When it comes to the operating style and the opening direction of modern gates, slide gates and swing gates are the two major categories. While both types are very popular, they are not intended to be installed in the same type of environment, so here are some things that you should know about each of them before you make your choice:
- The most important difference: the space needed for opening – while slide gates consist of a panel that runs on tracks, swing gates require a certain amount of space in front of or behind the gate to be able to open. In the case of a small or narrow entrance, the best decision is to get a sliding gate, a swing gate being a reasonable option only if the space available around the gate is sufficiently large.
- The complexity of the operating mechanism – sliding gates run on tracks, which means that they are secured from more than one direction, therefore sliding gate types are generally considered to be a bit more resistant and durable than swinging varieties.
- Budget – sliding gates require more hardware for the installation, so they might be a bit higher priced than sliding varieties, but the overall price of your gate will be influenced by so many other factors that the direction of the opening is not a decisive one.
