I live in Victorian tenement flat, there are 6 flats within the block.
Currently there is no door entry system in place. Firstly, is this a
DIYable job or should i get a pro in? Secondly, does anyine have any
recommendations about a system and a rough idea of cost?

TIA

Gerry

"Cuprager" wrote in message
...
I live in Victorian tenement flat, there are 6 flats within the block.
Currently there is no door entry system in place. Firstly, is this a
DIYable job or should i get a pro in? Secondly, does anyine have any
recommendations about a system and a rough idea of cost?
TIA
Gerry

My elderly and now infirm aunt lives in a block of flats "protected" by an
electrically controlled door entry system, complete with spring closure
devices. She now finds it very difficult indeed to negotiate the doors,
and far prefers to enter and leave her flat via her patio door, even though
that has its own difficulties. Others don't have the patio option.
Whatever system you go for, please give consideration to people who may be
infirm, and think carefully as to which way the doors open etc., and how
strong any spring closures really have to be. It's not much fun being under
effective house arrest as a result of the introduction of well meant but
poorly thought out features.

--
M Stewart
Milton Keynes, UK
http://www.megalith.freeserve.co.uk/oddimage.htm

Cuprager wrote:
I live in Victorian tenement flat, there are 6 flats within the block.
Currently there is no door entry system in place. Firstly, is this a
DIYable job or should i get a pro in? Secondly, does anyine have any
recommendations about a system and a rough idea of cost?

Don't say where you are, the last replacement (June 2004) here in
central London cost around £750 for fitting new locks and a door closer.
The year before we put in a new entryphone at a cost of £600.

The present lock is a CISA electricly operated latch. It is quite solid
and dosn't require too much force to latch properly. All the same it
needs to be backed up with a heavy duty door closer to ensure it always
shuts. Having a heavy spring on a door can be awkward but I have come
home too often to find the door hasn't closed properly, and we have had
four burglaries caused by people slipping in when the door hasn't latched.

I think these things can be something of a mixed blessing. I have been
managing my block on behalf of the residents association for twenty
years now, most of the maintenance and security problems concern the
locking of the front door.

In an ideal world everyone would treat the common front door with as
much care as the door to their own flat. But it doesn't happen and some
people, with varying degrees of justification don't like going up and
down stairs to open the door.

If there is no door closing mechanism then some residents (or visitors)
will not shut the door properly. If there is a door closer then it seems
to encourage the view that it is public door and closing it is always
somebody else's problem. The damping on door closers varies with the
weather, too warm and its too fast, disturbing everyone and damaging the
hinges, too cold and it will close slowly with insufficient force to
work the latch.

It was after last June when I came back from holiday to find my flat and
a neighbours flat broken into and the front door not properly closed
(sticking in wet weather and I'm not around to do something about it)
that we put the CISA on. But there is also a deadlock too with a sign
saying "keep locked" and I make a point of always setting the deadlock
on when I go out or come in. If I can walk down four flights to open the
door to the postman etc, then my lazy neighbours on the ground and first
floor can do the same.

--
David Clark

$message_body_include ="PLES RING IF AN RNSR IS REQIRD"

"Cuprager" wrote
| I live in Victorian tenement flat, there are 6 flats
| within the block.
| Currently there is no door entry system in place.
| Firstly, is this a DIYable job or should i get a pro
| in?

It is diyable; the electrical work is fairly simple, no more difficult than
wiring up telephones (but a bit different, so read the instructions). It
gets more involved when you have larger installations, intercom etc.

| Secondly, does anyine have any recommendations about
| a system and a rough idea of cost?

For a pro installation, about £100 per flat assuming mains supply existing.
Depends on how much work is needed to flush in the panel and fit the lock
release.

Others have mentioned problems with door closers. The standard (cheapest)
electric lock is a solenoid-released latch, that 'fails secure'. This does
require a fairly strong closing spring to shut the door hard enough to
latch. It also means that in the absense of electric power (power cut or a
fire) the door remains locked shut. An alternative is a magnetic lock, which
holds the door shut by electromagnets in the frame. This needs a much
gentler closing spring, as all the spring has to do is push the door closed
onto the electromagnet. This sort needs a press-to-exit button inside the
door. In the event of power failure it 'fails safe' ie the door will be
unlocked.

It is also possible to put a switch on the door wired to LEDs in the
handsets to give a visual 'door open' indication. This is more common on
public sector housing.

Another option is if you have stair lights on push button timers, you can
have a button on the handsets wired through a relay to the stair lighting
system so you can switch on the stair lights from inside the flat (useful if
you have door spyholes).

Remember that if you are ordering a 6-call system for the flats you will
need a 7-button panel if you want a trades timer for the postie. Trades
timers are a bit of a liability though especially now the post comes at all
hours of the day.

www.safelink.co.uk stock most major makes; I am fairly happy with the Urmet
system installed in my block. The manufacturer whose name has become generic
is Entryphone - www.entryphone.co.uk

A small CCTV camera can be placed within or near the entry panel and its
signal modulated into the communal aerial system, this saves the cost of
video handsets.

Owain

On Thu, 24 Feb 2005 12:29:08 +0000, Cuprager wrote:

I live in Victorian tenement flat, there are 6 flats within the block.
Currently there is no door entry system in place. Firstly, is this a
DIYable job or should i get a pro in? Secondly, does anyine have any
recommendations about a system and a rough idea of cost?

TIA

Gerry


these folk are decent www.bptautomation.co.uk/entry
regards
bob