I’m looking to install Wifi/Zigabee/Z-Wave door locks on some office doors and am only finding residential deadbolts. These doors don’t require very high security and is used more so for privacy and controlling access to office rooms. People should also be able to open/unlatch pretty quickly (compared to my home deadbolt that takes 3 seconds open and the whole building can hear to move).
I’m simply imagining a knob or handle that just unlocks via the automation, instead of a deadbolt that has to physically move. Also trying to mimic the experience of opening a maget-shut door but without the magic, just the door lock.
Does any one know of a hardware that can do this?
You are probably looking at smart locks in this style then:
I am not sure if this specific model works with HA but it is wifi based, for higher security and better user access management in a commercial environment you want to look at the unifi lock and smart card system if you also have a unifi system already in place.
Installing a door release solenoid in each door will involve a lot of wiring, or batteries that need changing. Wiring door jambs to a central location to get switched may be the most cost effective in the long run.
The best time to do this is during an office fitout.
If your internal office door jambs are aluminium, feeding the wires from the false ceiling down inside the hollow channeling can be surprisingly easy and result in a neat finish. From the outside, the door locks look the same. String the wires back to a locked utilities cupboard, and add your automation relays there, one for each door.
Locked utilities cupboard? Yes, as you can bypass the locks to the door by jumpering the wires in the cupboard. Of course lifting a ceiling tile and getting to the wires up thete is also a vulnerability, so embed in conduit or add a tamper wire that is alarmed for open/closed circuit.
As @TH3xR34P3R said, i strongly recommend you go with the Unifi Door Access Kit. You can start with just the door access. But eventually you’ll buy into their network, camera, and phone ecosystem. I have it installed on my apartment complex and love it. Integrates with home assistant beautifully too.
You have two options:
or
I went with option B, its marketed as gate access because, yes it can open gates and doors. I use this mostly because of the size of the device suits main entry access more. I have several of their cameras as well and i love it!
Do keep in mind with either of their kits you’ll need one of their gateways to go with it as well. Gateways run the software in your case you’ll be running two (Unifi Access: Manage door settings passcodes etc, Unifi Protect: Manages the recordings from the camera on the door) Yes the software is free to use.
You have serval options but these are ones i recommend:
or
I personally went option B, and regret it go option A and youll thank me later on.