Welding:

We guarantee our welding & workmanship for 3 years. This is in relation to the areas we manufacture ourselves (metal frames, welds etc). This does not cover other companies products (locks/hinges/working parts/infill materials/boards etc/automation) etc. These have their own specific guarantees from the product manufacturers. 

Installations:

We guarantee our installations for 1 year.  We do not guarantee installations carried out by customers/others (supply only gates). However, supply only gates are still covered by our other guarantees. 

Finishes (metalwork only, not on timber):

We guarantee our finishes (metalwork) will be rust free for a minimum of 5 years* (as long as the customer has items galvanised).

We guarantee our powder coating finishes for 1 year, however, the powder coating’s actual lifespan is 10+ years. 

The reason for the guarantee being 1 year is for two reasons:

1 – If there were an issue (which is rare) with the coating it is obvious instantly – within days/weeks of install. Products will be replaced/retreated accordingly. (This is the same guarantee and terms we receive from our coaters.)

2 – The product has a long lifespan, however, it is advised that the customer wipes down the metalwork with warm soapy water twice a year to remove any build up. We cannot guarantee a customer will carry out this task and cannot be held responsible. 

*Guarantee excludes any areas welded on site – see further information below.

Also excludes any areas that have to be drilled / cleaned out after galvanising for specific purposes, for example, lock face plates or screw holes or working areas. The galvanising on these areas is removed when screwing in / cleaning out holes etc. 

Working Parts (locks, locinox etc):

These are guaranteed for 1 year (parts and labour).   Customer is responsible for greasing/oiling moving parts as required. 

Note – working parts are liable to coatings wearing due to being a working/moving part.  This is due to ‘metal on metal’ and is unavoidable. 

A common callback we get is for slip bolts or drop bolts. Unfortunately the wear on tear on these areas becomes visible fairly quickly, and it is just part and parcel of having a custom metal gate with working metal parts.  These areas can be regularly touched up by the customer if they wish to do so. The galvanising underneath is the main protection layer. So the powder coating that gets worn/scraped from use is only aesthetic. 

General Terms & Conditions

We produce and install high quality products. A lot of time and effort goes into our gates, however, on rare occasions things can go wrong.  We pride ourselves on being a respectable company and we are happy to put things right should there be an issue.

Should something go wrong please do not attempt to fix or alter it yourself. Any work not carried out by Gates Scotland LTD, without prior written consent, will void any guarantees/warranties. 

If under rare certain circumstances we agree for other companies/persons to carry out repairs on our products, quotations must be provided and sums agreed prior to any work commencing. 

Payments

Terms and Conditions of Gates Scotland Ltd.

By purchasing goods or services from Gates Scotland Ltd, the buyer agrees to the following terms and conditions unless otherwise agreed in writing before purchase.

1. Introduction

These terms and conditions (“Terms”) apply to all goods and services provided by Gates Scotland Ltd., a company registered in Scotland, UK, with its principal place of business at Gates Scotland Ltd, Unit 2a, Block 17, South Avenue, Blantyre Industrial Estate, G72 0XB.

2. Retention of Title

2.1. All goods, including but not limited to gates, posts, and automation equipment (“Goods”), supplied by Gates Scotland Ltd. remain the sole and absolute property of Gates Scotland Ltd. as legal and beneficial owner until such time as the purchaser pays the agreed price in full to Gates Scotland Ltd.

2.2. The buyer acknowledges that they are in possession of Goods solely as a bailee for Gates Scotland Ltd. until such time as the full price thereof is paid to Gates Scotland Ltd., together with the full price of any other goods the subject of any other contract with Gates Scotland Ltd.

2.3. Until such time as the buyer becomes the owner of the Goods, they will store them separately from other goods and ensure that they are clearly identifiable as belonging to Gates Scotland Ltd.

2.4. Gates Scotland Ltd. reserves the right to repossess any Goods in which Gates Scotland Ltd. retains title without notice, if goods are unpaid for and there are no outstanding issues or reasons for non payment. The buyer hereby authorises Gates Scotland Ltd. to access the location where the Goods are stored in order to repossess them.

