Key takeaways
- No-cut electric strikes are crucial parts of electronic access control systems. They house the keeper inside of the locking mechanism. This way, you can avoid cutting into the doorframe to install them.
- A no-cut strike uses a smaller keeper positioned at an angle. Traditional strikes use larger keepers positioned on a doorframe instead of inside of it.
- The benefits of installing no-cut strikes include more pleasing aesthetics and reduced risk of somebody entering a secured room by tampering with the keeper.
- However, no-cut strikes are more mechanically complex and might be prone to failure more often.
- As an alternative to a no-cut strike, you can install either a traditional electric strike or a maglock.
No matter how you choose to manage access to your doors, every piece of hardware has something in common. They depend on an electric strike to actually disengage locks and allow residents and visitors access to your property. But what kind of strike is best for your property? Should you consider no-cut electric strikes?
In this post, we explain what a no-cut electric strike is and how they work. Then, we explain why you should consider using them on your property and offer alternatives.
This post covers:
- What is a no-cut electric strike?
- What are the options for electric strikes?
- How do no-cut electric strikes work?
- Why use no-cut electric strikes on your property?
- Alternatives to a no-cut electric strike
What is a no-cut electric strike?
A no-cut electric strike is a type of electric strike that contains the strike locking mechanism inside the doorframe. Electric strikes are one part of an electronic access control system that empowers residents to use anything from PIN codes to fobs to open doors.
Every type of building can use no-cut strikes. No-cut commercial strikes, residential strikes, and industrial strikes are common features on properties across the country.
Electric strikes are part of an access control system with these parts:
- Credential reader. When residents input a PIN or hold their fob up to a credential reader, the reader verifies that credential and sends a signal to the electric strike. Examples of readers include keypads, vehicle stickers, and even smartphone apps that send wireless signals.
- Control panel. Readers forward credential information to the control panel. Then, if the control panel detects a match within its internal database, it signals the electric strike to open.
- Electric strike. Upon receiving the signal, an electric strike disengages and allows a resident to open the door.
- Door lock. There are electric strike types that fit many common locks. You can use no-cut electric strikes for mortise locks, cylindrical locks, deadbolts, and more.
Do electric strikes work with deadbolts?
Yes, electric strikes work with deadbolts.
In addition to your standard doorknob, no-cut strikes work for many other types of doors. For example, you could have a no-cut electric strike for a push bar, panic bar, or exit device.
What are the options for electric strikes?
There are plenty of options for no-cut electric strikes, but let’s take a look at the most common options.
The best no-cut electric strikes are:
- Trine 4100DBDL electric strike. This option is stainless steel, has two independently activated latches, and is available in left- and right-handed versions. Further, the low current draw of .240 Amp at 12DC makes the strike PoE friendly.
- SECO-LARM no-cut door strike. This door strike has a field-selectable fail-safe or fail-secure option. What’s more, its reversible non-handed design fits both left- and right-handed doors. With an operating temperature of up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, this option is great for hot climates.
- HES 8000 series electric strike. The HES Innovations electric strike has a concealed design that’s great for cylindrical locksets. Its static strength is 1,500 lbs and the dynamic strength is 70 lbs. Furthermore, it’s got a dual voltage of either 12 or 24 VDC/VAC.
Watch an electric strike in action:
How do no-cut electric strikes work?
Typically, a traditional electric strike depends on a mechanical part called a keeper that swings outwards when somebody inputs a credential. Once the keeper swings outwards, the credential holder can push on the door and unlock it.
Previous generations of electric strikes featured large keepers that forced installers to cut away portions of the doorframe to house the keeper. Installers had to know how to cut out strike plates with buzzsaws and use pliers to remove the sawed metal or wood from the frame.
But because no-cut electric strikes are built differently, installers no longer need to cut that section of doorframe away.
Instead of cutting away a doorframe to make room for the keeper, all installers have to do is bolt or snap the locking mechanism into the doorframe.
More specifically, no-cut electric strikes have smaller keepers that are installed at an angle. Then, when the keeper is signaled to unlock, it can retreat into the locking mechanism, rather than out of the door entirely, as in a traditional electric strike.
Why use no-cut electric strikes on your property?
So, you know what a no-cut strike is, but what are its benefits?
Compared to traditional strikes, no-cut electric door strikes have these advantages:
More aesthetically pleasing
Managing a property and keeping it in demand for residents is a tough job. In fact, you never know what might make a resident go with renting from you instead of somebody else.
If you’d like to take firmer control of your property’s interior design, one place you might start is with the keeper that takes up a big part of any electronic-enabled doorframe.
As mentioned above, keepers for no-cut electric strikes are less invasive, making them a more aesthetically pleasing option.
Less risk of tampering with the keeper
Because a traditional electric strike’s keeper is installed on the doorframe, it’s highly visible. Any intruder or unauthorized person looking to gain entry into a room has a target they can easily hone in on.
To increase the security of your property, you can remove the keeper from view with a no-cut strike and present fewer targets to intruders.
Alternatives to no-cut electric strikes
While no-cut door strikes are a great solution, they might not be right for every property. Here are some alternatives that you can consider.
Two alternatives to a no-cut strike include:
1. Traditional electric strikes
Some installers have reported that no-cut electric strikes are harder to install and more prone to failure. While you may not prefer the larger and more visible keeper that pairs with traditional electric strikes, some installers view them as the more secure choice.
2. Maglocks
Maglocks, or magnetic locks, use magnetic force to keep a door closed instead of a physical keeper.
What is the difference between electric strike and maglock?
One of the biggest differences between maglocks and electric strikes is their behavior during a blackout. Maglocks need a constant supply of power to stay magnetized. So, if there’s a blackout, that power is gone, and a maglock-equipped door opens.
In contrast, electric strikes use quick bursts of power to unlock, but they’re dormant the rest of the time. In case of a blackout, an electric strike door will stay closed.
For this reason, maglocks are known as fail-safe locks, because they lock in an emergency. Strikes are called fail-secure locks because they unlock in the same scenario.
