Cantilever Gate glossary of terms & specifications
14 technical terms, material grades and Irish standards explained in plain English so you know exactly what is on a written quote.
Sorted A to Z for quick reference when comparing specifications.
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Key cantilever gate terms explained
8-Wheel Cantilever Roller Carriage
A pair of heavy-duty articulated steel bogies bolted to the concrete anchor pad behind your entrance pier; the rollers run inside the gate's bottom monorail channel to suspend the gate in mid-air.
Anchor Foundation Pad
The reinforced concrete counterweight block (typically 2.0m–3.0m long × 0.6m wide × 0.8m deep) poured behind the inside pier to resist the uplift and downward leverage of the suspended gate leaf.
Cast-In Chemical / J-Bolt Cage
High-tensile M16 or M20 threaded steel studs set into the concrete foundation pad allowing micrometre height and plumb adjustment of both roller carriages.
Counterbalance Tail (35%–40% Overhang)
The structural rear extension of a cantilever gate leaf that remains held between the two roller carriages at all times to balance the weight of the leaf spanning the driveway.
Enclosed Bottom C-Profile Monorail
The heavy-gauge cold-rolled galvanised steel or structural aluminium bottom beam welded to the underside of the gate leaf inside which the 8-wheel carriages run, shielded from gravel, snow and ice.
End Catch Cup & Resting Roller
A steel receiver shoe mounted on the closing pier that guides the nose wheel of the cantilever gate into alignment and takes the weight off the carriages when the gate is shut.
Full-Run Length (1.4× Clear Opening)
The total length of a cantilever gate frame including its counterbalance tail — for example, a 4.0m clear opening requires a 5.6m overall frame and back-run space.
Hot-Dip Galvanised Box Section (EN ISO 1461)
Structural steel frame hot-dip galvanised inside and out in molten zinc at 450°C so neither the outer welds nor the hollow steel sections can rust in Irish weather.
Laser-Cut Aluminium Louvres / Slats
Lightweight structural aluminium infill panels that reduce overall gate weight on wide 5m–8m cantilever spans while maintaining privacy and wind stability.
No-Threshold Driveway Span
Because a cantilever gate uses no ground rail across the entrance, gravel, tar-and-chip, cobblelock and sloped surfaces remain completely unbroken with nothing to dig up or clear of stones.
Nylon Top Guide Rollers
Twin adjustable rollers at the top of the support post that steady the gate against Atlantic cross-winds as it travels open and closed.
Obstacle Detection & EN 12453 Safety
Dual photocell beams across the piers and along the run-back zone plus resistive rubber safety edges that stop and reverse the gate immediately on contact.
Rack-and-Pinion Brushless Drive
A 24V DC or 3-phase motor mounted beside the roller carriages driving a toothed rack along the cantilever beam with soft-start and soft-stop control.
Sweep-Blast Duplex Powder Coat
Light abrasive blasting of hot-dip galvanised steel followed by polyester powder coating (such as RAL 7016 Anthracite Grey or RAL 9005 Black) for a 20+ year architectural finish.
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Questions homeowners ask
How much does a cantilever sliding gate cost in Ireland?
In Ireland, a manual steel cantilever sliding gate costs €2,800 to €4,200 supplied and fitted, while a residential electric steel cantilever gate costs €3,800 to €6,800. An electric powder-coated aluminium cantilever gate costs €4,800 to €8,500, and wide commercial cantilever gates (5m to 9m opening) cost €5,500 to €12,000. Pouring a new reinforced concrete counterbalance pad behind the pier adds €600 to €2,000.
What is a cantilever gate and how does it stay up without a ground track?
A cantilever sliding gate has no wheels touching the driveway surface and no steel rail crossing the entrance. Instead, two heavy-duty 8-wheel roller carriages are bolted to a concrete pad behind one pier, and an enclosed steel or aluminium monorail channel welded to the bottom of the gate slides over those fixed rollers. A 33% to 40% counterbalance tail behind the pier balances the weight of the gate leaf as it cantilevers out across the opening.
How much side run-back space do I need for a cantilever gate?
Because the gate frame includes the counterbalance tail that stays spanned between the two roller carriages when the gate is closed, total gate length — and the straight run-back space needed behind one pier — is roughly 1.35 to 1.4 times the clear entrance width. For example, a 3.6m entrance needs about 4.9m of clear run-back; a 4.0m entrance needs about 5.4m.
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