A fortress is only as impassable as its gates. The same goes for your business headquarters and offices. With the right kind of entry and exit points, you’ll ensure the safety of your employees, as well as the protection of valuable information and products.

Automatic doors and gates go hand in hand with access control systems to limit the entry of unqualified personnel to sensitive locations. They also provide convenience and efficiency in everyday business transactions, especially if those involve disabled persons. If any emergencies arise, these can be controlled to stay open or closed as well.

You can opt for any of these four basic design options for automatic doors: folding, sliding, revolving, or swinging. Remember, your decision should be based on which provides the highest level of security, instead of which would be the most aesthetically pleasing.

Still, it wouldnt hurt to take style into consideration. If you agree, then the folding door might be for you. Also called a bi-fold door, it opens by folding back into panels until it resembles an accordion. Folding doors are ideal for small spaces such as access points and corridors; they can also accommodate both inbound and outbound foot traffic.

Sliding doors also allow people to pass from either direction. To cater to every individuals needs and tastes, sliding doors can be further sub-categorized into three: the single sliding door, which is composed of a fixed panel and a moveable one; the parting sliding doors, which has two moveable panels; and, the telescopic sliding doors, which have multiple moveable panels that are arranged one in front of another. The sliding door is probably the most frequently used type among both private and public offices, since it’s the most simply designed and the easiest to install.

Next are the automatic revolving doors. With a minimum of two wings or panels that allow people to simultaneously walk in both directions, these doors can bring some degree of sophistication to any infrastructure. The most stylish of all, revolving doors are what most hotels choose for their lobbies entrances. However, this type isnt the most ideal in emergencies, since its compact nature limits speed.

Finally, the swinging door is the classic push-pull type. It’s founded on a simple operating principle, which permits only one direction of foot traffic at a time.

When it comes to automatic gates, the most abundant type is the scissor gates. On rails, these open sideways in an extendible manner. They’re great for limited spaces. Meanwhile, roller grilles are very similar to scissor gates, but they provide more security while taking on a little more room.

The next time youre thinking about renovating your office space, dont forget to put a lot of thought into not only the aesthetics, but also security.