Access Control near you

Electrified locks behave in one of two ways when power is lost. A fail-safe lock, such as a magnetic lock, releases when the power goes out, so the door opens freely: good for people inside, but the door is unsecured during the outage. A fail-secure lock, such as most electric strikes and motorized deadbolts, stays locked without power, keeping the door secure from outside while the inside handle or thumb turn still lets people out.

The right choice depends on the door. Exterior doors on a home usually call for fail-secure hardware with mechanical free exit from inside, while a door that must release in an emergency may need fail-safe hardware tied into the fire alarm. Ask the installer what each door does when the power fails, how long the backup battery will carry the system, and how you get in from outside if the controller or battery is dead; a mechanical key or override should always exist.

Whatever locks a door from outside, people inside must be able to leave quickly without a code, a card, a key or special knowledge. Building and fire codes govern how exit doors must open, particularly in buildings with more than one dwelling, and electrified hardware that could hold people in, such as a magnetic lock that needs a button or card to exit, is allowed only under strict conditions. Requirements vary by province, municipality and type of building, so access control on a multiplex or any shared exit needs a design checked against the local code, and sometimes a permit or a conversation with the fire department.

In practice, that means a lever or thumb turn on the inside that opens the door in one motion, no keypad to get out, hardware anyone can operate in the dark or with weak hands, and nothing that keeps a shared exit shut when the power is out or the fire alarm sounds. Secondary suites deserve the same care, since a new lock on a shared door can block another household's only way out.

An access control system gives a landlord a technical way into every unit, but tenancy law decides when it may be used. In Ontario, the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) explains that a landlord must give written notice at least 24 hours before entering, stating the reason, the date and a time of entry between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., with exceptions such as an emergency or a tenant who agrees at the time. In Quebec, the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL) says a landlord must give 24 hours' notice, verbally or in writing, that visits must take place between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., and that urgent repairs can go ahead immediately.

Lock changes are regulated as well. Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act bars a landlord from altering the locking system on a door that gives entry to a unit or the building without giving the tenant replacement keys, and the LTB's guideline adds that there's no charge for them. In Quebec, the TAL states that neither the landlord nor the tenant may change the locks without the other's consent. Moving a building from keys to fobs or codes changes how tenants get in, so plan it with them and hand out working credentials before the switch.

The real advantage of access control is that access belongs to a person rather than a key. Each tenant, family member, cleaner or contractor gets their own code or fob, and the log shows which credential opened which door and when. When someone moves out or loses a fob, you cancel that one credential instead of rekeying every lock.

A wired system has a reader at each door, a controller in a secure indoor spot, electrified hardware such as an electric strike or motorized lock, door contacts that report whether the door is actually closed, and a power supply with a backup battery. The low-voltage cable connecting them is the installer's work. An electric strike also needs a frame that can accept it, so a locksmith or access control installer should assess each door, and outdoor readers and keypads at gates and garages must be rated for cold, wet weather.

A new circuit for a controller, a gate operator or a garage door opener is electrical work: a Licensed Electrical Contractor in Ontario, or a master electrician who is a CMEQ member in Quebec. In Quebec, installing, repairing and maintaining access control systems, like work on electronic locking devices, requires a BSP licence, so ask for the installer's licence before signing.