with installation on brick pillars
How to choose the size of a wicket from corrugated board?
There are no strict mandatory norms and restrictions regarding the size of wickets. However, when choosing them, you need to consider the following:
- The optimal width of the wicket made of corrugated board is 1.0 m. Such a width of the opening allows you to easily bring furniture or other overall things to the site. Moreover, if it is larger, then this can lead to rapid wear of the hinges or skewing of the wicket door.
- The height of the wicket should not exceed 2.0 meters. If the fence around the site has a high height, then such a wicket made of a profiled sheet will not look very good. In this case, it is better to install additional crossbars with an insert from a metal profile in the opening between the support pillars above it. This will allow not to overload the door leaf itself.
Naturally, there are exceptions to these rules. For example, if your height or the height of someone from your family is higher than 2.0 meters, then making a wicket from high-height corrugated board will be simply necessary. However, you should not forget about using special hinges and reinforcing the frame with additional crossbars.
Installation of support pillars
The first and one of the most laborious stages of work is the installation of support pillars, on which the gate from the metal profile will be held, with your own hands. This is not difficult to do, but it will take a lot of time, especially when it comes to brickwork.
There are two options for a profiled sheet fence. The first and the simplest is the option of attaching the fence to the posts made of metal pipes dug into the ground. In the second version, a fence with a gate and a wicket made of corrugated board is attached to pillars made of brick or stone.
Using metal support pillars
The use of a profiled sheet for the manufacture of an entrance group has become so widespread, since it is very simple and inexpensive to make a wicket and gates from corrugated board. Therefore, in the overwhelming majority of cases, it is metal pipes that are used as supports. It is much easier, cheaper and faster to install them than brick ones.
For the support posts of the wicket, it is best suited profile pipe 80x80 mm with a wall thickness of 3-4 mm... For their installation, holes are dug in the ground, at least 300x300 mm in size and at least 1.0 m deep.
The depth of the holes depends on what kind of soil is in the place where the pillars are installed. If the soil is stony, then 70 cm will be enough. But if the soil is clay, the depth of the holes should not be less than the depth of freezing of the soil. In most regions of the middle lane, this is 1.2 m.
be careful
Installing a wicket made of corrugated board on insufficiently deep pillars in heaving soil leads to serious deformations of the frame and canvas, the correction of which is often impossible.
Support posts made of brick or stone
In this case, the dimensions of the foundation must be larger than the cross-section of the support pillar. Usually such pillars are made in 1.5 bricks, that is, 390x390 mm. Therefore, the foundation must be at least 500x500 mm in size. Since it is much more difficult to make such pillars for a wicket from corrugated board yourself, this option is chosen less often.
The brickwork itself does not withstand the bending load very well, therefore, to give the pillar additional strength, a metal pipe is installed in the pit before the foundation is poured with concrete. Around it, brick or stone masonry is performed. Metal embeds are welded to the same pipe, which are removed outside the masonry. They will subsequently be used for installation of gates and wickets made of corrugated board.
Classic metal profile wicket - photo of installation on poles using an external frame and mortgages
The top of the metal support pillars should be closed with plugs to prevent moisture from entering the pillar. If it is planned to install lamps near the wicket, then before concreting the pillars in them, it is necessary to tighten the wire in the corrugated pipe.
Preparation of parts for the frame
While the concrete mixture in the foundations of the support pillars is gaining the necessary strength, you can start assembling the gate itself. Before you make a gate from corrugated board with your own hands, you need to make a frame for it.
For the frame take profile pipe 40x40 mm or 60x30 mm... A light small gate can also be made from a 40x20 pipe, but then to give the frame the necessary rigidity, the pipe must be placed with the narrow side against the profiled sheet sheathing.
A layer of rubble is poured onto the bottom of the pit and carefully compacted. Then, pillars are installed in it strictly vertically, using a level, and the pit is filled with concrete mixture. It is possible to hang gates and gates from a metal profile on concrete pipes no earlier than after 5-6 days. This time is necessary for the concrete to gain at least 20-30% of its strength.
In order to avoid mistakes in the preparation of parts, before cutting the pipe, it is better to first draw a sketch or make a drawing of a wicket made of corrugated board with all the necessary dimensions. An example of such a drawing is shown below.
Detailed drawing of a wicket from a metal profile
The prepared pipe is cleaned of rust with a metal brush and cut into pieces of the required length. For assembly, the edges of the blanks are cut at an angle of 45 °.
In addition, in order to make a gate from corrugated board, it is necessary to cut out one or two crossbars, depending on its height, which should fit closely between the large sides of the frame. This will make the structure more rigid and subsequently facilitate the installation of the lock.
Welding the wicket frame
The workpieces are connected to each other by welding. So that the frame does not deform at the same time, before making a wicket from a profiled sheet, the blanks must be fixed from the profiled pipe in homemade conductor.
It is very simple to make it:
- Take a sheet of OSB with a thickness of at least 10 mm or a sheet of thick plywood.
- A canvas is cut from it, the width and height of which must be at least 50 mm larger than the planned dimensions of the wicket.