2.5. The right of the buyer to possession of the Goods shall terminate if the buyer commits or permits any act or omission which could prejudice or put at risk Gates Scotland Ltd.’s ownership of the Goods, or if any amounts owed by the buyer to Gates Scotland Ltd. are overdue, or if the buyer is declared bankrupt, enters into any arrangement with their creditors, or undergoes any analogous act or proceeding under foreign law.

3. Miscellaneous

3.1. These Terms constitute the entire agreement between Gates Scotland Ltd. and the buyer. Any changes to these Terms must be in writing and signed by an authorised representative of Gates Scotland Ltd.

3.2. These Terms are governed by and interpreted according to the laws of Scotland, UK. Both parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Scotland, UK.

Payment Terms and Conditions of Gates Scotland Ltd.

1. Introduction

These payment terms (“Payment Terms”) apply to all goods and services provided by Gates Scotland Ltd., a company registered in Scotland, UK, with its principal place of business at Gates Scotland Ltd, Unit 2a, Block 17, South Avenue, Blantyre Industrial Estate, G72 0XB. These Payment Terms are to be read in conjunction with any other terms and conditions of Gates Scotland Ltd.

2. Payment upon Completion

2.1. All goods and services provided by Gates Scotland Ltd. are to be paid for in full by the buyer upon completion unless terms are otherwise agreed in writing. 

2.2. An invoice will be issued upon completion of the services or delivery of the goods. The date of the invoice shall be deemed the date of completion.

2.3. Payments can be made via BACS or payment link provided by us. 

3. Late Payment and Additional Fees

3.1. If the payment is not received in full within 7 days from the date of completion, Gates Scotland Ltd. reserves the right to charge an administrative fee to the buyer’s account, to cover additional admin fees of pursuing the payment. 

3.2. The administrative fee will be £100+ vat.

3.3. In addition to any administrative fee, Gates Scotland Ltd. reserves the right to charge interest on the overdue amount at a rate of 5%  per annum above the base rate of The Bank Of England. Interest will accrue on a daily basis from the due date until the date of actual payment, whether before or after judgement.

4. Miscellaneous

4.1. These Payment Terms constitute an integral part of the agreement between Gates Scotland Ltd. and the buyer. In case of any conflict between these Payment Terms and any other terms and conditions of Gates Scotland Ltd., these Payment Terms will prevail.

4.2. These Payment Terms are governed by and interpreted according to the laws of Scotland and the UK. Both parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Scotland and the UK.

Installation:

When installing your new gates or railings we will take care when doing so.

However, there are factors outwith our control, some examples of which are noted below:

Poor quality or aged rough-casting: When we drill/dig/remove old posts that are in contact with rough-casting, or any other wall finishes, it may crumble or break off.  This cannot be helped and the liability of reinstatement will lie with the customer. 

Walls: Old walls (or poorly constructed walls/weather damaged walls) are also susceptible to breaking/cracking when we are required to core/drill into them to allow for installation. 

Should a wall fracture or break away during installation then it will be due to underlying issues, such as hairline cracks, tired/weathered mortar, weather exposure etc. 

Sometimes it is not possible to predict how an old boundary wall or roughcast wall will act during remove of old fencing/installation of new fencing.

When installing onto dubious walls or items, we will do our best to ‘make good’ as much as possible. However, if the walls/roughcast are in a certain condition, then liability of ‘making good’ will be left with the customer.

 

Gate Automation

Unless specified otherwise in our contract/invoice with the customer, the following guarantees are applicable to our automation installations.

We guarantee our automation install’s for 1 year (parts and labour).

Our automation hardware (motors & control boards) is also covered by a 2 or 3 year parts only guarantee (subject to manufacturers terms and conditions). 

Underground Automatic Gates – Drainage

Underground electric gate systems require appropriate drainage to operate properly over time. 

