Access Controls Do's and Don'ts

  When you are considering an operator for a new or existing gate:

  Do:     

1. Hire experienced company and ask for references.
2. Check with BBB and web review sites for customer satisfaction.
3. Compare warranties on materials and labor. 
4. Consider all the components included in the quotations, some include only bare minimums while others may include additional safety devices and accessories.
5. Make sure you have utilized all tax incentives for solar powered alternatives and have manufacturer's certificate of compliance.
6. Consider hidden costs like permits, replacement of worn out accessories and upgrades in access control technology.  
7. Utilize safety devices to make sure you are UL 325 compliant and have mitigated liabilities for you and your company.
8.  Make sure local Knox-Box or Emergency Vehicle entry devices have been connected and tested for use in case of an emergency.
9.   Make sure all wires and cables are in conduit and that your control box and connections are weather tight and sealed to last a long, long time.
10. Make sure all safety signs have been mounted and photos taken to verify this fact. You can use these photos to promote your business and prove that you have obeyed all safety regulations.

http://youtu.be/njUgZO-shuU

Do NOT:

1. Try to modify garage door opener to act as a gate opener...(see video below  http://youtu.be/-saXQF5IU8U  :)
2.  Use the cheapest operators and access control devices on the market; They will only fail and cause you more headache and expenses in the long-run.
3. Forget to quote Ultra Access Control products to save you time, money and reduce call-backs. 
4. Overlook the fact that your skills as an Access Control Expert can be valuable to other companies. Large to medium fence contractors often sub work to qualified, experienced and certified automatic gate operator installers.
5. Fail to recommend a continued maintenance program to the end user of the automatic gate. Far too often gates and operators are not maintained until there is a problem. Just like any sophisticated electromechanical device, an ounce of preventative maintenance is worth several pounds of emergency repairs or replacements.   

 

Do NOT do this!

What is the "Right" Way to Brace a Gate?

  First let us all agree that the reason we brace gates is primarily to keep it from sagging, to keep it looking good and functioning as it was intended to from the beginning.

   From my extensive research in gate bracing I have come up with four primary categories:

      Compression Bracing - 
A compression cross-brace takes weight from the top bar and transfers it by pushing down against the bottom hinge or a vertical component that transfers load to both hinges. (see photo and/or drawing)

   


 Hinge Side on Right with Brace running from Top of latch side to bottom of hinge side. Typical on Wooden Gates.

  Now, compression bracing can be used on Cantilever gates as well since the load is transferred differently than a hinged gate. Interesting Fact: Cantilever gates are some of the strongest designs because of how they transfer loads. Our ULTRACK gates can be chain link, plain pickets, decorative pickets, vinyl, wood, composite boards our our Eclipse Aluminum Privacy boards.

Ultrack Gates can even be made to look like Estate Gates

 Here you have a fine example of having the fine architectural appeal of an estate gate, with the maximum mechanical advantages that come with a cantilevered gate that is more often used in Commercial or Industrial settings. 
  







This installation was done before we had our BFT USA rack and pinion options as part of Ultra Access Controls.





Suspension or Strut Bracing -  strut - brace consisting of a bar, cable or rod used to resist longitudinal compression a structural member used to stiffen a framework. (see photo and/or drawing)

  







 Notice the through bolting used as well as a compression brace "kick-leg" used on longer suspended areas

 Now a typical cable and turnbuckle is also a form of suspension brace that is often added as a retro-fit to remove the effects of gate sag or as a preventative and adjustable method. 

  The adjustable truss rod on chain link gates and cantilevers gates is also a version of a suspension brace.









   Horizontal Bracing -  Horizontal Bracing is just what it sounds like, using a brace or series of braces that are horizontal and parallel to the top and bottom of the gate frame.

 The traditional "Farm Gate" or "Ranch Gate" utilizes Horizontal Bracing.  Often used in conjunction with Counter Bracing, which is pictured below but is not categorized as a type of  gate bracing, since it has a main purpose of supporting and reinforcing the strength of the hinge post and not effecting weight transference from the gate itself. 