- Clamps are being prepared that will hold the frame elements, pressing the metal profiles to the sheet surface. The clamps should be twice as large as the welded seams.
Before welding a gate from corrugated board, all corners are carefully checked and the frame diagonals are measured. One or two crossbars are installed between the upper and lower crossbars of the wicket frame. Then clamps are installed, which should be at a short distance from the welding site.
Diagram of how to weld a gate from corrugated board using a conductor from an OSB plate and clamps
After fixing all the frame elements on the jig, it is necessary to check the angles and parallelism of the opposite sides of the frame again. Then you can start welding. In this case, the clamps cannot be removed until the seams have completely cooled down - otherwise, the temperature stresses in the metal can deform and even destroy the metal. After the end of welding, all joints are cleaned.
Thanks to this welding technology, a wicket from a profiled sheet with your own hands can be made even by a completely newbie. Moreover, even if you have some experience in welding, I do not recommend neglecting the fixation of the workpiece. Remember that making a new frame after accidental damage to the old one will take more time and will cost more than making a simple jig.
Drawing for a metal swing gate with a wicket made of corrugated board (click to enlarge)
In small suburban areas, gates with a wicket made of corrugated board are often installed. All operations for assembling the wicket frame built into the door leaf are performed in the same way as described above. The design of the gate is subject to change, in which an opening for installation must be provided. In addition, the need to build in a wicket imposes certain restrictions on its height.
Installation of fittings on metal profile gates
After assembling the frame of the wicket, but before sewing the frame with a metal profile, hinges and plates are welded to the wicket for installing a lock and a handle, if necessary.
Hinges for a wicket made of corrugated board are installed towards each other and tacked with welded seams 1-2 cm long. The hinges are placed so that the canvas cannot be removed after the final installation. With this installation, the gate can only be cut off with a grinder. Loops are fastened at a distance of 25-30 cm from the upper and lower edges of the canvas.
Installation of hinges on a wicket from a profiled sheet
When choosing a lock for a gate made of corrugated board, you must definitely pay attention to the conditions of its operation specified by the manufacturer in the passport. The lock must be designed for outdoor installation... When choosing the core of the lock, preference should be given to those that open from the inside without a key. This will save you problems if the water freezes in the castle in winter.
When the door leaf is opened inward, the lock can be either mortise or overhead. If the wicket door opens outward, only a mortise lock is installed on it. The lock and handle for corrugated wicket doors are usually installed at a height of approximately 90 cm.
Of the mortise locks, the most convenient are special narrow profile locks designed for installation in profile pipes. The very principle of their installation partially protects them from moisture and dust, which increases their service life.
Narrow profile gate lock made of corrugated board
Before you cut the lock into the corrugated board gate, it is necessary to mark the place of its installation: a rectangular slot for the body and a circle for the core. In addition, it is better to immediately outline the points of attachment of the handle. Further, the installation process is quite simple:
- With the help of a grinder, slots are made along the long sides.
- Holes are drilled along the short sides with a drill as close to each other as possible. It is necessary to drill not along the marking strip itself, but slightly inside the rectangle.
- To install a mortise lock in a corrugated gate to the desired shape, the hole is brought with a file.
- Round holes for the core are sawn out using a metal burr. If it is not available, you can also use contour drilling and file finishing.
- Holes are drilled for mounting screws.
- The area around the castle is cleaned of rust, primed and painted.
- The lock is installed on the wicket door made of corrugated board, but without overlays - they are mounted after the frame has been sewn up.
This completes the installation of the lock in the frame. However, since putting a lock on a corrugated gate is only half the battle, the work does not end there. It is necessary to install the counterpart in the support post. This stage is performed after the installation of the wicket door on the poles.
An illustrative example of how to insert a lock into a corrugated board gate (click to enlarge)
Additionally, a lock or a latch can be installed on the gate made of corrugated board. Such solutions make sense both in terms of increased safety and convenience - especially if the gate is often used. In this case, it is easier to close it with a latch than to fiddle with the lock every time. You can also purchase a latch lock straight away and not install it separately.
How to install a corrugated wicket gate on the support pillars?
After several days have passed, the concrete mixture in the foundations of the support pillars has gained some of its strength, and the assembly of the frame is completed, you can install the wicket from corrugated board.
For this, a wooden block is placed under the frame. The wicket is positioned strictly vertically with the help of a level and the attachment points of the second halves of the hinges are marked on the support post. It should be remembered that for normal opening in winter, the canvas must be 100 mm higher than the track surface. Especially if you are installing a wicket to a dacha from corrugated board, where snow is rarely cleaned in winter.
Having marked out the places of installation of the hinges, they are temporarily attached to the support posts using electric welding. After checking the opening and closing of the wicket, the hinges are welded with a continuous seam.
Consider
Do-it-yourself installation of a wicket door from corrugated board requires care and repeated rechecking, because without a "fresh look" from the outside it is easy to make a mistake.
If the wicket is installed correctly, it should not spontaneously open or close. So that it does not open in both directions, a limiter is welded onto the support opposite to the hinges.
