My apartment is beside an outdoor swimming pool that is surrounded by
a metal fence with a metal gate. When people go in and out of the pool
area, most of them let the gate slam shut. The noise is considerable,
first a bang, then a rattle from the shaking fence.

When you hear this hundreds of times every day, you start to look for
solutions. Throwing eggs won't work because I'd probably get beat up.

The property manager said that they have tried "padding" the gate, but
it prevented the gate from closing securely.  The gate must be kept
closed to prevent children from wandering in unsupervised. Propping
the gate open could result in a hefty fine (there are monthly surprise
inspections).

So, I'm looking for ideas. All that I've been able to come with, so far, are:
(1) Replace the gate and fence with a quieter material. I doubt that the
property manager will be too eager to spend significant money.
(2) Put up a sign, encouraging people to close the gate quietly.

My question is, what is an effective way to deal with a noisy gate? 
I'm looking for an answer that is reasonable and has a high
probability of resulting in reduced noise.

Hi rambler,

  I sympathize with you even though I don?t suffer the annoyance of
pool gate clanging. I do have to endure the many cars that go by late
at night, whose drivers seem to think everyone needs to hear the
thumping of their industrial sized speakers. You my friend, have a
solution, while I do not! (Although throwing eggs might make me feel
better, it would get me in really hot water!)

My research led me to the same solution over and over, and I?ve
included many pages that feature the same solution. The first thing to
consider is safety. Utilizing a home made remedy in a multi-dwelling
complex is a poor idea. There?s too much risk that someone would alter
the ?fix? and a child could get hurt. I doubt if any homemade ?fix?
would pass code either.

Would your landlord be willing to install a quieter latch? These
latches are strong, quiet, made of  fiber-glass reinforced polymer and
are quite reasonable. They are considered the safest pool gate latches
on he market.
http://www.magnalatch.net/accessories.html

http://www.guardianpoolfence.com/gate.htm

This quiet latch seems to be a perfect solution for you! You don?t say
what kind of fence the pool has, but I believe the sounds you hear are
the clanging of the latch, the reverberations of the hinges, or the
aftershock of the latch settling down from the movement. If the entire
fence is rattling, then it appears the fence is loose or not installed
correctly. If the quiet Magna latches and hinges are installed on the
existing fence, I?m willing to bet this will stop all noise.

?Series 2 Self Latching Self Closing Gate System. Package includes: 2
Black 3" Self Closing hinges, 1 Black Magna Latch Gate Latch, and 1
key. The unique operating principle is brilliantly simple. As the gate
swings shut, a powerful 'permanent' magnet draws a latch bolt from one
housing into the other, latching it securely. No amount of shaking,
pushing or pulling can disengage the latch. The concept is so advanced
it boasts international awards for design excellence. The latch has
been designed to meet strict international safety codes, including all
codes relating to swimming pool gate safety. The dangerous problem of
a gate "resting on the latching mechanism", appearing to be latched,
is eliminated when using MAGNA-LATCH. The quiet and reliable latching
action means MAGNA-LATCH incurs no mechanical resistance to closure,
and so suffers none of the sticking, jamming and sagging problems
associated with 'mechanical' gate latches.

 These strong, revolutionary hinges are injection-molded from a
special blend of glass-fiber reinforced polymers, which means they
never rust, bind, wear, sag or stain. The superior strength and
rust-free performance of TRU-CLOSE means the hinges offer double the
life expectancy of any comparable product. The internal torsion spring
is made of high-grade stainless steel to ensure smooth, powerful
closure and long life, even in the harshest seaside or arid
environments. The patented, spring-loaded adjustor within most
TRU-CLOSE hinges allows instant, incremental tension adjustment using
only a screwdriver. Quick and easy! This clever adjustment feature
overcomes the typical spring fatigue problems associated with
fixed-tension gate hinges. TRU-CLOSE hinges have been independently
tested to comply with a range of international safety standards,
especially those relating to pool fences and gates.?
http://www.childsafetystore.com/.sc/ms/dd/1032987946/988517/nc/Shop%20by%20Product--Latches/188/Magna%20Latch%20Magnetic%20Pool%20Gate%20Latching%20System


You?ll see in my answer that many pool gate manufactures use the MagnaLock latches.
http://www.tammspoolservice.com/gate.htm


?Magna-Latch by D&D Technologies of Huntington Beach
(www.ddtechglobal.com), have been shown to offer the  safest, most
reliable operation. They incur no mechanical resistance to closure,
unlike common gravity latches, and are rust free. Gates must also be
self-closing, and D&D's
Tru-Close hinges have an enclosed spring so gates need no external
spring, which can be a hazard in itself. Pool gates should be
frequently inspected and adjusted for alignment and tension, to make
sure they self-close and self-latch every time.?
http://www.gladwinmi.com/placed/story/04-19-2005pool.html
http://www.ddtechglobal.com/MLsplash.html

?The quiet-closing gate stop is the ideal gate alignment device for
preventing hinge, latch and gate damage, and for prolonging gate life.

This simple, convenient device is molded from high-strength
(glass-fiber reinforced) polymer materials and is guaranteed against
rust, distortion and staining. An intregrated rubber buffer protects
against "gate slam" and helps reduce noise significantly. The benefits
of this are increased hinge and gate life and a less-frequent need for
gate adjustment or re-alignment.

