While traditional fencing materials and our Trex composite fencing products don’t share too many qualities, there are some features that are near-universal in many fence settings. One great example here is the fence gate, which will be a vital piece of a fence installation for numerous property owners no matter which material they’re using.

At FDS, we’re happy to offer a wide range of not only quality Trex composite fencing materials, but also Trex gates that offer the very best in privacy and security. We sell both standard-sized gates and hardware kits with all their required parts, making installation easy for both our Seclusions and Horizons fence options. We also offer custom gate options, including reinforced gates with post stiffeners for those who want to maximize their security use.

We’re here to answer any and all questions you may have about fence gates, as well. Here are some of the most common such questions we get from our clients, plus some general themes we use to answer them.

As you may have guessed, there is no singular set answer here — and this is because the proper size for a given fence gate depends in large part on several specific fence factors. First and foremost, where is the gate being installed? If it’s a residential fence installed on your property, chances are you’ll be looking for something that won’t break the line of sight to your home. On the other hand, if you’re installing this same gate at a commercial site like an office building or a factory, you may need something even larger in order to let large trucks and carts through.

Also important here will be the actual height of your fence, as it’s typically desirable to match the fence and its gate in height. A gate that’s too high will look strange, while one that’s too low will risk security and safety concerns every time somebody enters or exits it. While you shouldn’t use the height of your gate to judge how tall your fence should be, doing so can provide a good starting point in terms of estimating what heights and widths will work for you.

You should also shoot for a gate width that matches that of the fence itself, as they’ll look much better in tandem and are also less likely to attract unwanted attention. They’re typically installed at the same time, so you shouldn’t be too far off with your measurements here. At the very least, both should be at least a foot wide — though if there are double doors or another good reason to do so, you can go even wider than that.

In some settings or areas, both fences and gates will actually be legally required. A good example here is a fence being built around a pool, either residential or public — many states and cities have specific rules in place for these, including requiring the installation of both gates and self-closing hinges and placing specific thresholds on lock and handle heights so they can’t be opened by small children.

Understanding such requirements is vital to ensuring your fence project will be either approved or denied by local authorities — so it’s a good idea to speak with an expert like those at FDS about fencing gate laws in your area. We can help you figure out what you need to do or know before installing a fence gate in your property, helping you avoid any expensive delays or unneeded expenses.

In terms of the actual requirements for building a pool fence gate, there are typically two distinct regulations that may apply: Those covering the minimum size of the pool and those dictating how far away the gate should be from the pool. The first dictates exactly how large your gate needs to be, with typical dimensions for a residential pool being about four feet tall and six feet wide. Those installing commercial pools will typically need gates that are at least five feet high, or even higher as dictated by local laws.

In terms of the second regulation — the distance from the pool itself — fencing laws will typically dictate that a fence gate be installed at least six feet away from the edge of the pool (this is in addition to being at least four feet high). This makes it impossible for young kids and pets to enter or exit the pool area without adult supervision, while also providing enough room for people entering and leaving the pool to do so without injuring themselves on the gate.

Absolutely. Especially if your fence is being built near public areas like highways or sidewalks, there may be local restrictions on where you can install your gate.

For instance, your gate can’t open directly onto a public sidewalk in most areas — in these cases, gates will need to be directed inward instead. For those without the space for this, slide gates can be used in place of swing gates. These work by sliding open instead of swinging, and can often still meet legal requirements for gate direction because they don’t directly face the sidewalk or road.

For more on fence gates and their uses and requirements in any setting, or to learn about our high-quality Trex fencing and fence gate products, speak to the staff at FDS Fence Distributors today.