When the welding work is finished, all seams are cleaned with an angle grinder, and rust is removed from the frame and primed. Then they are painted twice with paint for metal for outdoor use. In this case, the main part of the lock installed in the frame must be closed with a film or construction tape.
Steel profile wicket door frame mounted on poles
This is the penultimate stage before sewing, since it is also necessary to install the lock on the corrugated gate in the support post. For this, the bolt is smeared with toothpaste and the lock is closed. After that, the place where the locking device should go will be marked on the post.
If the lock is simple and there is no receiving unit, then you just need to drill a hole of the desired shape and finish it with a file. If there is a receiving unit, then you must first mark its location based on the place of entry of the crossbar, and then, again, drill a hole of the desired shape. Then the holes for the fasteners are drilled, and the counterpart is installed.
Sewing a wicket from a profiled sheet
After the paint has dried, the wicket door is sewn up with a profiled sheet. As a rule, for this, wall sheeting C-20 or C-21 with a thickness of 0.5-0.6 mm is used. The use of a sheet with a lower wave height is not recommended.
For fastening the profiled sheet, roofing screws are used, less often - special rivets. Sometimes bolted connections are used for this, however, this is not recommended, since in this case the necessary protection against corrosion is not provided for the web at the place where the bolt passes through the profiled sheet. Sheets are fastened through each wave horizontally and into each transverse beam - vertically.
Walled-in corrugated wicket with sides closed corners
If desired, all sides of the wicket made of corrugated board are closed with special square strips in the color of the corrugated sheet. This gives it a finished look and, moreover, provides additional protection for the frame from moisture.
After sewing the canvas, the lining on the lock is installed, as well as the handle on the wicket made of corrugated board.
Design of a wicket made of corrugated board
After the frame is ready, it's time to think about the decoration. Despite the relative simplicity of the design, there can be a lot of design options, including the use of decorative elements.
The simplest corrugated wicket door is a rectangular frame made of a shaped or round steel pipe, on which a metal profiled sheet is attached. Such a gate is perfect for a fence made of corrugated board - it will fit especially well into the usual blank fence of a summer cottage or personal plot. A similar solution looks good with a fence made of brick or stone, including when using pillars made of these materials as supports.
A wicket made of corrugated board with forging will look even more beautiful. In this case, the profiled sheet will serve as a kind of background for decorative forged parts. In addition, if the forged elements cover the entire opening, they strengthen the frame of the wicket and make it more resistant to burglary.
A wrought-iron gate from corrugated board with your own hands can be made without any problems. Now ready-made decorative forged parts can be bought in almost any building materials store. The main thing is not to overdo it with forged elements, so that the door leaf does not look colorful and overloaded with decor.
To begin with, it is better to draw a sketch of the design of the gate. The parts purchased in accordance with the sketch are laid out on the canvas and welded to the frame, starting with the largest and ending with the smallest. However, such gates made of corrugated board with forging elements look much worse than the products of real specialists.
A wicket made of corrugated board with forging - a photo of some forged elements made on production lines, as well as a simple sketch that can be realized with the help of them.
Firstly, professional art forging makes it possible to produce very delicate and delicate elements that cannot be produced industrially. Secondly, the range of ready-made items is very limited. And thirdly, a wrought-iron gate with corrugated board, made by a professional, can reflect any idea and is stylistically integral, unlike composite products.
Finally, a wicket can be either a separate object or part of a gate. So, swing gates with a wicket made of corrugated board are often used. This decision is justified if, for some reason, you are severely limited in the size of the entrance group - for example, you are changing the old gate and want to install new ones on the same support pillars.
When self-manufacturing a wicket
If all the work on installing and assembling the gate was done by hand, you will have to pay only for the materials that were needed for this. Usually, the total cost is up to 2000-2500 rubles.
But you don't have to make the gate yourself. You can buy metal profile gates in the construction departments of most supermarkets. Ready-made gates from corrugated board can also be purchased in specialized companies engaged in the manufacture of metal structures. There you can order the manufacture of such a product according to your own sketch, while receiving a free technical consultation. When such a gate from corrugated board is installed, its price will be from 4,500 rubles, excluding the cost of constipation and hinges.
If for some reason it was also necessary to attract specialists to install a wicket from a metal profile, the price of such work in different regions of the Russian Federation will be from 2,100 to 2,500 rubles. And this is also without the cost of installing the lock.
Nowadays, not a single personal plot can do without a specially equipped entrance for a car. The gates can be made of various materials from wood to metal, but the most budgetary, reliable and affordable product is considered to be corrugated board.
It is not difficult to make a gate from corrugated board with your own hands if you follow a certain algorithm and have a minimum set of tools and materials.
Step 1 - Decide on the type and shape
Self-production always has an undeniable advantage - the ability to make the most suitable product for the existing conditions. Before drawing, calculating and looking for materials, you should choose a place for the future gate, study the ground, think over the design and shape.
The construction of the gate made of corrugated board can be of several types:
- Retractable (with a special mechanism) and swing;
- With jumpers located diagonally, horizontally, vertically and crosswise;
- With built-in and separately located wicket;
- With one or two leaves;
- With or without a fixed frame (top bar).
