Security gates are necessary at many businesses with outdoor lots or inventories that would require gating the commercial storefront doors and windows. Gates provide safety and security for your equipment, inventory and employees. While it’s true they are almost purely utilitarian, it is unwise to write them off as something you should just buy a “standard” version of, install and then try to forget it’s there. Security gates and access control systems aren’t meant to be like white picket fences; they’re meant to fully secure your business’ valuable assets.
You’ve got more options than that basic chain-link gate and fence look. When selecting an electric gate for your business, considering both the functional and aesthetic aspects of the gate is essential. The level of automation you need, security and space requirements, remote access, electricity availability, the amount of traffic it handles and your overall brand image. Several styles of gates exist that give you both functional and aesthetic options so you can keep control over the way your business looks without sacrificing security.
Most Commonly Sold Gate Types
- Vertical lift gates provide the ability to have openings big enough for large vehicles without needing the horizontal space to open the gate sideways. They’re most often used as an automated vehicular gate at the entryway of parking lots. Vertical pivot gates open at an angle and provide the same advantage of saving horizontal space. Vertical barrier arm gates are a popular option for modern gated communities because of their clean, solid look and remotely automated gate opener options.
- Rolling or sliding gates open sideways and use a track to pull away from the opening sideways (along the fence line). Cantilever slide gates open horizontally as well but only from one side and not in a track. Sliding security gates take up minimal space and can be used in next to any commercial area making them an easy security upgrade. These gates have simple moving parts, and are reliable for high traffic, which is why you’ll most see automated gates of this kind at access points like port entries.
- Swing gates are kind of like doors and either two swing 90 degrees inward or outward or one swings 180 degrees (either way). These types of gates are best for businesses that have swinging gates too wide for an electronically powered gate opener to handle, like some heavy equipment, or livestock areas. While these can be part of an electronic access control system, swinging gates are frequently manned by personnel (or the driver jumps out of the car to open it on farmland).
- Accordion gates are great for securing the storefront itself if you want to protect your street entrance from damage or intrusion. They’re difficult to breach, and often there’s no need or use for an automatic gate opener. They also come in a variety of styles. They’re thin, light, durable and are user friendly with budget gate installation options available. You’ll see them commonly in smaller storefronts as they’re also a great visual deterrent making them a perfect security gate for both small and large businesses.
You need to consider your business’ spatial capabilities, its curb appearance, what size you need to accommodate: what’s going in and out of your lot, and what your safety concerns are. It’s always smart to speak to a professional who specializes in gate service and installation when considering your options.
Gate Openers and Gate Automation Are the Next Step
Choosing the right gate opener is an important step in setting up your commercial gate. How are employees or suppliers supposed to get in and out efficiently while keeping the gate secure? There are several options to choose for electronic gate openers, and all of them are better for security, function and appearance than a padlock and pulling your gate open and closed manually.
- Linear ram motors are affordable and easy to install; they have an arm that extends and contracts to pull a swing gate open and close.
- Gate openers with underground motors, when installed, are essentially invisible and can pull and push a sliding gate back and forth; sliding motors are similar in the way they function.
- Articulated arm openers are particularly useful for smaller gates or openings that can’t accommodate the space a linear arm requires.
Now What Control System Will Your Gate Use?
The last thing to consider is your access control system that you will use to control who can use the security gate. You have just as many options for the locking/access mechanism that provides secure entry and exit from your gated area. There are always manual locks and basic remote controls – easy, affordable and simple. But modern technology has improved gate automation and security with key card openers, digital keypads you can assign passcodes for, fingerprint readers, and even phone entry – where you can use your smartphone to access the gate. Any of these systems ensure that you’re really getting the most out of your business’ new commercial gate.
Whatever you decide, choosing to install gate automation products is standard procedure for anyone who wants to ensure their business is kept safe and secure. It lessens wear and tear on the gate by eliminating human error in manual opening and closing, and it reduces and simplifies any gate service you may need as the gate and its opener age.