Slide gates vs Swing gates
We field several phone calls a week from customers who are contemplating installing an automated entrance gate. While not all customers ask, a good portion do inquire about slide gates, and if they are a good option for their home or property. The answer depends on several factors.
A few factors that determine if a slide gate will work for your property.
Automated driveway gates can add to the beauty and security of your home. While both slide gates and bi-parting (or swing gates) enhance security, bi-parting gates are usually a more aesthetically pleasing option. Additionally, for most properties in the hilly environs of the tri-state area, bi-parting gates are an easier option to design and install. Consider the following:
- You need open space on one side or the other of your driveway. Most driveway slide gates (at least that we install here in the Northeast) are cantilever slide gates. A cantilever slide gate requires 1.5x the width of your driveway on one side or the other of your driveway to be able to fully open. That’s because cantilever gates have two sections: The main section (which spans your driveway when the gate is closed), and the cantilever section, which extends half the width of the driveway beyond the main section.
- You might not like how the gate looks from the road. Given that you need 1.5x the width of your driveway to allow the slide gate to open fully, the land to the opening side needs to be flat or downward sloping, free of obstructions like trees, rocks, or bushes, and for most people, suitable to hide or partially hide the full length of the open gate. That last requirement is an aesthetic requirement. It’s not technically necessary, but not everyone wants to see a 20 to 30 foot gate sitting to the side of their driveway when it’s fully open, and not everyone wants to look at the cantilever section, which will always sit to the opening side of the gate and unless hidden from the street, be visible to passers by
- You might not like how the gate looks from your house, either. The motors and support system ( gate posts, concrete pad, catch post) can take on a sort of industrial look, like air-conditioners or pool equipment do. Clever landscaping, fencing, and masonry can do a lot to conceal the parts of the gate and its mechanical elements that you don’t want to see, but for many residential properties, slide gates are driven more by necessity/functionality than by aesthetics.
- Bi-parting gates fit beautifully between stone pillars, ‘Nuff said.
Depending on the design choices you make, the cost between the options is actually quite comparable. Slide gates are a bit more secure than bi parting gates (harder to bash or force open), and slide gates can be quick to build if you’re fine with a practical, simple design. Access control options (like keypads and driveway sensors) work with either option, and the control system operates the same way, though with a slide gate, the control system is the motor and it’s containing enclosure, whereas with a bi-parting gate, there’s typically a separate control box mounted on a steel post behind a nearby wall or landscaping.
Still on the fence about sliding vs bi-parting? Send us a note.
We’ll Help You Choose the Perfect Automated Gate For Your Home
As full service automated gate experts, Westchester Automated Gate is here to guide you through the process of selecting, designing, and installing the perfect gate for your property. With decades of experience working with driveways and homes of all sizes, we have built a reputation for trusted customer service and impeccable attention to detail.
View our work here or contact us today to discuss your automated gate needs.