The Difference Between Automatic Swing Gates and Sliding Gates
Automatic Swing Gates and Sliding Gates – Which is Best?
When you want to buy the right kind of automatic gates for your home, it can be hard to pick from the various styles of gates out there. Besides the aesthetic choices involved with choosing a gate that matches your fencing and suits your property, there’s also a range of practical considerations that will affect your choice of gate.
For example, the length of your driveway or parking area, the amount of room on either side of your gate, or the incline or roughness of your driveway – these factors and more will affect whether a swing gate or sliding gate is the right choice for you.
So, to help you make the most informed choice, we’re going to have a closer look at the various pros and cons of automatic swing gates and sliding gates.
Automatic swing gates
Automatic swing gates open inward or outward along the driveway. They can be custom made as a complete gate and mechanism package or you can install the mechanism on your existing gates. Swing gates are available as single-leaf gates, double-leaf gate or framed gates and they can be set up to swing-in or swing-out.
Swing gates have been the traditional preferred choice for residential properties. They have a classical look, open quietly and manual swing gates can be easily retrofitted with automatic opening mechanism.
However, swing gates may not be a practical option for all situations. Because of the gate swing radius, swing gates may not be appropriate for short driveways, carports or parking spaces. They also may not be the best choice for steep roadways or rough terrain and they may not be as strong, durable or secure as sliding gates.
Advantages of swing gates
- Ideal for residential properties
- Classical look
- Quieter than sliding gates
- Perfect option for driveways with little space on either side
- Can be easily manually operated in case of a power outage
- Can be calibrated to open inwards or outwards
Automatic sliding gates
Sliding gates open by sliding the gate sideways along the fence line to one or both sides of the roadway. The gate is usually mounted on wheels, with the wheels following a track laid along the fence-line, although they can also operate on a trackless beam system.
They can be calibrated to open to the left or right, or split in the middle to open on either side. The gates can be designed to slide as one solid piece, or as a telescopic system, depending on how much space you have to work with.
The main advantage of sliding gates is how little road space they need to operate. Unlike swing gates, which need a lot of clear road space to accommodate the swing radius, sliding gates move perpendicular to the roadway. This makes them ideal for very short driveways, parking spaces or carports.
Because of the wheel and track system, sliding gates are ideal for rough surfaces like gravel driveways. They are also the perfect choice for steep driveways.
On the downside, sliding gates will only work if you have sufficient space for the gate to retract on one or both sides of the roadway.Retrofitting existing manual sliding gates with automatic mechanisms can be more difficult that swing gates.
Advantages of sliding gates
- Suitable for both residential and commercial purposes
- Easy to install and along an existing fence line
- Generally more durable and secure than swing gates
- No swing radius
- Suitable for a short driveways and parking spaces
- Secure and don’t require any manual locking devices
- Available in a range of styles including telescopic or trackless
- Suitable for sloping or rough driveways
Both gate systems can be custom designed to suit a range of aesthetic styles and fence designs, so ultimately, the choice of swing or sliding gate will come down to the practicalities of your property. Read more blogs here..