Gates Scotland Ltd will install the industry standard sized drainage sumps under the underground foundation boxes as a soakaway device. 

Gates Scotland Ltd cannot be liable for high water table levels or areas that are prone to flooding with any level of rainfall. We also cannot be held liable for the surrounding ground being of ‘poor drainage quality’ – for example thick/heavy clay. 

We are unable to predict what areas will flood/won’t flood due to various factors such as time of year and how much rainfall has previously fallen. For example, the ground may be holding more/less water at different times of year and it is 

Therefor, if an underground system is installed for a customer, and the area floods, the works to rectify this would be chargeable and not covered by any guarantees. 

It would be the responsibility of the customer to improve or install additional drainage to the installation area to reduce the water level during periods of rain. For example, additional re routing of the water to another area, or larger soak aways to cope with the site conditions. 

If motors/equipment become water damaged (all underground motors are typically rated for a certain time working underwater during flash floods etc – but this cannot be for extended periods of time). Specific IP ratings and therefor time underwater is specified per motor. 

Cancelled Visits, Reasons & Additional Costs:

We reserve the right to charge any additional costs incurred to the company which are not the companies fault/liability. 

This typically involves the following scenarios:

• Client books surveyor and then is not available and does not cancel the meeting 

• Client agreed to do preparation work that was not completed, and the company send a fitting van to site, which has to be called off. 
• Any other scenarios where the actions of the client result in additional travel time and site visits 

Gaps – Daylight Gaps & Finished Aesthetics 

All of our gate products carry ‘working gaps’ which are needed on all systems. 

The size of these gaps we have designed down to a minimum, without impeding the workings of the gates during the different seasons.

NOTE – metalwork expands and contracts due to the large swing of UK temperatures. Therefor you need to ensure things are not too tight, which will cause problems in the future. 

Installations & Gaps (Daylight Gaps)

When we install posts for customers, they need to be installed plumb (vertically straight) to allow the gate to work properly. 

Depending on the property or install, the brickwork surrounding our install may be old/tired/crumbling/off plumb/in need of pointing etc. 

This will result in daylight gaps between our posts and the walls/brickwork.

We DO NOT include finishing works as standard between the posts and the surrounding walls. These areas may require some additional sealants/mortars/blanking plates. 

We also DO NOT include stonework/roughcast/plastering that is required as a result of getting old gates removed/new gates installed (see section in terms explaining this more). 

Blanking Plates

Blanking plates are not required on any jobs, and only serve as an aesthetic finishing part. These can be costly to custom manufacture, galvanise, powder coat and then install. 

A blanking plate is typically made from steel flat bar, and would be affixed to the posts/walls surrounding the gates, with an overhang, to cover any daylight gaps required. 

We DO NOT include blanking plates as standard on any of our jobs, as 95% of customers do not want/require them. Therefore, we do not cost for or allow for this extra expense on every job, unnecessarily. 

Custom blanking plates can be quoted for and ordered if required. 

An alternative, lower cost options, is thick neoprene foam strips which are readily available off Amazon etc. These can hide gaps at hinges etc, and are very easy to self install. 

Raised Welds & Galvanising & Finishing.

A question that is occasionally asked by our customers, is; 

Why can you see the welded areas/why are they not smooth? 

Unfortunately this is part and parcel of the galvanising process. Welds contain more silicone than the steel lengths, therefore they attract more zinc in the hot dip galvanising bath. 

If these areas are then ‘buffed/sanded/polished’ back to flat, you will remove the protective zinc coating, and in time these areas will rust. 

See photos for examples. 

This is NOT an issue caused by poor workmanship or weld quality. As you can see from the photos, the welds are completely perfect/smooth/cleaned after welding and fabrication. 

It is only after the hot galvanising bath that they ‘raise’ up slightly.  How prominent these are, are completely out of our control. There are several attributes that affect the ‘raise’ – bath temperature, welding wire batch, time in the bath (varies from item to item), zinc mixture in the bath etc etc. 

