Imagine passers-by are passing by your house and they start gazing at your fancy gates without blinking their eyelids. Well, that’s the very first impression! A driveway gate is not only to enhance your home’s appeal but also prevent trespassers or uninvited people to take entry into your home. There comes a decision-making moment.
The very first decision to make is whether you want a manual gate or an automatic one. The selection would become easy if you focus on three factors: needs, lifestyle, and budget. So, folks, let’s review your options more closely and help you out with the decision-making process.
But, before moving into the options, let’s know the purpose of your gate.
The motive behind installing the driveway gate:
- Street appeal: As said in the introduction, every homeowner wants passers-by to gaze at their fancy gates. It depicts your lifestyle and helps in making the very first impression good.
- Convenience: Nobody will like to get out of their car, open the gate for themselves, get into the driveway, close the gate, and then drive into the garage. Utmost convenience is all we strive for.
- Security: The gate should be such that renders full security to your home and family. Otherwise, burglars are smart enough to take entry to the home.
So, here were the common purposes of the homeowners. As promised, let’s check the options more closely.
Deciding factors to know the best gate for your home:
1. Budget
What’s your budget? If you have a tight budget, then considering manual gates is the ideal bet. Automatic or electric gates are expensive as compared to manual ones. In addition to this, you can forecast a higher electricity bill. Also, if you want to go ahead with their add-on features, then the price will escalate.
Furthermore, if you’ve got a good budget, then automatic gates are for you. If not, then you need to shake hands with manual gates only.
2. Security
There’s no doubt that automatic gates are more secured than manual ones. We’ll explain to you why. Manual gates can have limited access to your home. For instance, they have keypad access that will allow the people get in who know your code. Yes, it assures security but not to the extent of automatic gates.
Conversely, with automatic gates, you can install key-operated switches, digital keypads, sensors for detecting vehicles, and so on. If you’re open with your budget, then you can accommodate these features easily. As they are more advanced, the barrier between the outside world and your home will be ceased with high security.
Hence, for security reasons, automatic gates win the battle with the highest numbers.
3. Convenience
As said earlier, convenience is one of the common purposes of opting for gates. In this aspect, one thing is for sure, manual gates cannot defeat automatic gates. You wouldn’t be able to enjoy this benefit with manual gates. Well, for small garden gates, you can consider them, but not for the larger and main gate.
Further, automatic gates offer you the benefit of providing entry to certain visitors only without standing at the gate for their welcome. All this while, you’ll also be able to manage high security. Keeping all these things aside, you should know that automatic gates need a power supply, which can be troublesome to homeowners in some situations. One of them is leaving your gate unlocked amid a power blackout.
4. Curb appeal
Just take a small walk around your street and watch your neighbour’s gate; almost all possesses a manual gate. On the other hand, automatic gates provide a grand and luxurious experience. Opening up will reveal a beautiful home behind them.
The best part about these gates is it has a configuration, which will allow sensors to detect the vehicle and open for your guests. Another very ideal option is to add a button, clicking it will allow the gates to open. You can opt for this option if aesthetics matters the most than your security.
Manual gates come up with simple and basic designs that many may be currently having. So, if you want to make your guests go head over heels, then sensor-specific automatic gates are the best bet for you.
5. Options
If your gates are small, then you shouldn’t be opting for a motorised option. A simple sliding manual gate or traditional hinged ones are fine to install. Manual gates have many material options like aluminium, timber, wrought iron, etc.
In case you’ve got a large gate, then automatic gates should be your ideal choice. Not only will it look aesthetically pleasing, but also have a range of options. It includes swing, sliding, vertical life, bi-fold, and vertical pivot lift gates. So, decide based on the size of the gate you want to install.
6. Maintenance
With manual gates, all you need to do is clean it twice a year. They are easy to maintain. On the other hand, automatic gates might need more complex maintenance. Also, since its components are electronic, it needs more professional help. They will maintain your gates nicely and check whether or not they are in good condition.
So, in this aspect, if you don’t want to spend money on maintenance or provide less attention, then go ahead with manual gates. But,if none of these are your concerns, then we would suggest installing automatic gates at your home.
It’s decision time!
In today’s fast-paced world, technological advancement has covered everything digitally. Automatic gates have access control systems, which provide the utmost protection to your home. So, our recommendation would be to give the nod to the automatic gates. Though it is an expensive investment, it would be worth your investment.
However, none other can take a perfect decision for their home. So, consider the above pointers and make an informed decision. At the same time, be wise.
Author – Ariana Mortenson, a professional writer and blogger; she write on various niches in a way that it’s understandable and appealing to the people. Her aim to achieve a difference through her writing which allows you to make informed and valuable choices.