Step 2 - calculating the dimensions
The size of the future gates is calculated based on the parameters of the existing site, fence and car. Width - the sum of the width of the machine from mirror to mirror and a meter, as well as the distance for placing supports (two with a built-in, three with a free-standing wicket) and fixing fittings. Calculations are considered optimal: 4.5 meters for the gate and 1.2 meters for the wicket.
The height is determined by a sheet of corrugated board, which usually reaches 2.2-2.5 meters in length. If you plan to decorate the gate with a visor, ornaments, then their size is also taken into account.
Step 3 - making the drawing
A swing gate scheme should include many parameters:
- The total width of the gate opening;
- Width of each sash;
- The number, dimensions of supports, as well as the depth of their burial into the ground;
- The location of the wicket, if it is planned in or near;
- Place of hinges, latch, handles or bolt;
- The presence of reinforcement of the frame with corners, internal frame or jumpers;
- The height of the decorative frame, carved windows.
The drawing must be done in as much detail as possible, with an increase in small joints and seams, in order to take into account all conditions and requirements.
Before planning the scheme, it is recommended to search for ready-made options on the Internet and redo them taking into account the available parameters. For the selection of the shape and configuration, suitable decorative elements, you can see the photographs of the doors made of corrugated board.
Step 4 - Prepare materials and tools
Based on the drawing, it is necessary to make calculations of the materials. The standard set includes sheathing corrugated board, fasteners, metal support pipes, corners reinforcing the frame, beams or lintels, hinges, locks, decorative elements and paints and varnishes.
In the process of work, you cannot do without tools: a welding machine, a grinder, a meter, a building level, a plumb line, a screwdriver, a drill, metal scissors, brushes.
Step 5 - Getting Started
The answer to the question "how to make a gate from corrugated board?" there will be the following algorithm:
- We install support posts: we bury them in the ground to the required depth and concrete them.
- We make sash frames, for which we cut metal pipes and fasten them by welding at an angle of 45 degrees, reinforce the frame with jumpers or corners, clean the seams and paint the entire surface.
- We fix hinges or awnings.
- We fasten the corrugated board to the frame with rivets, self-tapping screws.
We supplement the design with the necessary fittings (lock, bottom lock, bolt, automatic system, lighting devices, alarms, etc.)
Step 6 - complement and decorate
If a simple rectangular design seems boring or too standard, then you can make a beautiful gate from corrugated board with forging elements. Installation of forged accessories is carried out by welding or screws, and any part of the gate can become a place for their location.
The framing of the structure at the top and bottom is more common, however, complex decoration looks better not only along the edges, but also over the corrugated board from the front side.
A gate made of corrugated board is one of the most budgetary, affordable and uncomplicated technology options for designing a machine entrance to the site. You can make such a structure with your own hands with a limited set of tools, and with the help of decorative elements and imagination, such gates will become a real decoration of your home.
Photo of a gate made of corrugated board
Gates made of corrugated board will fit any fence: they are light, look good, they are strong enough and durable. In addition, it is quite possible to make them yourself, dispensing with a minimum of purchased accessories. When made to order, such gates will also cost less than others. So let's figure out how to evaluate the work of craftsmen on their advertising and how, if you are a craftsman, make a gate with your own hands.
Opening scheme selection
First, we will "tie" the gate to - we will coordinate them according to their ability to endure operational loads; the main one is wind. What is the use of fencing an elegant and solid structure if the very first storm turns it, together with a good piece of the fence, into a crumpled "propeller"? The second thing to consider is the load from the gate itself to the fence. If it is excessive, then this will not affect immediately, and it will be difficult to fix the lopsided fence. Finally, it is necessary that the sash does not hit the car in any way on the "fifth point". And it is advisable to equip the gate with automation so as not to push, slipping, in the rain or snow.
Profiled sheet gates are made with swing or sliding doors. The first ones are cheaper, simpler, lightly load the fence, but they can knock, it is very difficult to equip them with automation yourself, and the purchased one will cost too much and will work under heavy load, i.e. not very reliable. To make the latter yourself, you will have to try, you need a place to roll back the sash and a strong fence: with a sash weight of 250 kg (this is still light), short-term loads on it can exceed 2 tons.
Therefore, we will immediately decide on the installation site. Swing gates must be done if one of the following conditions is not met:
- On both sides of the gate opening, free space on the fence is less than 1.5 of the opening width plus 0.45 m for gate fittings. If, for example, it is 3.8 m (the minimum vehicle width in width), then to any nearest corner post there must be at least 6.15 m of a completely free fence;
- All fence posts on both sides from the gate opening to the corners must be concreted to a depth of at least 1.2 m in the middle lane and at least 1.7 m in places with severe winters;
- Gate posts should be either brick with a walled up stiffening bar made of a 60x80x2 professional pipe, or welded from 4 of the same pipes (see Fig.).