Although we would love to be able to have finished products without these small raised areas, it is physically impossible without affecting the finished integrity of the coatings. 

Therefore, all our products will have these features.

 

 

Galvanising Finishing – Lumps/Bumps and General Imperfections

Our products go through an industrial coatings process – hot zinc galvanising. 

This process is not done in house at our business. It is done at a large galvanising plant. 

The process generally produces a smooth, aesthetically pleasing finish, however, it does have its imperfections. For example, some areas of the steelwork will collect/pool more liquid zinc, which subsequently cools, leaving some raised areas. 

Sometimes the steel chemical make up is slightly different and therefor attracts more galvanising in different areas. 

Sometimes, it is not possible to get into certain areas to clean galv build up with power tools, and attempting to clean up areas would cause more damage than good. 

We highlight this in our terms to allow customers’ expectations to be accurate. 

Overall, the gate coatings appearance will be safe (ie not sharp to touch) and generally smooth all over. 

However, there are likely to be ‘imperfections’ on every coated item. This is just part and parcel of the galvanising process. 

We do not sell or attempt to sell our products with a ‘ferrari paint job’ or a ‘french piano finish’.  We could achieve these styles of finish by sending our steelwork for specialist coatings/finishing, but it is extremely expensive and would cost £1000s more on top of our standard sale price. It is simply impractical and uneconomical to do, for metal gate and fencing products. 

What is not covered?

Winds and storm damage (acts of god):

This is usually covered by the customers home insurance, similar to if your roof was damaged from a storm. 

We are happy to quote/repair for insurance work!

Abuse and vandalism:

For example gates left unsecured and allowed to continuously slam in the wind. Another example would be children jumping/swinging on gates causing high stress in the wrong areas. Damaged caused by sports balls/toys would also not be covered.

Fading:

Over the years paint/powder coating may fade due to the UV rays from the sun. This is normal and cannot be prevented – it will simply require touching up. This usually takes many years.

Composite Infills – Fading:

Composite infills are a man made recycled product. They are liable to slightly lighten/fade each year due to sun exposure. We do not guarantee colours or fading.

As a relatively inexpensive material, these can be renewed when required due to the design of our frames. They can also be painted over with the correct coatings.

Scratching/Chipping:

If you scratch or chip your gate it is easy to touch up – simply ask us how if you need advice!

Maintenance:

On our timber infill range it may be necessary to tighten the fixings/screws during the gates lifetime. This is because timber naturally expands and contracts due to the change in moisture content in the air. This puts pressure on the fixings which can loosen them over the years.

Simply use a manual pozi head screwdriver and hand tighten each fixing screw from the rear – no need to overtighten!

Working Parts/Moving Parts:

Due to the nature of our products you will have several working parts which will be ‘metal on metal’.  Naturally, this causes friction and will give natural ‘wear and tear’. 

For example, drop bolts/sliding bolts used regularly will, over time, wear away the powder coated coating.  Again, these areas can be touched up by the customer, but because they are working parts the finish is not covered by any guarantee. 

All Timber:

Timber is a natural product. We use quality timber and you will get many years of beautiful life from our gates. However, as timber is a natural product we cannot guarantee against any natural movement (expansion & contraction), splitting or colour changing/fading over time.  We do our very best to give the timber as long a life as physically possible by using the best available stains and coatings (if you choose this option).

Timber rot/mold is not covered as it is beyond our control how a gate is maintained and subsequently looked after once delivered/installed.  If you care for your timber properly over the years it will not be an issue!

It is up to the customer to maintain and take care of the timber upon delivery and transfer of ownership.

As timber is a natural product it will climatise when is is exposed to the elements. It can be unpredictable.  It is the responsibility of the customer to give the timber any subsequent treatments required due to this climatization.  As the wood ‘breathes’ it may expand/contract/pores open/close. This can result in a change in the finish from when you first received the gate/product.  It is the responsibility of the customer to sand/rub down/remove loose flakes of coatings and recoat the affected areas.

