Commercial
Keyless entry for business doors: codes instead of keys
We fit keypad and keyless locks on business doors in place of keyed locks, and set up the codes.
Where
South-eastern Pennsylvania
What we cover
Chester County, Delaware County, Montgomery County, Lancaster County and Philadelphia
How we work
We are a mobile locksmith. We come to you.
What this covers
Keyless entry for a business replaces keys on selected doors with a code. We swap the keyed locks on staff entrances, back doors, offices and storage rooms for keypad and code locks, so the people who use those doors enter a code instead of carrying a key. Codes can be given to each person, changed when staff change, and deleted when someone leaves.
How we approach it
We look at each door first: its thickness, how it is prepared, whether it takes a deadbolt, a lever lock or exit hardware, and how much use it gets. Then we fit a keypad lock that suits the door, set up the codes with you, and test each code along with the backup key that many keypad locks keep for emergencies.
Where it stops
Keyless entry here means stand-alone keypad and code locks fitted to the door. Systems wired into a building network, badge-based systems and alarm connections are outside this work. The lock still depends on a door that closes and latches properly, so a door that sticks or does not close square needs fixing before a keypad lock goes on.
What keyless entry systems covers
Fit keypad and keyless locks on business doors in place of keyed locks, set up and change the codes.
Worth knowing
Give each person their own code. Shared codes spread quickly and cannot be taken back from one person without changing them for everyone. With individual codes, removing a former employee means deleting one code, and the rest of the staff carry on as before.
Batteries keep keypad locks working, and they give warning before they run out, with a light, a beep or a slower response. Change them at the first warning, note when you last did, and keep the backup key somewhere off the premises that a manager can reach. A dead battery should never be the reason a door stays shut.
Keypads show their use. The buttons pressed most wear faster and smudge more, which can hint at the digits in a code. Wipe the keypad now and then and change codes from time to time, especially after contractors or temporary staff have used the door.
Keyless Entry Systems: questions before you call
My shop door has a keyed lever now. What decides which kind of keypad lock can go there?
The door and the lock already on it decide that. We need to know whether you have a bored cylindrical lock, a mortise lock, or a rim setup, because each mounts differently. A narrow aluminum stile, for example, does not take the same hardware shape as a solid wood door, so that detail changes the choices.
What should I tell you on the phone about my office back door before you come out?
The clearest start is the door type, the lock style, and what is on both sides of the door now. Tell us if the back door is metal or wood, whether it has a knob, lever, deadbolt, or panic bar, and whether there are one or two holes in the door face. A phone photo of the inside trim also helps.
I manage a small clinic. What should I have ready before you set up a keypad system?
The most useful thing to have ready is your code plan. Decide who needs the main code, whether you want a separate manager code, and which door the keypad should control. One concrete detail matters right away: if the side entrance is used for deliveries, tell us that, because daily traffic at one door can affect where a keypad makes sense.
I already have a keypad by the stockroom door. How do I tell if this is a code change or a different job?
The hardware tells you which job it is. If the code is entered on the lock itself, that points to a code change or setup on a standalone keypad lock. If the keypad is only a wall unit and the door unlocks through another device, that is a different system. A separate metal strike in the frame is one sign to mention.
I was thinking about keyless entry for our front office. How is that different from a badge or card system?
The difference is in how the door is controlled. A keypad lock is hardware on the door that uses a code at the lock to unlock it. A badge or card system uses readers, credentials, and other equipment beyond the lock itself. If your front office has a reader box mounted beside the door, that is not the same job as replacing a keyed lock with a keypad lock.