For a sliding gate, all three conditions must be met, and with some notes. It is better to make the opening no more than 4.2 m so that the truck (you will have to bring something sometime) can enter the yard with a certain turn. As for the depth of concreting of pillars, it should exceed the depth of freezing of the soil in a given area by at least 0.6 m. The best way to determine the required depth of concreting is to ask your gas workers at what depth they are laying the main pipes.
Pillars welded from a professional pipe are cheaper and stronger than brick ones, but the points of convergence of the inner corners of the pipes must be boiled at the top and bottom; the place of welding is in the center of the right pos. rice. This will increase the stiffness of the post by about a quarter. The upper end must be covered from precipitation with a cover made of any suitable material.
Metal selection
We will have to make iron gates: the profiled sheet almost does not resist lateral bending and twisting. It only holds well on a rigid metal frame. Wooden slats can be placed in order to bring the surface to be sheathed in one plane, flush. Then the fastening screws will need to be driven into the metal through the wood.
For the gate frame, you will need a metal profile of the following assortment:
- Profiled steel 60x40x2 mm for the frame of the sashes (sashes).
- Profile pipe 40x20x2 mm for struts and frame stiffeners.
- Metal sheet 4-6 mm for embeds in brick pillars and kerchiefs reinforcing the frame (only in windy places).
- Channel 200 or 160 mm in half-opening length, only for sliding gates.
- Reinforced concrete fittings 12-14 mm, also only for sliding gates.
Actually, the corrugated board should be taken wall (grade C) with a wave height of 15-21 mm, i.e. C15-C21. Decks Н (bearing) and НС (bearing wall) will not add anything to the strength of the gate, but they will be much heavier and more expensive. The dimensions of the flaps must be calculated based on the operational, taking into account the overlap of the waves, the width of the sheet (most often - 1100 mm) and its length (3-12 m), so that too many scraps are not formed. The sheet must be ordered cut into pieces according to your size, because when cutting it in any handicraft way, corrosion will very soon go from the edges.
Slipway
If you intend to make sliding gates, and you are a beginner in this business, then for complete success you need the simplest temporary slipway: a "propeller" or "eight" sash will negate all the work, and if the gates are swing gates, then maybe they will close , but they will look ridiculous. The slipway can then be useful for other work, for example. manufacture of rafters, wall frames, etc.
It is not so difficult to make a slipway, see pic:
- On a flat area, we beat off the base line along the cord, and from it the perpendicular.
- We check the perpendicularity of the "magic triangle", with sides 3: 4: 5 of any but exactly equal segments, pos. 1 in fig. The "magic triangle" can be made from any inextensible cord.
- Along the perpendicular we put the first bench of the slipway made of 100x100 timber, flat pipe, channel, etc .; we calibrate its horizontality with a level (item 2). If the slipway is intended for permanent use, then we put its benches on the posts, and we achieve horizontality by filling in the pits under them.
- We again check the perpendicularity of the bench, also pos. 2.
- We install the second bench, like the first. They must correspond to the sides of the rectangle, which is checked, as usual, by diagonals (item 3 in the figure)
- Additionally, with the help of a flat rail - rules - and a level, we check the ends of the benches for the "propeller", ie. misalignment of the mounting plane, pos. 4.
- We put the third one in the same way, and, if necessary, the next benches.
- If the slipway is stationary, we concretize the posts of the benches and, while the concrete has not hardened, we once again check all pairs of benches on the "propeller" and carefully correct the "left" ones.
Sash frames
The main reason that the gate looses over time is wind loads. Most of it falls on the top of the valves. Wind resistance is especially important for doors made of corrugated board, because its torsional rigidity is negligible, the frame bears all the wind load. Therefore, its manufacture, although not difficult in itself, requires a careful approach.
It is better not to save much on the frame for corrugated board, but to immediately make it harder, from two pipes, 60x40x2 and 40x20x2, welded (in section) in the form of the letter T. "Columns" T on opposite frame beams (top-bottom, right-left) must face each other, see fig. In places filled with beige, wooden slats 40x20 are attached under the cladding. By the way, with the proper arrangement of the stiffness links (crossbars, struts) and the total material consumption of such a frame with labor intensity turn out to be small.
The frame is cooked on a slipway, with tacks of 40-60 mm with a step of 500-600 mm, otherwise no slipway will help, it will lead to disgrace. In the same way, prefabricated pillars under the gate from professional pipes are welded, see above. The general rule for assembling the frame is as follows: the upper corners are cut obliquely so that corrosion from precipitation does not develop inside, and the lower corners are butted at a right angle, for ventilation inside, see Fig. below.
Note: when calculating the height of the flaps, they take a ground clearance of 50-70 mm for the middle lane, and for other places - according to the average annual height of the snow cover.
Swing gates
There are two subtle points in the design of swing gates: hinges and connections of the rigidity of its frame.
Hinges
The entrance gate is not a garage door. The former almost never sail, but the latter are an excellent sail. Therefore, when buying garage door hinges, it is better to take them at a higher price, on support bearings, see fig. The installation of the hinges is carried out before installation in the frame of the stiffeners and its sheathing: it is much easier to wield, adjusting the hinges. But all the same, for this work you need an assistant.
