Gated driveways?

They make these handy things called "openers"....kinda like what goes on a garage door.....

On your second concern, they also make them so the "Yelp" of a police or fire or EMS siren will open the gate.

Are gates a 100% way to stop crooks ?

Of course not.....given a little time and a cordless sawsall, most gates won't hold up. But what they DO well is keep the casual intruders out.....in other words, if somebody comes past it ( like on foot, or drives around ) they KNOW they are trespassing, and probably up to no good.

arabian knight, it's not nearly as aggravating as you think to open and close the gate. It becomes a habit.

As for emergency personnel...they can always come up the back way from the neigbor's house, through the pasture and up to our house. Those gates aren't locked for that specific reason!

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I'm running so far behind I thought I was first!

http://hickahala.blogspot.com/

I also didn't want my gate to announce when I am away, so it is shut almost all the time. The lock is on the inside and not visible from the front. One friend has a key. I've told a few neighbors that if the gate is just latched, I'm probably home, but if the gate is locked I'm probably not home. There is also a no trespassing sign on the post. I'm off grid and too far off the road for UPS and FedEx so I don't need to provide access for them. The fire crews will just cut the lock.

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- Dave

Hi,
I'd just try a sign first and see if it works.

We are in 1 mi in on gravel road to 3 homes. The first mile is not signed or gated. Beyond us, the last house has put up a no trespassing sign for their quarter mile road, and it seems to me it works. People come up to it, and make a U-turn and leave.

Gary