For gates higher than 4 feet, two gate stops may be required to guard
against severe "concussion" or twisting damage.?
http://www.magnalatch.net/gatestop.html

http://quicksitebuilder.cnet.com/kidsafe/id10.html


?The Life Saver Self-Closing gate uses only the most proven latch and
hinge system. The Magna-Latch has been tested to more than 400,000
cycles. MAGNA-LATCH gate latches are magnetically triggered safety
devices that have revolutionized the safety, reliability and
child-resistance of swimming pool, childcare and household gates.
The unique operating principle is brilliantly simple. As the gate
swings shut, a powerful 'permanent' magnet draws a latch bolt from one
housing into the other, latching it securely. No amount of shaking,
pushing or pulling can disengage the latch. The concept is so advanced
it boasts international awards for design excellence.
The latch has been designed to meet strict international safety codes,
including all codes relating to swimming pool gate safety. The
dangerous problem of a gate "resting on the latching mechanism",
appearing to be latched, is eliminated when using MAGNA-LATCH. The
quiet and reliable latching action means MAGNA-LATCH incurs no
mechanical resistance to closure, and so suffers none of the sticking,
jamming and sagging problems associated with 'mechanical' gate
latches.?
http://www.poolfence.com/gate.htm

?According to Clark, D&D Technologies? Magna-Latch, which was invented
specifically to meet the stringent Australia standards, is installed
on over 80 percent of pool gates in Australia. Clark discussed several
other studies, including those done by the University of Washington
Harborview Injury & Prevention Research Center in Seattle and a study
released in 2004 by the Arizona Child Fatality Review Program, all of
which support the value of isolation fencing.
http://www.worldfencenews.com/articles/0305-poolsafe2.pdf

http://www.fenceonline.com/pdf/poolsafety/PoolSafetyBrochure.pdf

http://www.royalaluminum.com/magna.htm


Hinges for vinyl gates
http://www.truclose.net/vinylgates.html

Another option is a lock like this one, although it may not pass code.
http://www.djlifesaver.com/White%20White2.JPG

Here is a self closing gate
http://www.djlifesaver.com/Beige%20Gate.JPG

In a taller version. Notice the polymer (quiet) hinges and latch
http://www.djlifesaver.com/White-Black%20Gate.JPG
 About the company
http://www.djlifesaver.com/product.htm#Self-Closing,%20Self-Latching%20Gate
More pictures
http://www.djlifesaver.com/photos.htm

If this is not the answer you were seeking, please advise me by
requesting an Answer Clarifiction, and not rating until you are
satisified. This will enable me to assist you further.

Regards,
Crabcakes

Search terms
Self latching pool gates
Quiet pool gate latches
Clanging pool gates

---

Request for Answer Clarification by rambler-ga on 30 Apr 2005 19:04 PDT

Crabcakes,

Thank you for the research and all the links.  I'm impressed (and a little
overwhelmed).

My main concern is noise, not closing the gate. (The existing gate already
self-closes, but noisily.)

(1) Neither your comments nor the links specify just how much quieter
these latches are than metal ones (that's what the present fence and gate
are made of - metal).

(2) I don't think that a quiet latch is enough of a solution because the entire
fence, being metal, rattles noisily after the gate clangs shut.  I'm sure that
a quiet latch would be an improvement; I'm just not sure how much of an
improvement.

I guess I could recommend a new latch to the landlord. If, after installing,
there's still a lot of noise, I could try monroe22's idea of applying clear
silicone sealant.

I could also post a sign, asking people to close the gate quietly.

If you have any further suggestions specifically about the noise issue, please
let me know.  Otherwise, please post what you have as an answer.

Thanks again for your help.

---

Clarification of Answer by crabcakes-ga on 30 Apr 2005 20:36 PDT

Hello again, Rambler,

   Does your gate look similar to this type of gate and fence? If so,
the fence itself should not rattle. I'm also unsure about where you
would put the clear silicone sealant.
http://www.railworks.net/imagesRail/PoolGate.jpg

  Actually the latches I posted do claim to be very quiet. This, from
my original answer states the latch is very quiet: ?The quiet-closing
gate stop is the ideal gate alignment device for preventing hinge,
latch and gate damage, and for prolonging gate life.

This simple, convenient device is molded from high-strength
(glass-fiber reinforced) polymer materials and is guaranteed against
rust, distortion and staining. An intregrated rubber buffer protects
against "gate slam" and helps reduce noise significantly. The benefits
of this are increased hinge and gate life and a less-frequent need for
gate adjustment or re-alignment.

For gates higher than 4 feet, two gate stops may be required to guard
against severe "concussion" or twisting damage.?
http://www.magnalatch.net/gatestop.html


   I think the sealant idea is a good one, *if* it does not interfere,
in anyway, with the latch automatically shutting. I'm afraid the
sealant would prevent the latch from closing securely. If the sealant
is used on a separate area, and not on the latch, it may work.  I
think it's a pretty good idea for other noisy areas, actually! I just
can't picture where you would place the sealant. Of course, you know
what your gate looks like, and I don't.

  I could find no other tricks that would be safe. You can try the
silicone sealant, and if that does the trick, you're ahead! I'd try to
apply it at night, where it can cure overnight, when the pool would be
less likely to be used. By morning the sealant will have cured and no
longer be tacky to the touch.

  If you need another clarification, just ask!
  
  Sincerely, Crabcakes

---

Request for Answer Clarification by rambler-ga on 01 May 2005 06:21 PDT

Hi, Crabcakes,

The fence and gate are black metal, and have a "prison" appearance
(vertical bars), very similar to the fence in the jpg that you
provided in your last comment. The major difference is height:  the
actual fence is about 6 feet tall.

Thank you for all the links, and for your effort.

---

Clarification of Answer by crabcakes-ga on 01 May 2005 09:28 PDT

I hope one of these ideas makes a difference!

Provided lots of references.

rambler-ga: Get a tube of CLEAR silicone sealant and apply a thin coat
to all the surfaces that produce noise. It will provide a rubbery
soundproofing surface.
Don't ask for permission...you won't get it because of course,
management knows more than you and all mankind. Do it at a quiet time,
such as very early morning.
monroe22