ᐅ Front Door – PVC or Aluminum

This is very important and convenient for me. Unfortunately, I often forget my keys. Since I can no longer hide them in the garden for the house, we will definitely have a door with fingerprint scanner. And with a remote control. That’s the ultimate luxury for me. Being able to open the door from the car without having to put down all the bags and groceries or search for the keys when standing at the door (we don’t have direct access from the garage to the house). We’ve already gotten used to this for the car, and it will be just as great for the house—I’m really looking forward to it.

You still have the key for the door in case of a power outage. But seriously, how often and for how long do power outages usually last?

How long does it take and how does it work if you want to open a motorized lock door from the inside?

Pressing the door handle down and going out takes just as long as opening an unlocked door.

Only the effort required is a bit higher – but nothing major (my 2-year-old son can still open it).

By the way, we also decided to skip the lock on the front door – it simply looks better that way.

Sebastian79 schrieb:
Pressing the handle down and going out takes just as long as opening an unlocked door.

The force needed is slightly higher—but nothing difficult (my 2-year-old son can still open it).

By the way, we also skipped the lock on the front door—it simply looks better visually. .

Thanks.

How do you open your door; just with your finger or also with a remote control? What happens in case of a power outage?

We can open the door with both methods – during a power outage, I can’t get through the front door, so I go through the garage instead.

Apart from that, I can’t remember any power outages in recent years – such a thing would have to happen exactly when I want to get into the house. Too many coincidences.

sirhc schrieb:
Could you explain that a bit more? I find it very interesting, but I don’t think I fully understand it.

Self-locking: Does that mean you need to supply power to the door and it automatically locks every time you close it using some kind of motorized lock? If so, what happens during a power outage? What exactly does “panic” refer to in this context?

Opening at the push of a button: Is that a hand sensor like a remote control? Or how does the sensor, if it’s permanently installed next to the door, know that you are authorized to open it? Or is it automatically combined with the fingerprint scanner? Then I would understand it.

I generally like the idea of doing away with keys. But I wonder if the added convenience justifies the extra cost, and I’m concerned that “electronic” systems might be easier to bypass than traditional mechanical locks. I’m quite torn on this issue.

Thanks and regards

There is a cable coming from the door, and our electrician attached a Schuko plug to it, which just plugs into a normal power outlet. You could also connect it directly to the wiring, but the plug is convenient since you can simply unplug it—so either way works fine.

The lock is a motorized lock that automatically locks when you close the door. Opening it from the inside is easy with the handle. If there is a power outage, you can still open it normally from the inside, but it won’t lock automatically—you would need to lock it manually with a key. We have experienced this once so far. When the door is closed, it is always locked, but if there is a power outage, it won’t unlock automatically. Only if you leave the house during a power outage would you need to lock it manually, just like with a conventional door.

By “push of a button,” I mean the radio remote control. It’s like a small fob you carry on your keychain, similar to a car remote. It uses a rolling code system, meaning the code changes with every use, so it’s secure. If someone steals the key, it’s just like a car key—you can enter the house if you have it. So, it works similarly to a traditional door key. It is more secure if combined with a fingerprint scanner, which we also have. I never take a key with me when I leave the house. My husband carries the remote because he works in a chemical lab and has damaged fingers; the fingerprint scanner is very unreliable for him. For me, it works every time, so I don’t have to carry or lose keys anymore. The fingerprint scanner can register many fingerprints, I think up to 100. The control unit is built into the door, although there are also systems that can be installed in the main electrical panel. With this system, I can also open up to four additional doors or garage doors with the same remote (4 channels, 4 buttons). We plan to make use of that eventually. For now, our garage doors are manual.

I believe the radio remote with rolling code is more secure than a regular lock that can be drilled. However, burglars probably won’t choose the front door as their entry point anyway. Regarding losing keys, the fingerprint method is definitely more secure because, first, you don’t lose your finger, and second, the scanner reads deep tissue layers, not just surface patterns, so it can’t be “copied” with adhesive tape or similar methods. On the other hand, the remote is as secure or insecure as a normal metal key—if you lose it, whoever finds it can get in.

The convenience gain for me is huge: no annoying keys to lose, no searching for them, and the door is always locked (before, I used to just close it casually). Opening the door by pushing a button is very practical too.

The complete technology package cost about 2000 euros (motorized lock, control system, remote, fingerprint scanner). We also bought a wireless button that can be installed anywhere without wiring, allowing us to open the door remotely for guests without having to go to the door ourselves. That cost 200 euros.