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Hey guys, just after a couple of recommendations to secure two grate style doors/gates with the smartest style of lock that will both fit and suit the position of the gates. The first gate is our external pedestrian entry onto our property. It is the thicker of the two at around four cm thick so really it is about what lock is weatherproof enough whilst being the smartest possible. The gate is 100% in the open, although it is somewhat sheltered from super heavy winds or rain. Both sides of the gate regularly get wet in the rain.
The second is a gate at the end of a breezeway that divides the house from the garage. It is undercover, but both sides will still get wet in heavy rainfall with lots of wind, but it's not in the direct rain. this gate is slightly thinner at about 2.3 cm thick.
Do you have suggestions on lock types? Ideally they would be the smart lock style as opposed to the push pin coded style, as I have a 10 and a 12-year-old who are likely to either give the code away or allow it to be seen by friends and others in the neighborhood. I don't particularly want a key as the primary unlocking method.
Hi @owen2,
The main challenge you’ll face with smart locks, or any lock for that matter, on your gates isn’t so much the style of lock, but the actual mounting surface. Most standard locks are designed to be fixed onto a solid, flat area that’s at least 60mm wide. The gates you’ve shown don’t provide enough flat surface to securely mount a lock as-is. The rail thickness itself isn’t the issue; it’s the limited width that prevents proper installation.
To use a lock on these gates, you would likely need to modify them first. That could involve welding on a metal plate or attaching a timber spacer to create a wider mounting surface. Once that’s done, you can consider a variety of exterior-grade, weatherproof locks that suit your preferred unlocking method. However, you'll find most exterior locks can be undone from the inside, and once again, your style of gate poses an issue, as anyone could simply reach through the gate and unlock the lock by hand.
Are the current keyed locks not functioning, or is your preference just having better ease of access?
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
I am not aware of any smart locks that would suit an exposed situation, as they are designed for sheltered front doors @owen2. The exterior component can take some weather, but the internal side is typically not weather-proof. However, even a Delf Matte Black Push Button Digital Gate Lock Entrance Set only suits standard door thicknesses such as between 33 and 60mm. So you would need the thinner frame to increase its thickness and also make both frames wider, so you have an appropriate surface to mount to. It's quite difficult to mount standard locks to a steel gate frame without quite a bit of adjustment to them.
Mitchell
