Know-how
Front doors in shared buildings
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Issue of contention: locking up at night
The number of newly built apartments in shared buildings surpassed the number of single and two-family homes in 2015 with the number of single-family homes sinking in large cities in particular. In Germany, the average apartment building is 42 years old, with many going without any form of modernisation for decades. The building entrance doors are often not in line with the latest technology and many tenants don’t know just what kind of products are available in door security today.
Apartment tenants in shared buildings have perhaps already encountered the dilemma: should the front entrance be locked at night or not? Locking the door is always the safest solution to protect against uninvited guests. But what if people need to leave the building quickly in the event of danger and there’s no key to hand? Or forgetting to lock the door may even spark a dispute among the community of tenants. There is a simple solution that can provide security while saving energy costs: the automatic multipoint locking system.
Secure automatic locks – keep your neighbours happy
Automatic locking systems have already established themselves as the standard in sophisticated door construction. Their automatic function provides reliable locking and protects against uninvited guests. Simply pull the door shut and the secondary locks at the top and bottom lock fully automatically – you don’t have to lift a finger.
The door can then be opened easily from the inside using the handle. Opening from the outside requires a cylinder key. The permanent three-point locking system also protects against door warping and offers long-lasting seal tightness.
Another plus: Equipping the front door with a motorised automatic lock allows users to open doors using an access control system or via an intercom system from the inside. Integrating access controls, such as finger scanners or cloud access solutions, offers more convenience and increased security. The doors can also be optionally opened via radio (e.g. using radio key) for selected persons.
With an automatic multipoint locking system, the door is securely locked at all times – the days of tedious locking up at night are over. Those who still like to lock up at night, e.g. because there is only one mortise lock available, should note the following.
Court decision: Entrance doors to shared buildings must not be locked!
Housing regulations for many shared buildings state: “The front entrance must be locked between 22:00 and 6:00.” This provides an increased sense of security as it prevents any potential break-ins. However, this obligation to lock the door is both ineffective and illegal. This was the decision of the Frankfurt am Main district court (Case no. 2-13 S 127/12, 12 May 2015).
According to the decision, entrances cannot be locked where escape by residents/visitors in the event of a fire or other emergency situation would only be possible using a key, as this is often not at hand in panic situations. The door must only be locked if it can be opened from the inside without a key.
Special panic locks for emergency exits and escape routes meet this requirement. FUHR offers a wide range of solutions here for all security and convenience needs: from panic mortise locks and panic multipoint locking systems to fully motorised multipoint locking systems with built-in panic function.
