Suitable Electronic Door Lock Technologies for Residential Exterior Doors?

[PLCGuy]

In an earlier thread called Integrated Video, Alarm and Lock Management - A Pipe Dream? I intended to discuss the integration of automation technologies. However, it quickly also ended up discussing what is available/suitable for the actual locks themselves.

So I decided to create this new topic to focus on the question " what electronic locking system is the right one for residential exterior doors and gates". Never mind what controllers or protocols are used, how do you actually lock and unlock (and monitor) the exterior doors and gates on a residence? If working in the industrial automation space has taught me anything, it is you can't fix bad field devices or installations with automation, no matter how smart your logic is. You also can't override the laws of physics with automation (see http://www.nytimes.c...enver.html?_r=0 for an example).

Now I am no lock smith or door installer (I'm PLCGuy ), but it seems like there there are four options for the actual locking mechanism:

1. Magnetic Locks
   
2. Electric Strikes
   
3. Electric Deadbolts
   
4. Wireless "Smart Locks" (e.g. Zwave locks, etc)

(Did I miss any?)

Now each of these seem to have strength and weaknesses. For example, from what I can tell Electric Strikes can't lock up at night (if the lock itself is unlocked), while Electric Deadbolts only seem to be available for indoor/metal frame use (see http://cocoontech.co..._15#entry184124). And Mag Locks are not the most visually attractive solution for many home owners. Finally, Zwave locks - besides the question of batteries, few home automation systems seem to be able to read more than just the Lock or Unlock status of Zwave locks at this time (yes, it looks like HAI can and ISY will).

So what do professional installers use in high end residential homes? What are the current best practises for automated lock technologies on external doors and gates? Do you use one technology for the front door and something else for the shed door and a third solution for the gate?

All guidance is greatly appreciated. If I get some good feedback, I plan to summarize it into a table of application use cases and pros/cons for each technology.

 

[gatchel]

Securitron M62 Gate Maglock or other gate locks...

http://www.securitron.com/en/site/securitron/Products/Gate-Locks-and-Accessories/

 

[wuench]

I would say some combination of the top 2 for commercial and high end residential installs. For strikes, you would just leave the door knob locked or install a door knob that doesn't lock at all to prevent accidentally bypassing the strike. I am no pro but that would be my guess from what I have seen....

 

[Big517]

Personally I use the Zwave locks by Kwikset mainly because of the ability to lock via motorized deadbolt. You ask about exterior applications and I have 3 installed on exterior doors and one on a shed with no protection from the elements. They have all held up with no problems. There is some discussion on the security aspect of the brand as anyone inside the home can remove the back cover and add or change a code (very bad)... for that reason I utilize the alert on code change to alert me. Magnetic strikes without a locking handle would be nice but from what ive seen its not as cosmetically appealing.

 

[PLCGuy]

Personally I use the Zwave locks by Kwikset mainly because of the ability to lock via motorized deadbolt.

Thanks - I'm curious - what do you use as your primary alarm controller to talk to the Kwikset locks? Or are they a free standing system?

You ask about exterior applications and I have 3 installed on exterior doors and one on a shed with no protection from the elements. They have all held up with no problems.

What is your weather like? Florida or Alaska? I can not find any environment specs on the Kwikset website or in their docs. Considering these locks have electronics in them, they will have operating temperature ratings (stated or not). Would be good to know...

 

[Big517]

Using micasaverde's Vera3 controller.
I'm in Michigan and live on a lake so im exposed to extreme heat and cold throughout the year. The weather tends to be a little more extreme with winds picking up speed across the water.

 

[Big517]

@plcguy, I have a pm from you but I have not posted enough to use the feature yet... want to post here?

 

[drvnbysound]

I too have the Kwikset deadbolts... currently one on my front door and another on our kitchen door (which enters through our garage). The front door has a small covered area so it's not directly exposed to elements... but I am in FL (high heat and lots of humidity) - no issues. I currently have mine connected/controlled via Elk.

 

[arakasi55]

Put me into the Kwikset camp, albeit with Zigbee radio. This is connected to an HAI OPII.
Aside from the range issues with the ZIM which there are already posts about, it does work very well once that's sorted.
I have the satin chrome contemporary version which looks very nice and being in Melbourne, Australia it cops a fair pounding weather wise (Melbourne is synonymous for four seasons in one day - it's 20:33 here and still 37 degrees C after having 10 inches of rain on Tuesday).

I was originally keen to use a magnetic lock, but couldn't find anything locally I could retrofit without making it look too commercial.

