Nice lock for iron gate door

Hi everyone,

We’d like to replace our lock on our iron gate door under the stoop. What are our options that’s not a typical deadbolt lock? Would like something that look nice, maybe digital or smart?

And is there any material requirement for the lock to be installed to an iron gate? And we need a compatible lockbox too?

Thanks!

here is the issue with someone trying to help you select something without looking at it. we are not sure what this gate was originally set up for and how thick it is so we do not know if it will accept say a modern cylindrical lock – which would include the smarts locks on the market. if it is a thin gate, it may have been made with a pocket for a mortise lock (i worked on one last summer made like this and a marks lock body went right into it) or perhaps altered so a yale type lock can be used on it (which will work on a thinner gate).

at the start of covid, i put a smart lock on a gate for someone. this is not something i do all the time as i would have to run around and look at these and then have some prep work (and that costs money) but this was at the end of a larger job (a restoration of the entry doors) and even though i charged them, it was still a favor as the locksmith would not have wanted to do what they wanted. the gate was so thin that i had to make up some wood (probably marine ply), nicely done and painted black – to build the door out an m ake it thicker. all worked well.

basically what you will need is a gate that is minimum 1 3/8″ thick (maybe 1.5″ thick) to install something modern, a cylindrical lock. if it is not that thick, you will have to shim it as i describe above (and some manufacturers make rings to fit under their locks for this purpose).

keep something else in mind when trying to install these locks on some of these modified gates. sometimes the plates that are welded (added) to the gates are thin steel. that means as you tighten the locks down, drawing the two halves together, that steel can give and allow the lock to move out of alignment. it is a pain in the … and the person doing this should have something in their tool kit to deal with that situation (before they find themselves in that situation). if the steel plates are firm, this will not been an issue.

in short, many of these gates are not made for modern cylindrical locks.

Thanks!