Key code on gate under stoop
Has anyone ever put in some kind of a code lock on the gate under their stoop? We already have a pretty secure lock on the actual door so we are looking for something relatively simple as an additional deterrent Right now it is keyed but we’d rather not have to deal with a key here. A smart lock would be ideal but I haven’t been able to find one that works on metal gates and/or outdoors.
wfrxmhzynkiopcra
in General Discussion 3 years and 8 months ago
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15 replies
andriywww1990 | 3 years and 7 months ago
go with what dork is saying and this: the lock dork presented may be made for these gates, which are thinner than doors. that is good. but if you order another lock, and i have, the gate may be too thin and the internals of the lock, the parts that fit into the bore hole, might clash, preventing the lock from being tightened. some companies make metal spacers for this (medeco makes them for their deadbolts) but with these big rectangle things, i do not think exist. so make sure the iron worker knows he might have to put a shim plate on the door- ideally if the door needs say 1/2″ of added thickness, split it to 1/4″ of shim on each side.
something else, simplex is the top shelf maker of these things and they seem to have been around longer. i first had one installed in 1990 (and when we did that it was only the top shelf simplex and a $59 piece of junk made by ultra hardware; yes, i recall the price. i cannot recall, but i do believe that with the simplex, the push buttons have to be pushed in the exact order as they were coded in (1865 is 1865, n ot 5681). i have a cheaper lock here that the numbers can be reversed on during entry and this is important; in time the lock may fade or oxidize or get dirty in a way that the buttons become apparent and someone can push them by looking at them, without knowing the order. with the simplex I do not believe that is possible. also, the simplex appears to be stainless (especially this one; they show it on a gate at a marina) and something plated, the plating can wear from use, giving the combo or buttons away.
the cheaper lock i have is made by a company called Codelocks. i am not recommending it; i only mentioned it here because i wish to show what can go wrong with a cheaper product. if i did not have a deadbolt to use when no one is around, i would have a simplex.
brooklyndempsey | 3 years and 7 months ago
If you are installing an electric strike also make sure you plan for wiring the strike and keypad.
dorkofwindsor | 3 years and 7 months ago
i gave lockset to ironworker and they installed. check archives.
slimc | 3 years and 8 months ago
Lopopolo Iron Works did mine – make sure you let them know that you want emergency egress from inside and that you need a metal plate welded around the lock to prevent reach through.
oliver_nyc | 3 years and 8 months ago
i’ve been trying to do something like this – can anyone recommend a locksmith (with some iron work experience?) to install one one these (the simplex ones look good.) thanks!
brooklyndempsey | 3 years and 8 months ago
I have a keypad for my under-stoop gate. I don’t think this is particularly novel but to outline how it fits together:
– The gate is locked with a night-latch surface-mounted lock. It is keyed on the outside, and has a spring-loaded passage latch on the inside (to allow emergency egress, while still automatically locking when closed).
– The latch mates with an electric strike that releases the latch even when it is still locked
– The strike is controlled by a numeric keypad/entry control system
– There is additional metal welded to the gate around the latch to prevent someone from reaching through the gate to the latch handle from outside.
There are really two issues here–the key code is enabled by the electric strike, and is really independent of what type of lock you use (provided you install a compatible strike). If you use an electric strike, the type of lock is separate question; presumably Bill M already has a lock on the door.
dorkofwindsor | 3 years and 8 months ago
Ithaca, once you are at the gate you are already outside and presumably you can close the door you just walked through to get to said gate. FDNY could get you out as you are safe.
Having said all that – it has a passage mode where you can use the thumbturn just like a regular deadbolt, no key required.
RobertGMarvin
in General Discussion 3 years and 8 months ago
Some people keep several sets of keys on a hook near the door
stevecym | 3 years and 8 months ago
Bob, I used to install these but never where there were children and never in rentals because tenants can often be like children.
I have one in my shop and whenever it is occuppied, the lock is open. I am not worried about myself; i worry about my son and other innocents.
See what Ithaca says. After last week I think anyone would be crazy to install one.
Guest User | 3 years and 8 months ago
Imagine in a flood or a fire trying to get out and not being able to because the door is locked and you don’t know where the key is or can’t find it in your panic.
RobertGMarvin
in General Discussion 3 years and 8 months ago
But it’s VERY widely done Steve. A double cylinder lock is actually the only practicable way to secure a traditional under-stoop gate.
stevecym | 3 years and 8 months ago
To what slimc says, it is illegal to put a double cylinder lock on a door in nyc. Basically, it is illegal to lock someone in a building in nyc.
slimc | 3 years and 8 months ago
If the inside knob or lever is accessible through the iron bars, you’d have to keep both sides locked. Otherwise, someone could reach in with long fingers and turn the knob or lever. BUT if you lock both sides, then you’d need a code to get OUT which presents a safety hazard. You could have an iron worker weld a piece of metal to block prying hands but many consider that ugly.
stevecym | 3 years and 8 months ago
Those simplex products are top shelf and the prices on them seem to have come down in the past decade. I put a push button in my basement door as well, but not the simplex. I cannot recall the brand, but ultra hardware is another firm.
Here is the issue with these locks and this is why people should consider a mortise with a deadbolt or a smart lock deadbolt: to close, these locks have a retractable latch. They also have a safety on them so that when the door is closed and the latch is extended in its properly fitted latch plate, the safety is depressed and locks the latch in the extended position, making it a dead latch. Here is the issue on the gate: it will be very very difficult to attach the required latch plate or size the existing steel/iron so it works with the latch plate or latch safety. Short of this, someone can take a credit card or piece of thin flexible steel and force that latch open.
This is less an issue on wood frames because we can add wood or remove wood as needed to install the latch plate. With steel, it can become a welding proj ect as well. It takes skilled metal workers.
Look for something with a deadbolt.
Steve and doorsby are one and the same
dorkofwindsor | 3 years and 8 months ago
i did a mortise lock but maybe i should have done what you are suggesting. like this
https://www.gokeyless.com/product/simplex-1000-pushbutton-door-lock/?attribute_pa_finish=satin-chrome&gclid=CjwKCAjwj8eJBhA5EiwAg3z0m2w99Y11HAcTFKUg_3TJw-7QX5yls5ot0PUvEPNYpI-4WRe8IOCWdxoCbpYQAvD_BwE