 Counter Bracing (Post Reinforcement)

Sometimes integrated adjustable hinges will eliminate or off-set sagging when gates are in a closed position but do not offer a solution when the gate is in a fully open position. In my opinion, any gate over 16' wide that swings needs a suspension brace with some form of adjustment, like a truss rod. Because Horizontal Bracing alone is often NOT enough on wide spans.

      Gusset Bracing -   Gusset Bracing is the use of diagonal braces in the corners of a gate frame to maintain the original shape of the gate, be it square or rectangular. These gussets come in many varieties and are often used in conjunction with other forms of bracing.  There are even companies like systems for use on all types of gates, primarily marketed at DIY types.

Gusset Bracing done with wood

Gate Kits, this one works extremely well since  it is integrated with the hinges and connects securely to horizontal and vertical members of the gate frame. This technique is often used on aluminum and steel gates as well.

There are of course many hybrids that utilize two, three or all four of these bracing techniques. Some common examples are:

Compression Brace with Suspension Cable Brace

"X" Bracing, or in this case double "X" bracing with gussets

While the decorative gate on the left uses traditional compression bracing, the decorative gate on the right uses compression bracing, suspension bracing and even incorporates board in-fill to add support. This is a great example of letting the bracing become a major design component for the overall aesthetics of the gate.

Some companies like Gate Solutions make kits that make bracing a wooden gate extremely fast and easy. If you do contact them, tell them Darrin sent you.


For addition information or comments and suggestions, please use the comment section or contact me directly at UltraAluminum@gmail.com or on LinkedIn at our Ultra Fence and Railing Group.

And please visit our main website ate UltraFence.com and/or UltraAccessControls.com

Saving Time = Saving Money

  Whether you have just started installing automatic gate operators, are just considering offering them or have been installing them since they have been around, the common sense saying "Time is Money" will ring more than true to you. When you have to pay a fence crew's salaries, insurance, benefits and pick up the tab for the truck, gas, insurance and maintenance then you know it costs dearly each and every time you send a crew anywhere to do anything. When it comes to the crew that has the technical expertise to handle access control those costs are even higher. That is why it is more important than ever to know that the products you choose will in large part determine how long the crew is on the job, how many times they will need to return to complete a project and heaven forbid, how many "Free" service calls you will need to send them on for warranty work.

   Again with your most technically inclined crews, this likely means your most expensive crew too. They are the ones that many fence contractors choose to use outside specialists to cover. Because not only does this access control crew need extra knowledge and experience, they need advanced problem solving skills and specialized tools . Whether you use your own people, sub out the access control portion of the job or are the access control specialists that does sub work for many fence contractors, you all value time;  Because - Time equals Money ;
 Just as efficiency equals greater profitability.

An aluminum alloy bracket guaranteed to save time and money

    You are probably asking yourself...How can this save me time and increase efficiency?

When used with our operators and gates you will gain many magnitudes of efficiency.

     Our Extremely Heavy-Duty Mounting Brackets come powder coated to match the gate and fence, they mount to the post that supports the enclosed track and trolley assembly. It saves a trip and half a day of excavating, forming, pouring, finishing and inserting J-bolts and finishing some more....
all just to wait for another day to get the operator installed, and thus finishing the job.

It also makes it easier on your installers, because this method not only saves time, it saves the installer's back. 

  With our 24 volt BFT Operators you can send one man to do what two to four men had to struggle to do. You can also send a light truck or even a car and save a bunch of fuel over the normal required flat-bed one ton or bigger. Plus you will likely save on Workmen's Comp claims and keep those seasoned professionals longer because they won't be injured and broken down by the time they are in their 50's or 60's. It just makes sense, and thus makes you more Dollars.

Sure, switching to rack and pinion over chain will take some getting used to (usually one job).

 But the advantages of switching to Ultra/BFT System of completely adjustable rack & pinion will:

1. Make you installation MORE SECURE than using chain that can be cut or kicked off gear.
2. Make your jobs BETTER LOOKING by allowing you to keep the drive element hidden.
3. The rack will ADD TO RIGIDITY of the gate, making it stronger than when it left the factory.
4. NOT allow the crew or anyone in the future to WARP THE GATE FRAME by over-tightening a chain. (Which happens, especially on wide openings.)
5. Make your gate system QUIETER than a chain drive, (thus getting you more referrals).
6. Allow your system to be more ADJUSTABLE than any concrete foundation based operator.
7. Allow your team to install twice the operators with less people, which means BETTER PROFITS than any other system.
8. Allow your crew to leave those forms, concrete mixer and trowels on the truck. They won't be needed with this system. (Which will keep the jobsite cleaner and customers happier)
9. Allow your sales staff to tell the home or business owner not to worry about sagging, rusty or oily chains messing up their beautiful driveways and entrances.
10. Lastly, allow for less maintenance and happier installation crews and customers.

Or you could continue to excavate, pour and form, deal with too tight or too loose chains and continue the old ways, while some competitor starts to take away your market share....

Buy American or dig your own grave (and your children's)

This is a fantastic, common sense explanation of why folks should Buy American Made products, real 100% American Made Products. At Ultra Aluminum Mfg., Inc. in Howell, MI. we manufacture fencing, gates, railing and use American Extrusions, shipped, assembled, powder coated and packaged by Americans for Americans to install and enjoy for decades to come...(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tncqJWWGow4&feature=colike) Check this 15 min. video out

 

If the government won't help, then the people must do it themselves. Let's say 300,000,000 Americans each simply reallocated 1 dollar per day, spending 1 dollar less on foreign-made goods, 1 dollar more on American-made goods. (That's $30 per month, per person, and it is not an extra $30 per month, but just where you spend it!) After a year, this would add up to $109,500,000,000. What could the real, productive American economy do with an extra $109.5 billion? How about 2,737,500 new jobs paying $40,000 per year?  

It seems bizarre that most Americans are so blind to the problem and the obvious solution.


"Americans losing jobs, a suffering economy, bad consequences for the U.S.'s future and the exploitation of disadvantaged countries are all serious problems that stem from deindustrialization.  By purchasing from corporations who practice deindustrialization one is adding to and approving of the problem.  Think of the proposal, Americans should buy American made products, it makes sense to act upon it.  The only way to change or prevent this is to not support multinational companies and to buy American made goods." - More:  Why Buy American? - by Laura Ramos - E306 Rhetoric and Composition - University of Texas at Austin

 


Buy American: Not a New Approach

The U.S., like most countries, has long protected certain domestic economic sectors.  Nations legitimately protect certain industries for national security reasons.  Other procurement preferences often define permissible suppliers for government-funded projects.  In the U.S., examples include the "Buy American Act" for certain U.S. government procurements and construction projects, the "Buy America" law mainly for federal transit grants to states and localities, and the "Berry Amendment" for some Department of Defense purchases.  The ARRA Buy American provision is broader than other U.S. procurement restrictions in some respects, but narrower than the public debate might imply.  READ MORE: (Read the PDF)

The greed of us all wanting lower prices is also cutting our own throats in the process. 

 The government and businesses, as well as the consumer has forgotten what made this country the greatest in history. 

To just flush it all away, and end up just another poor socialist country is a tremendous waste of our divinely inspired founding fathers vision, and the lives of all those that fought and died to keep us a free nation and a great Republic.

Ultra Easy Access Control

     Now Ultra Aluminum Mfg., Inc. is going all out to provide the highest quality in service, design and integration of gates and the operators that move them. Even if you choose to use a gate from somewhere else, you will still benefit from the accessories that come from a leader in gate manufacturing (Ultra) blended with one of the World's Top 5 Gate Operator Manufacturers (BFT).  Right now we are offering special incentives to companies that focus on access control installation and service. 

 

Contact Dan Evans at UltraAccess@gmail.com and check out the new website coming soon at www.UltraAccessControls.com

 

 Is recommended for large Industrial and Municipal Installations...

And is available in a solar version called EcoSol that can save budget dollars on line voltage runs to perimeter or add profit and ultimate reliability...

Adjustable in both speed of travel and torque. It can move fast and then slow down for the last few inches of closure.

 Making each installation 
.........Ultra Easy
is our goal, while maintaining reliability
you can be proud to have your name associated with.


When a swing gate is needed, we have a value-priced
option that can keep you competitive.

  When you got Sun Power,
                 ....why Not use it?

 When there are tax credits for U.S. Homeowners....
       ...why Not take them?


 special limitations may apply...

Remember,

 you can always contact me directly

    Darrin Jones ultraaluminum@gmail.com 

or 

Contact Dan Evans at UltraAccess@gmail.com 

and check out the new website coming soon at www.UltraAccessControls.com

Railing Installation Tip of the Day

Railing Installation Tip of the Day

When working with welded flanges it is often difficult to deal with extreme slopes or grades that will tend to throw the posts and pickets way out of plumb. What to do: - Send back posts or order more that have a biased cut to accommodate the angle... - Use rebar and forms and make a small, but level pad extension... - Use shims under the low side and level the posts, but have to deal with exposed shims and a flange that is not completely secure... None of these are Great Solutions, but look below-

By using a composite masonry blade and a cold chisel,one can modify the concrete under the flange, then the flanges can become recessed into the slab. This will allow for grade fine tuning and actually strengthen the post-flange-substrate connection. There may be better solutions out there, but if you have one - I would really like to know. Just sharing this Tip to help you if you ever run across this in the field and need to get the job done.

Hopefully, Most of you dealers will learn to interpret grade ahead of time. This customer near San Francisco was told to use an inclinometer app for his smart phone, but he did not want to spend the 99 cents. So instead he ended up paying a crew several hundred dollars to help him deal with the grade by modifying the concrete under the flanges.

Many ways to stay informed

   In the Fence Industry there are many ways to stay informed. Most of you know and participate in many of these:

1. Become active member of your regional AFA
2. Visit Fence Tech every year and check out the booths
3. Subscribe to World Fence News (May Issue Ultra makes cover again), Fence Post Magazine or other trade journals
4. Use the Internet to browse and research new products and approaches
5. Read and Subscribe to blogs written specifically on the product line you offer
6. Join Social Networks and Groups to discuss varying subjects
7. Get out there in the real world and visit your suppliers, your allies and even your competition

 This last one is what brings me to discuss most of what you will find on this blog. I go out in the field and see something that reflects well on this industry or I see something that shows that the folks that just want to make a quick buck and are not focused on doing the job well. My standard for a good fence, gate or railing installation is simple;

 I ask three questions:

    Does this installation serve the intended purpose reliably?


    Was this installation made in such a way that it will continue to serve its intended purpose for at least a couple of decades (if not more)?


   Does the installation add to the overall aesthetics of the scene or does it detract?

 For a Great Fence, my standards are much higher. Here is a photo of a INDUSTRIAL Premium Grade Installation in Plano that garnered letters of praise from the nearby homeowners all the way to the city manager. The installation was done as well as any I have ever seen. 

And here we are on the cover of this month's World Fence News again...

Ultra's Signature Railing

  For quite a while I have been focused on Gates and Access Control by Ultra, but with Spring comes the urge to be outside. Many homeowners, businesses, apartment complexes and municipal structures utilize railing that is similar to fencing but different. This post will be about some of the differences and why you can gain market-share and enhanced profitability by using Ultra's Signature Series of Railing.

   First of all, fencing is typically comes in residential, commercial and industrial strength varieties and then these are offered in 4', 5', 6' and in industrial even 7', 8', 9' & 10' heights. Railing is typically 36" in height when at a private residence and 42" when in public or commercial spaces. Both railing heights also have to be tested for added strength. According to International Building Code (IBC)  Section 1607.7.1 Handrails and guards, “Handrail assemblies and guards shall be designed to resist a load of 50 plf (0.73kN/m) applied in any direction at the top and to transfer this load through the supports to the structure.” And According to International Residential Code (IRC) Section 1607.7.1.1 Concentrated load, “Handrail assemblies and guards shall be able to resist a single concentrated load of 200 pounds (0.89 kN), applied in any direction at any point along the top, and have attachment devices and supporting structure to transfer this loading to appropriate structural elements of the building.”

  Ultra has designed and had our railing products built and tested with this in mind. So you can rest assured that our products, when installed properly will perform well on the 2nd story balcony or the 52nd floor balcony. They are not only beautiful, durable but extremely strong. Here are some photos of a recent job. (Notice the use of core-drilling versus the more common use of flange plates)

photo by: Ben Jodoin

photo by: Ben Jodoin

photo by: Ben Jodoin

 Plus you can see these with flange plates used:

This one even had a Trex "Drinking/Bar Ledge" added to it...

And this one utilizes our Boss Flanges & Boss Posts and a Continuous Cap (Madison Style in Satin/Matte White)

See more and more photos all the time at www.ultrafence.com and try out our Design Studio where you can upload a photo of a prospective site and choose the fence or railing to add, then show you customers exactly what they are getting. This is a GREAT Sales Tool when utilized!

New Gate School and Ideas

With Ultra now offering a whole new line-up of access control devices, you might want to schedule an installation and sales school for your team.

This group of fence installers and salesmen learned what makes our operators
paired to the Ultra Gate such a breeze to install and what makes them a better
VALUE. This makes them easy to sell, Ultra Easy!!!

 

Just ask you Ultra Regional Sales Manager what it will take to get the entire team up to speed with the products you should be offering every customer, residential, commercial, municipal or industrial.

with a 22'-6" wide single leaf gate in Ultra Aluminum it will hang straight & swing easy, Ultra Easy...

Often I get asked, "How wide of a single panel gate can Ultra make?"
That question cannot be answered as simply as one might think....we have to take into account the following:

• Gate Height
• Picket Spacing
• Grade
• Design
• Are there inserts like Art Medallions, Castings, Baskets, Knobs, etc.
• and of course, is it a swing or slide gate.

  But as a rule of thumb, 20-24 feet wide on most swing gates,
  and 20-28 feet on slide gates like V-Track
  and 45-60 feet on Ultrack Cantilever Gates

  But there are often savings to allow for bi-parting gates, I know you will use more operators,
  but you will save freight on extra large gate panels and we can save you enough on the operators
  that you can bid two against their one and still win the bid. By selling the exact model needed for
  the job and understanding the gate it is intended for, we enhance efficiency at every turn.

1/2 Post attached directly to CMU Block
filled with concrete and re-bar makes for
a SUPER STRONG and well integrated
Look that is very professional and sleek.

This Gate was installed by a home builder, his first driveway gate
and less than 2 hours later he was done and driving away with
a check in his hands and a happy customer.

Do you have any automatic gate questions or gate questions in general?
Leave a comment and ask away. I am writing this to help you become Ultra Successful!

Ultra Access Controls

We are still the same group that helps you provide your customers the strongest aluminum alloy fence.

  We are the same group that brought you Ultrack Cantilever Gates, Estate Gates and Signature Railing

     We are the same group that brought you the Defender Series of Industrial Grade Fence to compete.

         

        We are the same group that brought you more standard colors, textures and styles.

           

           We are the same group that brought you Revolution Hidden Gate Operators.

              We are the same group that brought you Eclipse Privacy Panels.

                We are the same group that brought you plasma cut Medallions.

                   We are the same group that brought you V-Track Gates.

                     We are the same group that brought you glass railing.

Now, well into the 21st Century, we bring you many, many more True Buying Benefits (TBB) that you can carry out into your market. With these tools in the hands of the right sales organization, YOU can excel and dominate while others struggle and push their cheap Chinese products.

   

                    

 

Now call your Ultra RSM and get the most competitive pricing on the Best Access Control Devices!