The hinges are welded to the sash frame on the slipway. There is not enough precise setting on the markup. It is also necessary, pressing the loops with clamps, to check their alignment with the eye, as if aiming over the barrel. Then grab it with a couple of "pokes" with an electrode, aim again visually, and then, if everything is OK, cook firmly.
To ensure an opening angle of at least 90 degrees, the outer diameter of the hinge must be greater than the thickness of the frame plus the wave height of the flooring, i.e. 75-81 mm. These are huge, rough hinges, and the gap between the frame and the post will be the same width. Therefore, the hinges are welded to the frame, moving to its edge in the direction of the sash opening. It is best that the hinge lies on the very edge, protruding almost half a diameter, then the opening angle will be 120 degrees or more.
It is easiest to weld loops to the pillars from the bundle of professional pipes: they fit into the seam between the pipes as if they were family. If the pillar is brick-built with “dimes” embedded in it, then in order to achieve complete alignment, it is better to use not a plumb line, but a piece of pipe with an inner diameter such that the pin of the loop fits into it. Pipe length is the distance between the hinges minus the bearing height.
Note: embedded in masonry or concrete - metal parts embedded in them, to which other metal structures will then be attached.
The pipe is first tied tightly to the post with a rope, aligned vertically and in height from the ground. Then a pin of the lower loop is inserted into the lower end of the pipe, it is leveled along the pipe and grabbed with 2-3 "pokes". The upper loop is placed with its bottom on the cut of the pipe and also tacked. Next, hang the frame, check the course, ground clearance, self-opening / closing. If everything is in order, the frame is removed, the hinges are welded tightly and continue to work.
Frame
The frame structure of the sash frame must be designed to withstand the strong wind load at the top. For sliding gates, by the way, too. And at the same time, its torsional rigidity must be ensured with a minimum consumption of material and labor. Let's look at examples of good and bad wireframes according to Fig. Let's not forget that the diagonal edge works according to the principle of the stiffness of a triangle: it is impossible to change its shape without breaking it, but you can even bend its corner very much.
Top right - the frame is extremely rational. The two acute angles of the triangles converge exactly where the wind load is greatest. In the middle lane, where strong winds are rare, such a frame can be made from a single pipe 60x40x2. For a summer residence, where aesthetics are not as important and no one will pay attention to the divergence of the valves at the top by a few cm in 3-5 years, it's a nice thing: cheap and cheerful.
Note: durability without losing its appearance for 7 or more years for such a frame can be achieved by weld on the corners of the kerchief about 200x300 mm from 6 mm steel.
For a residential building, the frame shown at the top left is more suitable. Cross braces and an intermediate longitudinal beam provide additional resistance to lateral bending. Without any complicated theories: just more triangles, but they themselves - less.
Bottom right - the frame is not very successful. Such a brace system works well in a biplane wing or crane boom, but, unlike them, here the structure is flat and the main load falls across it. And at the bottom left - the frame is completely unsuccessful: it is strongest where it is least loaded, but a lot of material is needed.
About the gate
If the gate is separate, then only the third gate post is needed for it. The frame of such a gate is a simple rectangle made of 40x20x2 pipe. With the usual width of the wicket of 800-1100 mm, no additional reinforcements are needed for the frame made of a professional pipe.
But if the gate is a mortise, the picture changes. Let's remember that no one keeps the gates wide open all the time; under the pressure of the wind, their shutters, connected by locks, work as a whole. And now the doors will be loaded asymmetrically from the wind, so the one in which the gate needs to be additionally reinforced, it is heavier loaded. So the frame of the wicket will have to be made more difficult, it must take on a large load so that the load on the sashes is leveled. A drawing of such a gate is shown in Fig. The overall width can be increased up to 4 m by leaving the wicket as it is.
Video: simple swing gates made of profiled sheet
Sliding gates
Sliding gates were not so long ago a luxury: a set of accessories for them and the drive itself cannot be made, and a more or less decent "firm" cost somewhere from 150,000 rubles. Then, not today. Now components for sliding gates have become much cheaper, and they are available to people of average income.
Sliding gates can be made according to one of the following schemes:
- On the lower rollers rolling on a rail laid on the ground.
- Suspended to the top rail.
- With bottom rail rolling on support rollers.
- With rail on the fence and roller-runners on the sash.
- With a floating rail.
The gates of the first scheme remained in some places in the old industrial premises. These can be completely made by yourself, but the game is not worth the candle: from the debris on the rail, the mechanism breaks down every now and then, the flaps jump off. Suspended gates allow you to get an opening of almost any width, but they are very complex, for example, see the figure, therefore they are not used in everyday life. In a door with a floating rail, its parts telescopically fit into each other. Such gates are somewhat cheaper than others and do not require a foundation for the mechanism, but they often jam from dirt, and repair requires complete dismantling.
The most common gate scheme for private houses is with a lower rail on support rollers. These gates require commercial hardware that is already available but not yet cheap. Gates with a rail on a fence and runners require a solid fence and are quite laborious, but you can make them yourself and do not need a foundation for the mechanism. We will consider these schemes in more detail.
