For the most part getting a metal gate and metal security fencing made and installed is a pretty simple process.  Make a trip to a few different metal shops to get bids.  They will come out and measure the area before giving the bid.  As far as the style, they have books with hundreds of different styles to choose from.  From ornate to simple, it is just a matter of picking out the design.  The simpler designs save on labor time and can be just as attractive.  As I describe in the cool gate write up, in my particular case I had day laborers on-hand who were skilled in metal work and could do the job.  If you find yourself in this situation realize that normally in this type of case the gate and metal security fencing cannot be very ornate.  There will be limitations on bending metals and shaping design work.  In the stated case all materials needing to be specially shaped were purchased from a shop who sold prefabricated designs.

As far as cost and style, the most basic decision is whether to go stainless or not.  Stainless is better quality and will not rust.  Except for the detail highlights stainless isn't painted, so there is no paint to wear off.   The downside is that stainless is very expensive, probably at least twice the cost of using regular metal.  Not only that, on less than large luxury houses I don't think it looks that good, being that it is kind of pretentious and gaudy looking.  Besides, if regular metal is properly primed and painted, rust is not that much of a problem.

The most critical part of the gate, in my estimation, is the wheels.  I've been in rental houses with the cheap 1" wheels, and they are produced to last about 6 months.  After that the bearings start to go, and it is a painful ordeal to open the gate.  If you going to the trouble to put it together, use good wheels.  The really good wheels are made from stainless and are difficult to find in and around Pattaya.  I bought the ones in this example on Theppasit road, and paid a really inflated rip-off price.  Then later I saw good quality 3" stainless wheels at Homepro for under 400 Baht each, less than 1/2 what I paid.

Stainless vs. Metal -- Some Examples

Very simple gate and metals design.  (19-Apr-04)	Simple design with security metals on top.  (15-Aug-04)
A popular design style with rounded tops and security arrows on top.  (31-Dec-03)	Another example.  (01-Jan-04)
Here is a heavy duty but simple design on a regular metal walk in entry with the gate to the left.  (26-Jun-04)	A stainless security section and gate to the right.  (01-Jan-04)
Stainless gate.  (24-Jun-04)	Stainless security section.

Wheels

The gate wheels are very important.  There are two sets of heavy duty 3" stainless steel wheels needed to support a sliding driveway gate.  (27-Aug-04)	Here is a one inch cast metal wheel.  It just doesn't pay to save on gate wheels as cheap ones like this will wear out very quickly.

Some Other Shots

A track formed from a two sided piece of metal laid in the ground with the ridge side up.  It is cemented in place.  (15-Jul-04)	Roller mechanism for the gate.  There is one metal roller on the outside and one on the inside of the upside down 'U' piece of metal.  Metal rollers, even though subject to rust, are better than the plastic ones which wear out quickly.  (29-Jul-04)
As far as painting, normally there is a primer coat used and then after that the regular color on top.  For detail work gold leaf paint is often used.  A yellow primer is first applied and then the gold on top of that.  There is a good quality paint  imported (from Italy) which is widely used.  (31-Jul-04)

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