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Gates, self-closing latches and the bit people get wrong

The gate is the part of a fence that moves, so it is the part that fails first. On a pool barrier it is also the part the rules care about most.

What a pool gate has to do

On a pool barrier the gate must be self-closing from any position, self-latching so it locks itself shut, and it must swing away from the pool. The latch sits up high, out of a small child's reach (council checklists commonly cite a release around 1500 mm).

The most common failure: a propped-open pool gate is the single most common reason a barrier that was built right stops being compliant.

Why gates drop and drag

Gates sag when the posts move, when hinges are undersized, or when the frame is not braced. Near the salt, cheap fixings seize and stain. We hang gates on properly set posts with fixings rated for the spot, 316 stainless in the salt band, and brace the frame so it stays square.

Automation, if you want it

Swing and sliding gates can take motors, keypads and intercoms. That is a convenience choice, not a compliance one, a pool gate still has to meet the barrier rules whether it is automated or not.

This is general information, not professional advice. If a gate is dragging, latching poorly or you want one hung true, book a free measure.

Gate dragging or latching poorly? Book a free on-site measure. We'll look at the posts, the hinges and the latch, and come back with a fixed written quote to hang it true.
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