As the timber expands and contracts it may reveal areas of untreated tongues/grooves. Should you wish to touch up the areas revealed, this can be done using the same coating and a small brush. 

Composite Infills 

Composite infills are a recycled & manufactured product.  These also do weather with the elements.  The colours are likely to lighten and fade over the years as with any plastic product exposed to the sun and UV.  We offer no guarantees on colour changes/weathering. 

Please see our ‘composite infill specific guarantee’.

Any composite products carry a 1 year manufacturers warranty as standard, provided by the composite board manufacturer.  

Aluminium Infills 

Aluminium infills are designed to last many long years, however, they are also similar to the composite with regards to UV and slight fading/colour changes over the years exposed to sun. 

The Finish On The Gates Moving/Working Parts

Over a period of time it is possible that the moving parts (hinge pins, latches, sliding bolts etc) will wear down due to friction between the parts. This is completely normal and cannot be helped. It will not affect the functionality of the gate. You can ‘touch up’ areas using cans of galvanizing spray/matching powder coat spray paint if you wish!  

Powder coating is a very ‘tough’ coating and combined with the galvanized base layer there is simply no better protection for your gates. 

 

Areas Which Have To Be ‘Welded On Site’

Whether we are installing, you are installing or a builder/subcontractor is installing your gates, in some situations it may be necessary to weld some of your metalwork ‘on site’, during the installation process.

For example, you may need to have your new posts/railings connected to pre-existing metalwork, your posts may require a ‘custom lug’ added when fitting in awkward install conditions or have holes drilled for various fixings/reasons.

We still guarantee the workmanship of these scenarios, however, we cannot guarantee that these small welded areas will remain rust free for life as they were not subject to the galvanizing (and powder coating) process.

These areas that have been welded on site will be protected using cold galvanizing spray & cold powder coating touch up spray. This ‘on site’ process still gives adequate protection but over the years it may require a ‘touch up’ from time to time. This is normal and as long as you give the area a quick spray of paint it will continue to remain rust free and in the same condition it was from day one!

Call out note / charging information based on remote quotes for works:

Gates Scotland Ltd have quoted an indicative repair price based on photographs/videos/advice given remotely by the client. 

Although we try to be and are likely correct with our estimations, we cannot 100% guarantee this until we arrive on site and fully assess the scope of works.  For example, when we arrive on site and inspect in person, it turns out there are more works or parts required than initially deemed from photos. 

Should the scope of works have to change, we can advise this as soon as it becomes apparent on site. The new quote/scope of works can be agreed or declined by the client at that point. Our standard call out fee is £150+vat (subject to time and distance constraints). This is the minimum charge we need to charge for any call outs. Therefore, if a client declines any quote/change to scope after we have been to site, the £150+vat is still chargeable regardless. 

By requesting a site visit/call out the client agrees to these terms. Should a client not agree to these terms we are unable to visit site. 

Installation Time + Ground/Site Conditions

Gates Scotland Ltd will allocate an appropriate amount of time included in the installation cost to complete an installation successfully. It is not possible to fully know what the ground conditions are like or what is underneath the surface until we start excavation.

Within our standard installation cost, we do not allow for the following unforeseen variables:

 

• Extreme ground conditions (For example, extremely soft/wet ground that requires a much larger excavation with extra concrete, to make it structurally suitable to take the weight of the gates. Or poorly built up areas with lots of type 1 or similar).

• Areas which are extremely ‘rocky’ that require additional excavation/machinery (ie you cannot suitably hand dig the area) 

• Issues with service pipe locations (gas, drains, water, electricity, data cables etc). For example, if a service line is directly underneath our post area, this service may need moved or the posts specially adapted to go around the services. 

• Gardening/tree work. Any additional stump/root removal. 

• General gardening work. We do not carry out tree/bush removal as part of our installation. This would be required to be completed prior to installation. If we are required to do this on site to allow install to be completed then this may be chargeable in time.

