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When you invest in a security bollard to keep your cars safe on your driveway or your home safe from thieves looking to break in to steal your car keys, you want to be sure that your bollard is in the best condition at all times to be as effective as it can be. Whether that’s making sure that the lift-out mechanism always works as it should, rectifying damage if a car has hit your bollard, or checking to see if the locking mechanism has jammed, you need to know what to do. Bollards, just like anything with moving parts, require a basic level of maintenance to remain operational.
This guide explores some of the easy steps that you should take to ensure that your security bollard is in the best shape it can possibly be at all times.
Steps to ensure your security bollard is well-maintained
Get into the habit of regular maintenance for your bollards, including cleaning, inspections, and repairs. On the whole, they are robust pieces of equipment but they’re not completely ‘fit and forget’. Plus, the better care you take of your bollards, the longer they will last. Staying on top of maintenance tasks and keeping an eye on your bollard for signs of damage or wear all contribute to its long-term effectiveness. So where do you start?
Inspections
Inspect bollards regularly to ensure they are in good condition. Check for signs of damage, such as dents, cracks, worn locks or rust. An inspection doesn’t have to mean you’re inspecting every nut and bolt, but making sure that you take notice of your security bollard’s appearance and that you’re vigilant in checking for any signs of damage will help prolong the life of your bollard and keep any repair costs down if needed.
Retractable bollards can also be susceptible to user damage if they aren’t lowered properly. If a bollard is repeatedly dropped instead of lowered by hand, the base can suffer damage. Elements of the locking mechanism are often seated in the base, so being aware of how bollards are used should make up part of your ongoing inspection.
Regular cleaning
Bollards should be cleaned periodically to remove dirt, debris, and other contaminants that could corrode the surface or damage the mechanism of the bollard. Depending on the material of the bollard, different cleaning techniques may be required. With lift-out or retractable bollards, this is also important to ensure that the mechanisms under the ground aren’t affected by any build-up of dirt or debris that could block the bollard and stop you from lifting it out.
Repairing
If a bollard is damaged, quite often it will be possible to repair it instead of replacing it outright potentially saving you a considerable sum. Some repairs can be done by owners, such as replacing a lock, the locking mechanism or a handle and are relatively simple operations for anyone who is relatively competent at DIY tasks.
ATG Access provide bollard maintenance kits and a wide range of spare parts for you to perform simple repairs by yourself, with help from guides on the ATG Access website. Call us for more information and if you have a photo or video of your bollard, our team will be able to quickly identify the product and supply the necessary parts.
More substantial repairs can also be carried out by our trusted service partners who operate across the UK. These include repairs to replace the removeable section of a bollard (without having to dig up the foundations), drilling out damaged locks, or replacing decorative sleeves. All ATG bollards are designed to allow for the maximum number of components to be replaced in situ. It’s almost always cheaper to repair than replace and more often than not, a repair can be carried out quite simply.
Questions and Answers
What do I do if my driveway bollard freezes?
If the lifting mechanism or lock for your bollard has frozen, you can try either WD40, or if you are in a hurry and the bollard just won’t move, using hot water (but not boiling) from the kettle is one of the fastest approaches, and won’t harm your bollard.
My bollard has been hit and damaged by a car. Do I need to replace the whole bollard?
If the bollard has suffered only minor external damage, it’s very unlikely the bollard itself will need to be replaced. It might be just the outer decorative sleeve or the inner section of the bollard.
In cases where more serious damage has been done and the alignment has been knocked out of place due to impact or the locking mechanism has broken underground, we would recommend you contact ATG.
Do I need a specialist to repair my driveway bollard?
In most cases, you won’t need to call anyone to repair your bollard!
ATG Access provides a range of maintenance kits to help you keep your bollard in good condition. We also provide spare parts kits for locks, handles and locking mechanisms.
For more serious repairs, get in touch with ATG Access for specialist bollard repairs – while local contractors might offer bollard repair services, unless they’re bollard specialists, they might not be able to do the job as effectively and could end up doing further damage. Or worse still they won’t know a bollard can be repaired at all and insist a new one is installed!
We’re always more than happy to help with any concerns you might have, so don’t hesitate to get in touch with the ATG Access team. If you’ve got any concerns about the condition of your bollard, or you’d like to know more about maintaining your driveway bollard, contact ATG today.