Both gates are cantilevered. This means that their sash has a beveled "idle" stem that keeps it suspended in the closed position. The brace of the sash console with the lower rail on the carriages works in tension, and the sash with runners in the rail on the fence works in compression, which the metal holds much better. Therefore, the removal of the door console with the lower rail needs at least 0.5 of the opening width, and in the console itself - a frame reinforcing it. For gates on runners, an extension of 0.25 of the opening width is sufficient, and their console is a simple frame without reinforcement.
Note: further in the text, for brevity, we will call the pillar on which the sash is hung as the pillar, and the one opposite to it as the end or bumper. Details and nodes closest to the opening will be considered external, and those farthest from it - internal.
Bottom rail gate
The device of a gate with a bottom rail on carriages is shown in Fig. They are based on roller bearings: carriages swinging on hinges with 4 rollers. The rollers are located in an arc, this eliminates jamming when changing the swing of the sash to the opposite. They are attached to the foundation of the mechanism by means of adjustable supports - thrust bearings.
Here it would be appropriate to immediately mention two very common mistakes, and some "pros" make them deliberately in order to speed up and reduce the cost of work. The first (see the figure on the left) - the mortgage is placed short, only under the outer (near) carriage, and the far one is attached to the studs walled into the foundation. For a year or two "guarantees" the gate is held, and then the concrete under the far carriage begins to crumble from alternating loads.
The second, they say, is not worth the candle - we cook supports with carriages directly to the mortgage (Fig. On the right), but we don't buy regulator stands at all. Having practiced skills, you can accurately assemble the gate, too, for a year or two. Then the shrinkage of the foundation affects, but the "guarantee" has already expired.
About fittings and drive
Gate fittings must be purchased from a trusted manufacturer. In the Russian Federation, the Italian CAME and Rolling-Center (Italy) and the domestic DOORHAN and ROLTEK have proven themselves quite well. It's about the rail and the rollers. A rail made of overdried metal (the Chinese are so sinning with them) will soon crack, and from a raw one it will deform. The plastic sheath of the rollers is needed not only to muffle the rumble, but also so that the clips of the rollers (they are, in fact, ball bearings) do not burst. Therefore, rollers are needed either in the shells of their non-abrasive plastic, or in the casings of their chrome vanadium steel. The seemingly quality of the rail and rollers can only be assessed by a very experienced material scientist, and in the specifications this is often silent.
Sliding gate drives are mainly used with belt, chain and gear drives. We do not consider the belts: he is a belt and a belt in Africa, stretches, bursts, cracks from frost. A chain wire is a little cheaper than a cogwire, but the chain sags and can come off like a bicycle, and it also needs maintenance. And the most important thing: the gates with a chain drive without a lock can be opened by hand, which can be done by any passer-by.
The gear drive, if you lubricate the pinion pinion and the gear rack with graphite grease, practically does not require maintenance. Turning the gearbox with the motor rotor, pushing the gate leaf, is more difficult than simply demolishing it. But in the same way it will be impossible to open the gate in case of power failure. In garage complexes, in this case, the attendant turns the gearbox manually with a key, but it is always inside, and you will find yourself outside. Therefore, gates with a gear drive must have a wicket with a lock.
About handles and locks
It may well be that you will not spend money on the drive at all; pushing the wing of a properly constructed gate is not so difficult. In this case, handles and a lock are needed. Ordinary door handles will not work: it is impossible to put them so that they do not rest against the pillars (more precisely, so as not to break about them). Hidden handles are needed, see fig, with a through slot or blind. The first ones are easier and more convenient to wield, but so that no one spies on the courtyard, they will have to be curtained from the inside with sheets of rubber or flexible plastic.
An ordinary lock with a sliding bolt-tongue will go to a swing gate, but you will have to put it with the bolt down on the sash and cover it with some kind of cover from the weather. However, this is not an option either: the nest for the crossbar will have to be made from a piece of a corner or channel, welded to the cover strip (see below), protruding into the gate opening to the width of the lock. This gland, of course, is easily scratched. Therefore, for the gate leaf you need a lock with a pivoting hook-bolt; the nest for it is cut right in the cover strip. Well, for very unassuming owners, the tried-and-true option: a padlock barn, wrapped in an oiled rag.
Making a gate
With bottom rail
Installation of sliding gates on carriages is generally carried out in the following sequence:
- We plan (a shovel, a level, a rammer) a platform for a gate into the horizon of a road as long as the width of the opening plus 1 m each for the posts, plus a halfway for the mechanism. Platform width - 0.7 m to the sides of the sash centerline;
- We put, if they are not already there, gate posts;
- We form the foundation of the mechanism;
- While the foundation is gaining strength, we make the frame in the frame, but so far without the lower rail and sheathing;
- We weld it to the mortgages of the end post, or directly to it, if the post is metal, the cover plate is a 150x150 corner or the same channel and temporarily attach catchers to it;
- We grab the thrust bearings of the supports to the embedded foundation, put the upper holding carriage;
- We put the rail on the carriages and, moving it, adjust the supports and the lower catcher;
- We weld the rail to the frame, temporarily put the sash in place;
- We adjust the holder and the upper catcher;
- We install the drive on the foundation, on the rail - a toothed rack, sheathe the fold with a profiled sheet, mount the gate, locks and handles;
- We put the sash in place, adjust it horizontally - the gate is ready.
