Electric sliding & cantilever gates
Tracked and cantilever sliding gates designed, installed and automated by our family-run team for homes and businesses across Essex, Thurrock and East London.
Is a sliding gate better than a swing gate?
A sliding gate is usually the better choice when your driveway is short, slopes up from the entrance, or you need every metre of parking, because it moves sideways along the boundary instead of swinging into the drive. A swing gate suits a wider, level drive with plenty of depth.
The one thing a sliding gate needs is room to one side. For a standard tracked gate, allow roughly the width of the gate plus about 600mm. If you are not sure which suits your entrance, we will measure up and show you the options at a free site survey. See all five systems on our driveway gates page.
What is the difference between a tracked and a cantilever gate?
A tracked sliding gate runs on wheels along a rail set into the ground across the opening. It needs a level surface across the entrance, and the track has to be kept clear of gravel, leaves and ice.
A cantilever sliding gate is carried on rollers mounted to one side of the opening, so it is held above the ground as it moves and there is no track across the drive. That makes it the usual answer for sloping or uneven drives, loose gravel and entrances with heavy vehicles. Part of the gate frame acts as a counterbalance, so a cantilever gate needs more room to the side than a tracked one.
Short of side space? A telescopic sliding gate stacks overlapping panels and needs roughly half the sliding space of a standard slider.
Book a free site survey
Which sliding gate suits my driveway?
A quick guide. We confirm it on site, because levels, drainage and side space decide it.
Short drive close to the road
A sliding gate keeps the full depth of the drive, so cars are not left waiting on the road while a swing gate opens.
Sloping or uneven drive
Usually a cantilever gate, because it is held above the ground across the opening.
Gravel or block paving
Cantilever avoids a track that fills with stones. A tracked gate can work on a level, well-drained base.
Little room to one side
A telescopic slider, or a pair of sliding gates that part in the middle, can fit where one long leaf cannot.
Busy or commercial entrance
Steel sliding gates for business sites. See steel gates.
Opening it from your phone
Add a video intercom (see access control and intercoms), keypad or fobs, and we can add app control to most gates with a Remootio.
Have you fitted cantilever gates on sloping drives?
Yes. In Shenfield we built a farm-style aluminium cantilever gate for a driveway that sloped steeply in more than one direction. We excavated the existing levels, removed a stepped wall and created a level area for the gate to slide into, then integrated it with the home’s Control4 smart home system alongside a local Control4 partner.
In Upminster we fitted dual sliding cantilever gates with a laser-cut Safari design on a drive that sloped both ways, with matching walls, fencing and a porcelain-tiled driveway, all aligned to the gates.
Which motors and safety devices do you fit?
Every sliding gate is automated, wired and tested by our own team.
Roger Technology motors
Most of our installs use Roger Technology motors. We also repair FAAC and BFT systems.
Safety devices
Photocells and safety edges where the gate needs them, set up to meet BS EN 12453. Every gate service includes a force test.
Groundworks in-house
Our team carries out the groundworks, brickwork, electrical connections and automation, so one firm is responsible for the whole job.
Installation time
If the driveway is already prepared, a sliding gate typically takes 1–2 days for beam and wiring. Bespoke aluminium gates take 6–10 weeks to make.
Do sliding gates need much maintenance?
Less than you might think, but they do need a check at least once a year. On a tracked gate, the track must stay clear and well drained, because stones and standing water are a common cause of winter breakdowns. On a cantilever gate, we check the rollers, the beam and the end stops.
Every gate service includes the safety devices, a force test and a written report. If your gate has stopped, see our gate repairs page.
Sliding gate questions
Short answers to what people ask us most about sliding and cantilever gates.
A tracked sliding gate runs on a rail across the opening. A cantilever sliding gate does not: it is carried on rollers to one side and held above the ground, so there is no track across the drive.
For a standard tracked gate, allow roughly the width of the gate plus about 600mm to one side. A cantilever gate needs more, because part of the frame acts as a counterbalance. A telescopic gate needs roughly half the space of a standard slider.
Yes. A cantilever gate is usually the answer for a sloping or uneven drive, because it stays level above the ground instead of running on a track.
If the driveway is already prepared, a sliding gate typically takes 1–2 days for beam and wiring. Bespoke manufacture takes 2–4 weeks for steel or composite and 6–10 weeks for aluminium.
Yes. We can add app control to most gates with a Remootio, and we fit video intercoms that let you see and speak to visitors before you open the gate.
Compare every layout on our driveway gates page, choose a material from aluminium, composite or steel gates.
Thinking about a sliding gate?
Book a free site survey and we will measure the side space, check the levels and recommend tracked, cantilever or telescopic.