 

[Del91574]

To comment on the strengths/weaknesses of the locks...I'm installing and maintaining on 2 separate enterprise sized sites with multiple types of locking hardware, one site has over 2500 access controlled doors alone, many with 2 locks (french double door style openings).

Maglocks have their place, however there's other issues to contend with. I couldn't tell the average HO to install them on anything but an exterior gate...fire and life safety concerns. Even in a "shed" or similar, you're still going to need to provide the physical power disconnecting means/panic egress othewise you're going to kill someone, provided the AHJ doesn't catch it missing. A strike or handset looks far better than a surface mounted mag, and in the case of a shear mag, each time the armature is pulled in and released, there's going to be an audible clang, usually not acceptable for high end work, compared to a click of a strike releasing (assuming not a motorized unit pushing back the bolt and keeper).

People misunderstand strikes. The key is having the proper strike installed and the door hardware to be proper. All you really need to address is the locking hardware is unlocked inside and locked outside, done. You can have the ACS control the lock via a schedule and then via rectifiers or other hardware, you can prolong the life of the solenoid of the lock by dropping the holding voltage down after the initial inrush current. Buy fail secure hardware and have a key override and you're set. The only item not addressed is a deadbolt.

The other way to go is electrified hardware...same reasons as above, however you can have the outside remain unlocked and not have to deal with the physical caveats of a strike. Downside is the door needs to be cored and power transfer hardware.

Zwave has it's place, but for overall reliability and security, it's more of a retrofit product in my case, or an afterthought. Usually, if I'm dealing with electronic locks, it's not including one of those. Sure they have their place, but IMHO, it'd be for secondary deadbolt purposes in conjunction with a real electric strike.

 

[PLCGuy]

To comment on the strengths/weaknesses of the locks...I'm installing and maintaining on 2 separate enterprise sized sites with multiple types of locking hardware, one site has over 2500 access controlled doors alone, many with 2 locks (french double door style openings)...

The other way to go is electrified hardware...same reasons as above, however you can have the outside remain unlocked and not have to deal with the physical caveats of a strike. Downside is the door needs to be cored and power transfer hardware....

Thanks DELInstallations - your post is great - just what I had in mind. You mention electrified hardware - can you say more about this? Any examples?

 

[Del91574]

SDC, Yale and Sargent, and almost everything under the Assa Abloy moniker all have versions of electrified hardware out there, there's even electrified mortise sets, but you would need to know what style and finish you're planning on putting in from the outset, you can't simply pick a "New Brunswick Brussels 1100" handset in oiled bronze and call it a day. Even if it's not an off the shelf item, most of the manufacturers out there can electrify most hardware....but you also need to know the price you want to pay for a lock vs. a strike, and while they're not as asthetically pleasing, a strike is usually the more robust of the locking hardware (exception being a maglock, but they're really only for traffic control and not real security).

Usually, in a residence, the larger issue is having enough room around the lockset bore to facilitate the splices for a REX (if used) and the lock power itself. Usually, you can fit everything that is needed at the handset through a 3/8 or 1/2" cored hole through the door.

 

[forits7846]

These technological advancements are of course very much helpful for us in minimizing our effort and enhancing our home security. Electronic door look is a beneficial thing especially if you have any old aged people or physically challenged members in our home. I am thinking about installing one to my replacement door from Clera Windows, Toronto. But will it be strong enough to hold all these heavy things? Any lightweight alternatives for the system?

 

[Neurorad]

Timely spam...
 
DEL, what's your go-to on the French doors?  Exterior, resi.
 
Anyone have experience with iron resi doors?
 
Wife has been eyeing something like this (before and after pics):
 
 

 
I know it will probably depend on the feasibility of coring the door, or having it constructed with a channel.  From internet searches, it seems many of these exterior iron doors are made in China.

 

[Del91574]

Since I can't really get any information about the door itself, there should be a lot of hollows on the door, albeit filled with foam. Realy not a difficult retrofit assuming the installation of a couple of "plugs" or use of contacts installed in the rails for DSM it's really not too hard or outragous of an install, but it would need to be done with the door removed from the frame. Actually easier if the
 
Core from latch through stile to rail, then core across to other stile, then core to middle hinge for electrified hinge. Basically a modified "U" but angled like a "V"
 
You don't even need to really drill if you do it right, heated ball bearing or steel marble....that's how many guys do ICF or stress-skin panel wiring.
 
Install contact in stile, then all you have is to fill the hole on the butt side that was used as an access point. Prewire plug comes to mind.
 
On fixed panel, install magnet in location of stile to match up with DSM.