An electric gate is an excellent choice for commercial properties and larger residential properties in and around Perth, where security and convenience are paramount. They’re an incredibly important part of a complete security system and we’ll get into why that is the case shortly.
First, though, let’s just briefly go over what makes electric gates so secure and reliable.
Being vulnerable to tailgating, no gate is guaranteed to prevent all threats. However, when used in conjunction with other security measures such as cameras, keycards and keypads, automatic electric gates are an excellent way to protect a property from would-be intruders.
What are electric gates? How do they work?
Before we can discuss the security of electric gates, you’ll need to know what exactly an electric gate is and the basics of how it works.
An electric gate (or automatic gate) is a kind of powered gate that is opened and closed by an electric motor. They are typically found at the main entrances of large commercial and also residential properties.
You can read more about the different kinds of gates and how exactly they work here.
Automatic gates are becoming more popular in Perth and its surrounding suburbs. They are a convenient and reliable way of protecting your home or business from potential intruders.
If you’re in or around the Perth area and are thinking about having an automatic gate installed on your property, don’t hesitate to contact us and talk to our friendly team about a custom-built gate solution.
Are electric gates stronger?
You might be wondering whether an electric gate can be made just as strong and secure as a conventional, manually operated gate.
While manual gates vary in strength and reliability, you can be pretty confident that a good quality electric gate will be reliably resistant to brute force attacks. These things are designed to withstand quite a bit of force, so you won’t have to worry about them being knocked down or broken through.
The electrical components of automatic gates are housed in a secure unit made of very strong materials. This means that it is very difficult to break into the electric motor system, making them highly resilient and tamper-proof.
Who can open an electric gate and how?
If electric gates open and close themselves automatically, how do they decide when to do so? How are they controlled?
Once it has been fully installed, an automatic gate will then be programmed by a technician to meet the user’s requirements. And if the user later decides that they want the gate to function differently then the gate can be reprogrammed at any time to accommodate that as well.
There is a multitude of ways to control an automatic gate, but they fall broadly into two categories: local and remote.
Local controls might be a numeric keypad for entering a security code, a biometric scanner or a reader for a keycard. In essence, you approach a control panel by the gate in order to authorise access yourself.
Remote control systems are great for businesses where the gate is controlled from an office on-site, and staff can see the car approaching the gate via a security camera.
This is often combined with a voice intercom system so that the staff can talk with whoever is intending to enter the property and choose whether to have the gate open up remotely from the office.
There are also computerised control systems that can automatically open your gate based on Wi-Fi connections or GPS data from your car or phone so that the whole process of approaching your house and driving into your garage is completely automated with no human intervention necessary, which is especially convenient and not to mention, very futuristic.
Potential security issues
One potential issue with electric gates is something called tailgating. This is where an unauthorised person is able to sneak in through the gate by tailing behind the vehicle of someone who is authorised and has just opened the gate.
This kind of attack is only possible because the closing mechanism of electric gates is typically rather slow. No matter how strong the locking mechanism or materials are, an electric gate alone is not sufficient to prevent all attempts at breaking into a property.
Automatic gates should be understood as just one component of complete home security or commercial security system.
To combat tailgating attempts, it’s a good idea to have a system of security cameras installed as well.
It may also be a good idea to have speed bumps built into the road surface near the main gate. That way, it’s more difficult for unauthorised people to make a tailgate attempt by slowing their vehicle whilst they drive up to the opened gate.
Other features of a complete security system are measures such as parking barrier gates, sensors, electronic keycards and keypads, security guards, and additional gates to complement the main front gate.
Depending on the scale of your property and the requirements of your security you might want to consider these additional measures when putting together a security plan.
Are electric gates likely to break down?
Considering the tech involved and the moving parts that are built into automatic gates, it’s reasonable to ask whether they are likely to fall victim to mechanical failure, electronic issues, or anything like that.
Of course, nobody wants their gate to suddenly stop working when they need to get in or out, which is why modern electric gates are made to be super reliable.
Older automatic gates were known to break down from time to time because their mechanisms, pulleys, and harnesses would wear down much faster than the modern builds we have today.
When properly installed and set up for everyday use, mechanical and technical breakdowns become extraordinarily rare, so an electric gate may actually be one of the most dependable bits of tech you own.
Weather conditions
What about wear and tear due to weather conditions? While this used to be an issue for older designs, these days modern automatic gates are built to endure testing weather conditions like storms and gales. They are also tolerant of extremely high and low temperatures.
So regardless of how hot or cold, the day might be, come rain, snow, or burning hot sunshine, any good quality electric gate will continue to work as intended and keep your home or business protected.
Are automatic electric gates safe?
When we think of a great big hunk of metal swinging around or sliding open and closing of its own accord, it’s tempting to imagine it moving about uncontrollably, causing damage and harm to anything or anyone in its path.
Thankfully, it’s not like that.
Modern automatic gates have all kinds of safety features built in to prevent damage to your car, your person, or anything else that might get in its way.
Automatic electric gates have strong, reliable brakes built in so that even the faster moving gates can immediately stop themselves from moving should anything come within close proximity.
Modern gate motors can be equipped with an optional reflective laser system that detects any objects blocking the movement of the gate so that it can stop the motor and engage the brakes if necessary. Commonly referred to as obstacle safety sensors or beams.
We discussed in more detail what makes electric gates safe to use in a previous article, How Do Automatic Gates Work?.
What are the next steps?
If you want to install automatic gates or would simply like to learn more as part of your assessment, then we’re here to help.
We have years of experience installing automatic gates in and around Perth. We can custom-build your gates at our workshop in Maddington. Plus, we cater to both commercial and residential projects in and around Perth. So give us a call today!
