Custom Corten Steel Driveway Gates in Byron Bay

Swing or sliding gate: which suits your driveway?

Your driveway layout decides the gate action, and the action should be settled before the pattern is finalised so the design works with the way the gate moves.

A swing gate opens through an arc from its hinges. A sliding gate moves sideways along its travel path. If you are unsure which suits your entrance, send us photos and measurements and we can assess the site.

Corten sliding driveway gates

A sliding gate can suit a driveway where there is limited room for a gate to swing across the entrance.

What it needs instead is room beside the opening, so the side space is part of the design from the start. The track area has to be planned, and the gate, wheels and guide system must suit the weight and size of the finished gate.

With automation, the operating equipment is matched to the same gate. The Corten surface is the part you see, but the movement system is what makes the gate work every day.

Corten swing driveway gates

A swing gate needs clear space to open, and the ground matters as much as the width.

On a sloping or uneven driveway, we check the arc of each gate leaf, inward and outward, so it clears the surface along its whole path. The hinges and support posts carry the full weight of the gate, so they are sized to suit it.

The width of the opening and the space around it decide whether a single gate or a pair is the right choice. We plan the swing as part of the gate design itself, not as an extra added afterwards.

Intricate Corten gate patterns and privacy

The pattern is the main way a custom gate becomes your own.

We develop intricate patterns around your requirements and your property. A design can be more solid for stronger screening from the street, or more open to keep light and a view through the gate.

Pattern density changes the balance between steel, open space, privacy and visibility. Viewing angle matters too. The same pattern can look different from the street than from inside the property, so it is worth judging the design against the house, the fence and the garden rather than as a single panel.

SSAB notes that COR-TEN weathering steel sheets can be perforated with customised shapes, text, logos and images. Perforated designs can also create changing light, shadow and runoff patterns.

Automation, posts and hardware

We usually supply automation with our gates. A swing gate and a sliding gate move differently, so the motor and hardware are matched to the gate and the site.

The support posts and other required parts are supplied with the gate, and installation is available for some projects.

Automation, posts and the gate are designed together, so the operating system works with the finished gate rather than being added afterwards.

How Corten weathers

Corten is a weathering steel. It builds a protective layer through repeated wet and dry cycles, and its colour keeps changing as it weathers.

Our COR10 FAQ explains that the process depends largely on weather exposure, with the colour developing from vibrant orange through to dark brown.

The speed of change and the final colour depend on your site. SSAB also recommends letting water run off freely rather than allowing it to remain on the steel.

For technical detail, see the SSAB COR-TEN Design Guide .

Corten gate runoff

New Corten can shed rust-coloured water while it weathers. That water can stain surfaces below and beside the gate, including concrete, paving, stone and timber.

At COR10, we use Penetrol to seal the Corten steel and stop runoff onto surrounding solid surfaces.

Drainage still matters, so we look at ground levels, water paths and the materials around the gate before fabrication.

Corten gates in Byron Bay

Byron Bay is a coastal location, and exposure affects how Corten weathers. Moisture and salt in the air are part of the conditions your gate will live in.

The COR10 FAQ recommends wiping dust, salt and other deposits off the surface with a damp cloth from time to time.

A gate set back from the water can experience different conditions from one exposed to direct salt spray, so tell us where the property sits and how exposed the entrance is when you enquire.

A Ghost Gum pattern in Arcadia, NSW

A recent COR10 project in Arcadia, NSW, shows how a gate and fence set can be built around the site. It included four swinging gates in hot-dipped galvanised steel with a custom Ghost Gum pattern, plus 23 customised Corten steel fence panels carrying the matching pattern.

The driveway surface was uneven for both inward and outward swing, so the gate movement was worked out as part of the design.

Each gate is 3 mm steel and weighs about 250 kg. Four Foresee 900 motors drive them, with a stated capacity of up to 375 kg per gate.

The Ghost Gum pattern was carried across the gates and matching Corten fence panels, creating a consistent design between the driveway entrance and boundary fencing.

The fence panels used installation hooks, and the support posts were Corten steel SHS posts selected to match the fence side panels. We also made custom 3D numbers for the entrance and hot-dip galvanised them to match the colour of the gates.

What affects the cost of a custom driveway gate?

There is no single price for a custom Corten gate because each one is designed around the property.

What to have ready when you enquire

1. The approximate width and height of the opening.
2. Photos of the driveway entrance.
3. Your preferred swing or sliding action, if you know it.
4. Any pattern ideas or privacy needs.
5. Details of the paving, concrete, stone or landscaping around the gate.
6. Any automation requirements.

With these details, we can assess the design before settling the final gate configuration.