The short version
- A telescopic gate (also called bi-parting) is a slider made of two panels that stack as they open.
- It parks in about half the run-back a single sliding gate needs.
- Use it for a wide opening with short run-back beside it.
- It costs more: two carriage sets, more metal, and a synced or sequenced drive.
- If the run-back is there, a single slide is simpler and cheaper.
- Size each panel to cover its share of the opening plus the overlap, so the closed gate seals.
The problem it solves
A single sliding gate has to park its whole leaf beside the opening. The leaf is wider than the opening to start with (it carries an overlap), and a cantilever gate adds a counterbalance tail on top. So a 6 m opening can want 8 m or more of clear run-back. On a lot of sites that room is simply not there: a wall, a building, or a boundary cuts it off.
A telescopic gate fixes that by splitting the leaf. Two panels run on parallel tracks. As the gate opens, the outer panel pulls the inner one along, and they stack one behind the other. The travel that a single gate spread over its full length is now shared between two carriages, so the gate folds into roughly half the space.
Single slide vs telescopic
| Factor | Single slide | Telescopic |
|---|---|---|
| Run-back needed | Opening + counterbalance tail | About half that |
| Hardware | One carriage set | Two (or more) carriage sets |
| Cost | Lower | Higher |
| Best opening | Narrow to medium | Wide (5–12 m) |
| Complexity | Simple to align and service | Sequenced or synced panels |
When it is the right call
- Wide opening, short run-back. The classic case. The opening is 5 to 12 m but the room beside it is half what a single slide wants.
- A wall or boundary cuts off the slide. When the gate cannot run the full distance, splitting the travel is the only way to fit.
- Commercial frontages. Wide vehicle access where the fence line is short and the gate has to clear fast.
- A single leaf would be too long to handle. Two shorter panels are easier to build, transport, and hang than one very long gate.
When to stay with a single slide
If the run-back is there, take it. A single cantilever or tracked gate is simpler to build, cheaper, and easier to service. There is one carriage set to align, not two, and no sequencing to commission. A telescopic gate earns its cost only when the space genuinely does not allow a single slide. Measure the run-back first; do not assume it is short. See the cantilever vs tracked guide if a single slide still fits.
Sizing the panels
Each panel covers part of the opening and overlaps onto the next so the closed gate has no gap. For a two-panel gate, each leaf works out a bit over half the opening once the overlaps are added, and the panels are offset on their parallel tracks so they pass without touching. Get the overlaps wrong and the gate either gaps when shut or fouls when open. CAD60 takes the opening width you type and works the panel widths, overlaps, and offsets out for you, then draws each panel dimensioned with its own cut list.
Draw a telescopic gate from the opening width
Type the opening and height, and CAD60 splits the leaf, sizes the panels and overlaps, and draws each one with its cut list. Start here:
Browse the full catalogueQuestions people ask
When should you use a telescopic gate?
Use a telescopic gate when the opening is wide but there is not enough room beside it for a single gate to slide back. It splits the leaf into two panels that travel together and overlap, so it parks in roughly half the run-back a single slide needs. The trade-off is more hardware and more cost.
What is a telescopic gate?
A telescopic, or bi-parting, gate is a sliding gate made from two (or more) panels that run on parallel carriages. As it opens, the panels slide and stack so the gate folds up into far less space than its width. It is the answer to a wide opening with a short run-back.
How much room does a telescopic gate save?
Roughly half. A single sliding gate needs run-back beside the opening equal to the whole leaf, often the opening plus a counterbalance tail. A two-panel telescopic gate splits that travel between two carriages, so it parks in about half the space. The wider the opening, the more the saving matters.
What are the downsides of a telescopic gate?
Cost and complexity. Two panels means two sets of carriages, a synchronising mechanism or a sequenced drive, more metal, and more to align and maintain. A single slide is simpler and cheaper whenever the run-back is there. Reach for telescopic only when the space forces it.
How wide can a telescopic gate go?
Telescopic gates suit wide openings, commonly 5 to 12 m, where a single slide either runs out of run-back or gets too long to handle. Past two panels you can run three for very wide commercial openings, at more cost and complexity again. Size the panels so each one clears the opening with its overlap.
How do you size the panels?
Each panel covers part of the opening plus an overlap onto the next, so the closed gate has no gap. For a two-panel gate, each leaf is a bit over half the opening once you add the overlaps. CAD60 works the panel widths and overlaps out from the opening you type, so the closed gate seals and the open gate stacks.
Is a telescopic gate the same as a bi-fold gate?
No. A telescopic gate slides its panels sideways and stacks them, staying in line with the fence. A bi-fold gate hinges its panels and folds them like a concertina into the opening. Bi-fold suits very short run-back and fast opening; telescopic suits a clean sideways slide in limited space.