Access Control Systems

With keys, a lost key means rekeying. With an access control system, a lost fob means deleting one credential. That single difference is why so many businesses, property managers and institutions move their main doors to fobs or cards. We install and look after access control across Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, and because we’re locksmiths first, we make sure the door itself works as well as the electronics.

The parts of a system

• Credentials: key fobs, cards or, on some systems, a phone. Each one is tied to a person.
• Readers: at the door, they read the credential and pass it along for a decision.
• The decision: software or a controller that knows who is allowed through which door and when.
• Locking hardware: an electric strike, an electrified lockset or exit device, or a self-contained electronic lock that releases when access is granted.

Adding and removing access

This is the day-to-day benefit. A new hire gets a fob programmed with the doors they need. A contractor gets one that works for the week of the job and then stops. When someone leaves without returning their fob, or loses it in a parking lot, it is removed from the system and becomes useless. No cylinders change, nobody else’s key is affected, and many systems keep a record of which credential opened which door.

Access levels and times

Most systems let you build groups. Office staff open the front entrance and their suite. Warehouse staff open the shipping doors and the lunchroom. Cleaners open common areas from 6 pm to 10 pm, and their fobs do nothing at 3 am. The front entrance can unlock itself during business hours and lock itself at close. Setting these up thoughtfully at the start saves a lot of one-off requests later.

Planning a system

Before choosing hardware, it helps to answer a few questions. Which doors need control now, and which might later? Who will manage the system day to day: an office manager, a property manager, or a head office somewhere else? Do you need a record of entries for insurance or compliance? Are there doors where running cable is out of the question? The answers decide between a wired system, a wireless one, or a mix, and they keep the first phase from boxing in the second.

SMARTair wireless access

Running cable to every door is often the most expensive and disruptive part of access control, especially in finished offices or older masonry buildings. SMARTair, from dormakaba, solves much of that with battery-powered electronic locks and wall readers that mount on the door or beside it. They suit interior offices, storage rooms and multi-tenant buildings where a fully wired system would mean opening walls and ceilings. We install SMARTair readers and locks and set up the access rules to match how you use the building.

Power, exits and safety

Electrified hardware has to behave sensibly when the power goes out. Some hardware is fail-safe, unlocking without power; some is fail-secure, staying locked. Which one belongs on a door depends on whether it is an exit route, what the fire alarm needs to do, and what the building code and fire officials expect. Free egress matters too: people must be able to leave without a fob. We plan each door with those questions in mind.

The door still has to latch

A fob reader is wasted on a door that doesn’t close. Worn closers, sagging hinges and misaligned strikes are the most common reason an access-controlled door sits unlocked. We look after the commercial door hardware side as part of the job, and we keep a mechanical key override, often on your master key system, for the times you need it.

“Cote Lock has unlocked my heart! I use to hate dealing with locksmiths and security companies for my lock and access control needs as they were always impersonal and arrogant until now. Cote Lock has been a great asset to fulfil these requirements, whether it’s needed next week or immediately they are always there to help.” (Bryan Reichard, Hoerbiger Finestamping)

For a single office door or a small shop, a keypad lock may be enough. For more doors and more people, send us your layout for a quote or call 519-894-7055.