Sebastian Miwa, Regional Commercial Sales Representative, Access Control Technologies
Whether you’re in self-storage or commercial, the access control decisions you make are vital to securing your property. But security isn’t the only factor that goes into the equation, says Sebastian Miwa, Regional Commercial Sales Representative for Access Control Technologies. We recently sat down with Miwa to discuss the pros and cons of vertical lift gates and cantilever slide gates as well as the types of questions you should be asking yourself to get the right fit for your facility.
Q: What are some global industry challenges beyond security that make it so important to put the right gate in place?
Sebastian Miwa: Many properties are getting tighter on space as land costs go up, so a gate that works within those site constraints is crucial. In addition, customer experience is something everyone’s striving for because tenants expect smooth, fast access. If a gate is slow or unreliable, it reflects poorly on the facility, so that’s often prompting operators to compare vertical lift gates versus slide gates.
Q: What are the main considerations operators should be thinking about when deciding between vertical lift versus slide gates?
Sebastian Miwa: There are four points to keep in mind when it comes to deciding between these two types of gates. The first is space—what clearance do you have? Second is climate. If you’re up north, then you’re going to have snowstorms and ice that can affect the ground and can lead to more maintenance and downtime if you don’t have the right gate. And if you have high-tenant traffic, you want to find a gate that will cycle fast and be reliable for 24/7 access. Lastly, what’s your budget and the ROI you’re looking for.
Q: When it comes to security, which gate offers bigger muscles?
Sebastian Miwa: In terms of security at the main point of entrance, this is a must-have today. If a site doesn’t have a gate, tenants are thrown off and likely to look somewhere else just because of that. Both types of gates are top of the game in providing security, although we have seen that the younger generations lean toward the vertical-lift gate for a more modern security feel.
And speed comes into play because speed equals security. The faster the gate closes, the safer you are. And again, both the vertical lift gate and the slide gates are great, but the vertical is typically faster at 8 seconds to completely open versus approximately 24 seconds for the slide gate. We also tend to see the need for more repairs with slide gates because tenants think they can outrun the gate and instead hit it. Overall, if security is your top priority, a vertical lift gate is often the superior choice.
Q: Which gate is more reliable?
Sebastian Miwa: Operators want gates that stay running with little maintenance, and the downtime does differ between the vertical life gate and slide gate. For minimal downtime, the vertical lift gate gives you the edge. Slide gates have more down time, and the repairs are more costly to fix when it comes to getting the parts and time onsite. The downtime could be days or even weeks versus just a matter of hours for a vertical lift repair.
The reason slide gates are less reliable is because they have a track on the ground that makes them more limited when it comes to where you put them. They’re affected by debris, ice, shifting pavement and that makes them less reliable than a vertical lift gate where snow or ice isn’t going to pose an issue.
Q: Let’s talk more about weather factors. What questions should operators ask?
Sebastian Miwa: Weather is a conversation that we like to have with a customer from the beginning. Do you know if there are strong winds in your area? If so, there are ways to prevent damage by using stronger springs and strong braces to keep the gate in place. The vertical lift gate is built for harsh environments, so that benefit may prompt an operator to move from a slide gate to a vertical lift gate. For example, I recently had an install in a very snowy area near Colorado where snow and debris were constantly causing slide gate failures. And when we switched them to a vertical lift gate, there’s virtually no downtime even in the winter.
Q: Which gate brings a greater return on investment?
Sebastian Miwa: If budget is your biggest concern, then the slide gate is a great option. But for long-term value, the vertical lift gate brings you greater ROI. Overall, we see storage sites that prioritize security like cameras and vertical lift gates with 30% faster lease-up rates, up to 15% higher occupancy and up to 25% higher rent per unit.
The way I explain it is that the vertical lift gate is more of an upfront cost, but it ends up being cheaper and faster than the slide gate because there’s less chance for downtime, so there’s less downtime cost. With slide gates, it’s the other way. They have a lower upfront cost but higher maintenance than the vertical lift gate.
Q: Are there instances when a slide gate might be better?
Sebastian Miwa: Yes. We occasionally meet with an owner who has a facility where the ground is uneven, and they can’t get it leveled correctly. In these cases, a slide gate is more forgiving than the vertical lift gate, so that’s what we would recommend.
And I have a few customers where budget was a big factor and issues like weather were not, and they’re perfectly happy with slide gates because it was the right economic choice.
There’s good, better and best with any product in any industry. And in our industry, the slide gate is better than others, and the vertical lift gate is the best. The slide gate will do exactly what you’re looking for, and the vertical lift gate improves on all the points we’ve talked about.
The bottom line is if your facility demands fast, reliable and secure access control, a vertical lift gate is likely your best investment.
Learn more about how ACT solutions and services help keep your self-storage facility safe and secure.
About Our Author
Sebastian Miwa is the Regional Commercial Sales Representative and Project Manager for Access Control Technologies (ACT) by Janus International Group. In his role, he helps facility owners and operators find the right solutions with real value for their sites—whether that’s access control, surveillance or gate systems like vertical lift or slide gates.
