A magnetic door lock, or maglock, holds a door shut with an electromagnet on the frame and a steel plate on the door. There are no moving parts and nothing to wear, which is why maglocks are the usual lock on glass office doors, complex pedestrian gates and controlled doors. The catch is that it needs power to hold, so it is always wired with an exit button and a battery backup. Tell us about the door, and local access control installers and locksmiths will quote you, free and with no obligation.
How a door lock magnet works, and the sizes
The magnet sits under the door head and the armature plate on the door. With power on, the plate is held; cut the power and the door opens. Holding force is the main size:
- About 280 kg (600 lb): the common size for inside doors, glass doors and light gates.
- About 500 kg (1,200 lb): for outside doors, heavy doors and pedestrian gates.
- Outdoor and monitored models: weather-sealed, or with a sensor that reports whether the door is really held.
A magnetic gate lock is the same idea in a weatherproof housing, fitted to a gate post.
Choosing a magnetic door lock
Match the magnet to the door, the frame and how people open it:
- Brackets: glass doors need a U-bracket; inward-opening doors need an L and Z bracket set.
- Voltage: most run on 12 V, some on 12 or 24 V. The power supply must match.
- What opens it: an exit button inside, and a keypad, card reader or intercom outside. That is the start of an access control system.
- Where it lives: coastal and outdoor gates need a sealed, corrosion-resistant model.
Fail-safe, fire escapes and load shedding
A maglock is fail-safe: it releases when power is cut. That is what an escape route needs, and why maglocks on escape doors also get a green emergency break glass that cuts the power. If you need a door to stay locked when the power fails, you want a fail-secure electric strike or a digital lock instead.
Without a battery backup, every maglock opens during load shedding. The power supply should have a battery sized for your longest stage, plus a spare. Common mistakes are a magnet that does not line up with the plate, a cheap supply with no battery, and no mechanical lock for nights when the building is empty.
What affects the price
The magnet is only part of it: add brackets, a power supply and battery, an exit button, a break glass on escape routes, cabling and labour. Ask the installer to list each item and say how long the battery will hold the door. A good locksmith or installer will also check the door closes fully every time.
What to include in your request
- How many doors or gates, and their material
- Which way each door opens
- Exit button, keypad, card reader or intercom
- Whether it is on an escape route
- Hours of battery backup you need
Magnetic Door Locks for different clients
- Homeowners: a maglock on the pedestrian gate, opened from the house with an intercom button
- Complexes, estates and body corporates: a 500 kg magnetic gate lock on the pedestrian gate, with a reader for residents
- Offices, shops and practices: a 280 kg maglock on a glass shopfront or reception door with an exit button inside
- Landlords and letting agents: maglocks on the shared entrance of a block of flats, held through load shedding by a battery
- Factories, warehouses and workshops: magnetic locks on the office and staff doors of a factory, released by a break glass
- Farms and smallholdings: a sealed maglock on the gate to the farmhouse yard, opened from the kitchen
- Schools, clinics, churches and hostels: maglocks on school, clinic and church doors that must release on the fire escape route
- Builders, shopfitters and contractors: access control installers and electricians fitting maglocks across new office fit-outs
Frequently asked questions
How much does a magnetic door lock cost?
Does a door lock magnetic system open in a power cut?
Which is better, 280 kg or 500 kg?
Do you install maglocks?
Magnetic Door Locks by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg