The Story of Stuff

  This short whiteboard documentary makes me so Proud I work at Ultra Aluminum Mfg., Inc. and I will tell you why, but please, watch this first .

The problems she brings up in this video are real for us all. After you have seen this, I will tell you what we are doing to remedy these problems and how you, as the consumer, can help.

Does a fence reduce or add to a home's value?

"Good fences make good neighbors." - Robert Frost

  From the perspective of a second generation fence man that has over 40 years in the fence industry and having owned a fence and deck construction company for half of that time, I can say definitively that a great and appropriate fence will add value while a cheap and/or inappropriate fence will reduce value.

  Just like rims on a car or the frame for a painting, a fence can be the one thing that ties the entire package (home, landscaping, hardscaping, etc.) together or what detracts from it entirely. 

Surely no buyer would see this old wood fence as anything but a negative.

The old industry standard of Chain Link fencing is no longer seen as a plus, unless you are in a neighborhood that is predominantly installing this utilitarian approach. Even if this is the case, know that most standards on chain link such as wire gauge, post wall thickness and the amount of zinc applied during galvanization has gotten cheaper and cheaper each year. To buy the quality of chain link that was the norm in the 50's and 60's one could afford a much nicer fence without spending more.

A fence style that is appropriate with many finer old or historic homes is the predecessor to chain link, wrought iron. However most ornamental iron is now hollow and is NOT wrought iron. The biggest risk with going this route today is that most, if not all ornamental iron is not hot-dipped galvanized prior to painting or powder coating. This allows for the inevitable oxidation (rust) from the inside-out. In some climates this will take a matter of decades while others only a matter of years. Why not get the same or similar look with ornamental aluminum and get a lifetime warranty.
Ultra Aluminum Fencing Railing Gates

The best value in fence can often times be the one that lasts the longest and is even a green or Earth-friendly product like this ornamental aluminum fence. Another Earth friendly feature is that it promotes great landscaping and is appropriate with so many styles of architecture because there is an endless variety of styles, colors, grades, heights and textures.

For privacy, security and beauty a composite fence can offer many advantages over a stick built wooden fence. Lower maintenance and longer durability are the two primary advantages that justify the premium price.

An Ultra Aluminum Eclipse Privacy Fence is by far the most durable, cost effective and low maintenance privacy fence you can buy. It is available in many heights, colors, styles and textures. The gates for these are awesome and have the highest strength to weight ratio of any fence product known to mankind.

 
 While the traditional white picket fence may not be appropriate for all types of architecture and every price level of homes, it does have a broad based appeal. Few things can return such a return on investment if it is paired with the appropriate home, lot and landscape.

Appropriateness of fence design and materials to it's setting and intended use is crucial to getting your money's worth. For this use and setting even this rusty old wire fence and gate may actually be what is called for. This is likely one of the last fence designs I would want around my residence though.

With the right house and setting, you can even get quite artistic with your fence or gate. The key is an appropriate design. Ultra Fence cares so much about getting you the appropriate fence for your house they sell through a verified and trained Ultra Dealer Network. The Ultra Trained Sales Representative can guide you through using the Design Studio to Visualize Ultra Fencing, Railing & Gates on your home before you buy.
  Upload a photo or two of your home and then stretch and place the fence and gate over its proposed location. Then change the height, grade, style, color and accessories to get the image of the most appropriate fence for your home. Then download it and print it and get a price on exactly what you want and need.

   After all, Life is short and you worked hard to get that home. Don't cut corners and buy something that will drain your pocketbook later with annual maintenance or worse yet, detract from the home. Get a fence that is 100% Made in the USA that comes with the best warranty in the business. Truly appropriate designed fences that are built to last decades instead of years will end up being a "Good Fence that is a Good Neighbor".

Ways to mount a Gate to Columns or Walls

Please let me introduce myself. I am Darrin Jones, the RSM for the Caribbean, the Pacific and Latin America. In the past I worked as an installer and have an engineering background. Often when attaching any hinge, including the Ultra Hinge to a column or wall, there are potential problems that may arise.


you may notice on this 10 year old Ultra Hinge located on the Gulf Coast in Alabama, The attachment is to a post. Imagine attaching to a masonry substrate. You have four very specific locations for masonry screws to attach a flat plat (that must be vertical, or it throws gate alignment off) 1/16th of an inch out of plumb magnifies on a gate to be a major problem. Plus, if a fastener is ever so slightly over tightened, it loses its strength. In most installations you have little to no choice as to the specific location of these plates that are part of the "male" side of the hinge component.

Many dealers use the following approach for this reason....

Getting a full post as close to column or wall requires calculation to be deducted before ordering gates... This can be challenging since it is sometimes difficult to precisely judge how close the post will be due to wall/column irregularities, out of plumb walls or columns, or footer locations.



As shown here, the top detail of a set of columns was modified to allow posts to be set far enough apart to make the gate dimensions that were used during ordering work. This still leaves the posts to do all the "heavy lifting" and does not take advantage of the residual strength of the columns or walls for gate support.


  I prefer the following installation technique:

This allows for the Ultra Hinge Plate on the "male" side to be attached metal to metal and can even be through bolted with lock washer and nut or nylock nut on the back side of "C" post that is integrated into the wall/column and has multiple, strategically located masonry attachment creating what I refer to as the "piano hinge approach", many screw taking the place of just a few.


Notice how the top portion of this column/wall is a smooth CMU block while the lower third is a decorative CMU block with no flat surface to mount the plate to. Plus the column mounting of the plates would create attachment points on different planes. This can be adjusted with our adjustable Ultra Hinges, but will limit future adjustability and still not be as pleasing to the eye as an integrated "C" post.

 The next question I get is - "Isn't this a lot more work?"
Actually it is far quicker and less expensive than setting a post next to a column, which usually means busting through part of the footer for the column (which will weaken the column).
It is FAR, FAR easier than trying to make these plates mount precisely where they have to be. Sometimes folks that mount the plate to the wall/column get lucky and everything works out, but more often than not, it becomes an arduous task.

With a carpenters pencil and level you can mark the column where it needs to be.
Identify the best locations for masonry screws, (usually two near bottom, two near top and two every two-three feet in between). Then locate you Ultra Hinge Mounting Plate location and verify by matching with gates welded female side of hinges.

Note/Tip:  I like to use a Stainless Steel Machine Bolt and cut washer with a Nylock type nut and through bolt.


Then I use a $15 diamond imbedded blade (used by tile installers) to cut a trench 1/4-1/2" deep where I made my marks for the "C" post to column/wall interface. Try to make depth fairly uniform.




  Then I pay out/apply bituminous (roofing) caulk into the grooves I have cut (sparingly).
Note/Tip: silicone, lexel or even latex will work in a pinch.



Then, as a final step you attach masonry screws through the holes you drilled to mark your column/wall for hammer drilling, and tighten by hand with socket to prevent over-tightening.
Note/Tip: Order touch-up paint to match gate and pre-paint SS plate machine bolts and masonry fasteners so they will blend in seamlessly.

I like the Tapcon brand and always use the hex-head variety, so I can use a socket to tighten by hand and not strip-out the hole in masonry.

These would NOT be recommended for attaching the mounting plate directly to the masonry substrate. They are more than sufficient when used with "C" posts and cost a fraction of larger masonry fasteners (shown below).


I hope this is helpful. I believe it is the fastest, easiest, strongest, most durable and best looking way to hang a gate from a column or wall.

Darrin Jones
Regional Sales Manager Southwest USA
and all of Latin America and Caribbean
Ultra Aluminum Mfg., Inc. and
Ultra Access Controls, Inc.
(256) 214-0633 cell
(951) I M ULTRA or 468-5872 Google Voice

1-619-374-7064 eFax

ultraaluminum@gmail.com

www.ultraeasy.blogspot.com

www.ultrafence.com

Revolution/Hide by Ultra in the Southland

   Many times all over the USA and likely elsewhere there are homes that need gates at the end of a long driveway. As a gate and operator company, Ultra can help you provide some real benefits for those customers that may not be all too apparent to the untrained eye. Let me point out a few of what I like to call "True Buying Benefits"(TBB) for your customer.

1. That customer can save hundreds if not thousands on not having to install line voltage (120 v or 240 v) out to the end of that long, long driveway. Have you seen what copper prices have done in the last few years?
2. The customer can save hundreds more by not being required to have a licensed electrical contractor come out to do this line voltage connection to the main service panel and place it in conduit all the way out to connect with the gate operator system.
3. The customer may qualify for up to $3500 on tax credits if the solar powered gate and operator are at their primary residence and they itemize. Most folks buying estate gates do itemize and it could qualify for basically something as good as cash to them.
4. The customer can enjoy enjoy the use of their gate for years to come with only minimal maintenance required, (keeping gate aligned, changing batteries every 3-5 years, aligning solar panel for max. input charge, keeping all wire connections good and tight, etc.)
5. The customer can enjoy the convenience and security of the automated gate, especially when they need it the most, when it is storming and when power may be out in the community.
6. Even IF the driveway grade slopes upward as you enter the property, they do not have to deal with ugly linear actuator motors or articulating arms on the outside of the gate. This is a feature that only Ultra offers at an economical price point. The operator motor is built into the upright frame of the gate at the hinge posts.
7. Lastly, you and your company can make more profit because with the Ultra Revolution/Hide Model and our Estate Gates, it is set the posts, hang the gate and connect a few wires and you are done. This eliminates hours and hours of costly installation and equates to a better bottom line and a much happier customer, often ready to provide referrals right away.

  All of these True Buying Benefits equate to Better Selling Benefits for your company and your sales team. Dealing with Ultra will make you proud to provide the very best fences, gates, railing and access control devices available today. We are happy to be able to bring you these top quality products that can be sold in that sweet spot of the upper mid range, providing maximum value.

   Let others sell on price alone and deal with the headaches of selling crappy foreign products that are not build to last. Let even others go at the market with products that are several times higher in price with few benefits over our products. Meanwhile, you can dominate the portion of the market made up of consumers that can afford what they want, but they demand quality and value. This mid range to upper mid range buyer is more abundant and easier to find, close and satisfy time and time again.

  Call Dustin Chapman if you are in the Southeast or South Central USA at 706-988-9623 or call me Darrin Jones if you are in the Southwest or West Coast at 256-214-0633. Our HQ in Michigan is 800-656-4420 and we have sales people all over the country and in Canada and Mexico. Just give us a call and tell them Darrin sent you and that you are ready to make money the UltraEasy way!

Ultra Strong Handrail at the Pacific Ocean in the California Central Coast

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