How to Properly Maintain your Driveway Gate

The driveway gate has moving metal parts and as you might know, moving metal parts need to be maintained well if you want to ensure that your driveway gate in Boston lasts for a very long time. You don’t really need to call in the professionals to perform this maintenance. A professional would certainly do a more thorough job but if you want to handle the task yourself, we at Boston Ironworks suggest the following steps.

Greasing the Hinges

The driveway gate in Boston is balanced on the hinges and every time it opens and closes, the hinges experience wear and tear. It’s important to keep these moving parts well lubricated. One way to achieve that is to apply grease to the grease joint. This joint is also known as the zirk fitting. You’ll need a grease gun and heavy grease, both of which are easily available in hardware stores. You need to pump grease into the zirk fitting until some of the grease leaks out of the bearing. That ensures that the entire sealed bearing has been properly lubricated.

For the pin hinges that are usually found in smaller gates, annual maintenance is essential. These hinges experience considerable wear and tear and need to be well greased to function properly for a long time. The zirk fitting is located on the bottom of the hinge. Again, you need to use the grease gun and heavy grease to lubricate the hinges.

Greasing Driveway Chain

The chain of your driveway gate in Massachusetts ensures that the driveway gate can be opened and closed. This chain needs to be greased annually as well. You would need heavy axle grease for the job. Some people apply the grease with a brush or by hand, but that can be messy and cumbersome. You should place some amount of grease on an old rag and rub it along the chain. That would ensure that the grease is spread evenly over the chain.

You should also check the chain’s tension when you grease it. If the chain is sagging by 2 to 3 inches, you need to tighten the tension. Be sure to only tighten as much as needed, otherwise the chain might be damaged.

If you want to know more about driveway gate in Boston and maintenance, you can call Boston Ironworks at 617 657 3117. You can also fill in this contact us form. We’ll get in touch with you as soon as possible.