Let us further clarify the most essential points.
Foundation
The dimensions and diagram of the foundation are shown in Fig. Concrete - not lower than M400, pouring into the mixture - 3: 1. Sand and gravel are taken for bedding in equal proportions. Excerpt for curing after pouring - at least 1 week in summer and at least 3 weeks in cool weather. During construction in the summer, the set foundation must be moistened from above with a rag moistened with water.
Frame
The frame of a wing of a sliding gate is, as it were, two connected wing of a swing gate, therefore it holds the upper wind load better. On the other hand, you need to give additional reinforcement in the middle of the rail: it is expensive, and its deformation will disable the gate. Based on this, the location of the struts with stiffeners is calculated. Two relatively low material-intensive structures for places without frequent strong winds are shown in Fig. After assembly, of course, the frame is primed and painted.
Cover strip
It is wrong to attach the catchers directly to a metal post or to brick mortgages. The sash can hit them hard, causing the fasteners to flex or shear. Over time, this will crack the welds and loosen the bolts. When mounted on a strip, the catchers' fasteners will work primarily in compression, which the metal holds forever. And a crack in the fastening of the strip, suddenly it forms, you can slowly weld it up, without stopping using the gate.
The cover strip is welded to the post (to its mortgages) vertically along a plumb line. The distance from the edge of the post is taken based on the size of the catchers, they should not protrude into the gate opening. At first, the cover plate is tacked in pairs of "pokes" from above and below, and after adjustment along the sash, it is finally boiled with tacks of 50 mm every 300-350 mm. The catchers are also temporarily attached at first so that they can be rearranged during final assembly.
Support
The supports, generally speaking, should be located further from each other in order to relieve the console as much as possible. The long lever arm is large when the gate is closed, and the gained extra centimeter means an extra year of gate service. It is impossible to lengthen the console: the standard rail dimensions are multiples of 6 m.Proceeding from this, the supports are placed in the following sequence:
- First, we just put them on the foundation and align them along its axis; distance from the post - 100 mm.
- We swing the carriages and make sure that the rollers do not go beyond the mortgage.
- We grab the supports with welding "pokes".
- We put the rail on the carriages, moving it back and forth to the limit, make sure that the rollers do not push out the rail plugs. Without the plugs, it will soon rust inside, and the gate will start to wedge.
- If you need to move the support, the "pokes" are cut off with a grinder.
Sheathing, drive and assembly
The sash frame is sheathed with a professional sheet, like a fence: by a self-tapping screw in each corner, and along the lines between the corners, horizontal, vertical and inclined - with a step of 400-500 mm, but so that at least 3 attachment points are on each side of the frame ... For example, 3 self-tapping screws will go to the upper and lower crossbars of the wicket. To fasten the profiled sheet to the stiffeners, a wooden rail 40x20 mm is applied to each of them, fixing it with 2 self-tapping screws at the ends. The flooring in such places is fixed with self-tapping screws 50 mm long so that the sheet is kept on the metal, and not on the tree.
The inside rail, gear and drive rack are lubricated with graphite grease before installation. Any organic matter in such places will soon collect dust, dry out and turn from a lubricant into an abrasive. Graphite grease is incredibly dirty, so it is better to take the drive not from the side, but with the lower gear rack.
Note: the drive is controlled from the remote control by radio. If possible, purchase an external antenna and an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for the gate automation, the automation in this configuration allows you to unblock the drive remotely from the outside. But the gate is still needed just in case.
Further, pushing the fold slightly more than halfway (to the balance position), we adjust the upper holder so that the fold is strictly vertical and does not slump to the sides. After that, we extend the sash almost to the end and set the horizon and ground clearance with the adjustments of the thrust bearings. The last stage before the gate is fully ready - we finally adjust the upper and lower catchers along the sash: we cut off the "pokes" with a grinder and cook with tacks exactly in place.
Note: pay attention to fig. with a gate device. In the bottom of the lower catcher, a slot is visible, the end roller of the rail falls from it a little and does not allow the unlocked sash to roll away spontaneously. The lower catcher must be positioned so that the push to manually roll the sash does not need to be too strong. This will make it easier not only for you, but also for the end roller, which is one of the parts of the mechanism most susceptible to wear.
With sliders
For gates on roller runners, as already mentioned, purchased accessories and a foundation for the drive are not needed, but a strong fence is needed. All its pillars to each corner from the gate must be reinforced, as well as the gate. Only a sufficiently experienced and skillful master can make such a gate on the shoulder, so we just give their drawings, see fig. Runners are made of ball bearings (preferably self-aligning), and their shells are made of durable, elastic, tough, wear-resistant plastic. In order of preference: fluoroplastic, caprolactam, textolite, elastic (low-sulfur) ebonite.