Any of these conditions will be highlighted and costed for at the time of discovery. 

Start/Stop Or Delays To Installations 

We do not allow for start/stop installations (for example, a site that has various other trades on site) as standard within our costings unless it has been specifically quoted for/advised for by client. 

Should we have a lot of ‘down time’ on site whilst waiting on other trades completing tasks first then this unaccounted time will be discussed and charged for. 

If the installation site is ‘live’ and in use (ie used for standard traffic) then it may require an out of hours installation, which typically costs more than standard working hours. Alternatively, additional hours/days can be costed for to allow for the extra time required. (For example, a 2 day install may take 3 days etc).

Gate Systems – Wind & Storms – Considerations & Important Information 

NOTE – Ourselves, along with other companies, have installed 100’s of swing gates in windy areas with automation systems.  

This guide is not written to deter you from installing close boarded swing gates, but more to highlight all the aspects/considerations, and ensure the user applies common sense when using the installed system. 

Gates act like large wind sails due to their large surface area.  When choosing a gate system the best course of action is to mitigate against the wind (if possible).

 This means the following:

• Choose a sliding gate (if possible) as these are hardly affected by the wind (the gate and motor does not have to fight against the wind to open). Although these can be substantially more in cost. 
• If a sliding gate is not suitable, choose a gate that is open rather than closed boarded, for example:
  • Full metal only gate with lots of gaps
  • Half and half gate (top half metal, bottom half close boarded)
• If a close boarded swing gate is chosen, we can reinforce the brackets and connections, but the motor itself still has its limitations which must be adhered to.
• A larger, oversized motor system (for example a commercial motor system installed on a domestic sized gate) can be upgraded to. 

It is understandable that sometimes due to one or a combination of the following items that it is not suitable or possible to install a gate that does not have to combat against the wind. 

1. Security or privacy requirements (you need to have palisade or close boarded gates).
2. Restrictive sizes at the area of installation (ie no room for sliding gate).
3. Budget restrictions.

Note – It is possible to have close boarded gates in windy areas, but you have to be aware that they should not be used during high winds or storms. See gate limitations.

Gate Limitations & Expectations 

A close boarded gate, with swing operation, in an exposed open/high wind area (and subsequently even more extreme storm area) will still function and operate as an electric gate system. 

The less susceptible/influenced by wind your gate system is, the closer to 100% usage you will get from it. 

For example, if there are extreme winds 10 days a year then 10/165 = 3% approx. You should avoid using the gates on automatic mode these days, and manually operate them. 

Common Problems

From experience, the most common problem is user error – people will attempt to operate a gate in winds that are not suitable for operation. 

Although a gate may open many times in high winds without problem, eventually the stress can create a failure point on the motor brackets. 

After multiple days of extremely strong winds or the storms we receive from time to time, is usually when we receive service calls. Every call out is to repair wind damage on a large, close boarded gate leaf, which has been used during a storm (on automatic mode). 

In these conditions the gates/motors should be disengaged and used manually, until it is safe to return to automatic mode. 

Guarantees

Unfortunately we do not guarantee any wind or storm damage on gate systems. The reasons are as follows: 

1. If a gate is damaged by a storm then it would be an insurance claim, similar to if your roof or other property items damaged. 
2. Gate systems have limitations. The only way the system becomes damaged is if it is used frequently during high winds (or even just once during extreme winds).  
3. We cannot guarantee users will treat their system with care – ie we cannot control how and when a user operates the gates (especially during storms).
4. Our gate systems are manufactured with robust designs – welds/hinges/motors etc. They will perform better than any similar system but still have limitations. 

Summary

It is common and also not an issue to install close boarded gates in windy areas, providing they are used responsibly. 

However, we advise to mitigate against the wind rather than fight it, if possible. 

If installing a gate that has to fight the wind, be careful when it’s windy and use them manually. 

The more you mitigate against the wind, the more uptime your system will have. The less susceptible you are to wind, the more you can use them on very windy/extreme storm days.