The safety of automated gates is a key consideration for owners of domestic and commercial properties. If you have pets, people coming and going and children on your property, then nothing can be left to chance. Perhaps your driveway borders a busy road or pedestrian area. In which case, if something were to go wrong with your gating system, then you could be held responsible.

Gate system manufacturers understand this and have, over the years, built in practically foolproof mechanisms to prevent accidents occurring. When you install automated gates, you need to be confident that everything is safe.

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When it comes to choosing the material for your gates there’s a growing consensus that aluminium offers the greatest safety benefits. There are a number of reasons for that, not just in the material itself and what’s required to operate it, but also in what it can offer in terms of security.

Let’s take a look at some of the principal reasons why aluminium automated gates are such a smart choice.

Light & Nimble

As a material, aluminium manages to combine incredible strength with lightness. This makes it ideal for automated gates because it means that it takes less power to move the gates. Having less power behind the gates means that, in the unlikely event they hit an object, the power behind the gates won’t be as powerful in trying to keep driving the gates forward. This reduces the risk of serious injury or property damage.

Compared to wood, iron or steel, the lightness of aluminium also means that should it hit a person, animal or object it’s much less likely to cause damage.

Does the lightness of the material mean that you have to compromise on the overall strength of your gates? Not at all. While being light, aluminium is also incredibly strong. This is why it’s increasingly becoming the material of choice when it comes to automated gates.

Secure access

While heavy wooden gates may appear to offer a natural barrier to intruders, their security aspect is limited. As well as being relatively easy to scale, they don’t offer the same degree of security as automated gates. Using a latch and bolt system, perhaps in conjunction with some kind of extra key lock, wooden manual gates offer only a minimal amount of security. Locks can easily be cut, latches lifted. and bolts drawn back.

Opportunist thieves tend to be experts at dealing with basic levels of gate security. To really deter a thief, you need to go the extra mile. Automated aluminium gates offer a real deterrent to your average thief. The locking systems are practically impossible to force open, and certainly beyond your average opportunist thief who is likely to look elsewhere for easier pickings. Access to your gates is controlled via remote control or a button inside the property. Optional security options such as CCTV can give you added control over access to your property. Smartphones apps allow you to control access while away from home and can even allow you to see who is standing at your gates before you allow them entry.

Compared to traditional manual gates aluminium automated gates are a superior choice when it comes to security.

Choose an experienced installation team

Automated gates rarely present the users with any problems. Any safety issues that do arise tend to be as a result of poor maintenance. Any other problems that occur are often the result of an inadequate installation. It’s possible for people with some electrical and construction experience to install automated gates, likewise for people in related trades, but it isn’t always advisable. While many will do a decent enough job, there are aspects to consider that are best left to an experienced gate engineer.

Qualified aluminium gate installers will be experienced at handling all kinds of installations and will ensure the whole process is carried out as safely as possible. They will be alert to any potential dangers and hazards and do all they can to minimise the risk. They can also suggest a maintenance schedule based on your gate usage.

For the best of all worlds, an automated aluminium gate installed by a qualified and experienced installer will enable you to enjoy the security that they offer for many years to come.