Automatic Gates Blog - Alpha Gate Automation

Sanity Not Vanity: How To Increase Your Property’s Security

oversize criminal stereotype head looking through black gates

Watch Out! Watch Out! There’s shady types about!

OK, we’ll admit it – we know that installing an automatic gate on your property has traditionally been seen as being a bit, well… posh.

But if you’ve been…ahem, on the fence about adding one to your property because of that, we’re here to tell you that installing an automatic gate or intercom system can offer you sanity, not just vanity.

Crime is up

Last month, the latest crime figures for 2011-2012 were released, and as a recent article in the Gold Coast Bulletin proclaims – all crime is up 11%.

Now obviously, while “all crime” is something to be concerned about, installing a gate or intercom system to your property isn’t going to protect against most of that – so we dug a little deeper into the figures and had a look at just property crime (i.e. break-ins, thefts etc).

Here’s what we found:

Data Source: QPS Statistical Reviews 2007-2012

The chart shows that while unlawful entry cases, along with other property damage remain fairly constant (although the last 12 months has seen unlawful entries jump 6%), other types of property theft have jumped significantly – topping 100,000 for the year for the first time.

Path of least resistance

Of course, we’re not suggesting that purely by installing a gate and/or intercom system you’re going to prevent property crime being committed against you – but working on the theory that thieves (like that shady looking character up top!) will most likely follow the path of least resistance when it comes to breaking into a house…

Whatever you can do to make it that little bit more difficult, lessens your chance of being a target.

(Here’s some more tips on increasing your home security from the the Queensland Police’s website.)

Lower insurance premiums

Oh, and when you do have your gate or intercom installed, do make sure you let your insurance company know – we’ve heard of a few cases where premiums were dropped thanks to the install.

If you’re ready to speak to one of our experts about having an automatic gate or intercom system installed, fill out the form on the right, and we’ll be in touch to answer all your questions!

Not All Automatic Gates Are The Same!

As much as we love doing what we do day to day, it’s always nice to get a job that’s a little out of the ordinary…

Recently, we were given the opportunity to add automation to a very impressive entry gate at a local horse stud here on the Gold Coast.

With each leaf weighing in at over 200kg, some special planning was required, as it was obvious that a regular gate motor, more used to a lightweight aluminium gate wasn’t going to cut it!

We settled on a heavy duty unit from the guys at GDS in South Australia and the installation went without a hitch. The owner was very pleased with the end result (probably because he wouldn’t have to lift those gates anymore!), and you can see the end result in the video below.

4 Reasons You Should Hire a Professional to Install your Automatic Gate

This post originally started life as a rant, fuelled by our own experiences, of what happens to local businesses when cheap imports start flooding domestic markets (something of a problem in our industry).

Instead, we decided to turn that frown upside down, and while it’s written from our perspective, it could arguably be applied to most service industries, and shows why you should choose a professional trade or service person over a cheap import.

(And yes, it’s all about value for money…)

OK, it’s not about automatic gates, but it does show the different results you might expect between a professional (left) and doing the job yourself (right)

If you’ve spent any time looking around our site, you may have noticed that we don’t sell do-it-yourself kits, gate motors or associated spare parts. And it’s something we pride ourselves on. It’s our point of difference. Because we feel that some jobs are best left to the professionals.

Like most jobs around the house, anyone can do them. But it doesn’t mean that anyone should, so here’s our 4 reasons why you should hire a professional to install your automatic gate…

1. Gets the job done.

Sure, you can install that gate motor kit you bought on the internet yourself, but wouldn’t you rather be doing something you enjoy? Do you really want to spend your Saturday running around getting parts and tools that you need for the job? (And then Sunday installing it all?)

Not only will a professional be able to save your weekend, they’ll be able to install your gate motor at your convenience. Imagine leaving your home for work in the morning and returning to a brand new automatic gate?

2. Uses the Right Parts

With a half installed gate motor, you’ve just realised the kit you bought has the wrong size bolts in it. And the store just closed.

A professional installer will carry all the parts and tools they need for the job with them. Oh, and they’ll also tidy up after themselves, and show you how to use and look after your new automatic gate.

3. Knowledge & Experience

So it’s Sunday evening, it’s nearly dark. You’ve spent the whole weekend on “this #@&*%$! gate” and now you’ve finally finished it. Time for a test… (You probably know where this is going.)

A professional knows inside and out the systems that they install – because they do it day in, day out.

From the start of your job, when the technician arrives on your property to draw up your customised quote, to the very end as they sweep up the job site, their knowledge and experience is what gets you the right gate system installed properly and professionally, and backed by satisfaction guarantees and manufacturer warranties.

4. After Sales Service & Warranty

You just found out the supplier of the gate motor kit you bought on the internet doesn’t speak English. Now who you gonna call?

Knowing you have someone to call if you have a question or a problem offers you great peace of mind. A professional installer will answer your questions and source that spare part for you quickly and hassle free.

Finally… just because you can, doesn’t mean you should!

Yes, it may be that you can buy the parts cheaper on the internet these days. But when it goes wrong and you need to make that extra trip to the hardware store, or you just accidentally damaged the motor – how cheap is it now? And how much do you value your weekend trying to figure it out?

So choose a professional today, we DO know boats!