An electric strike and a magnetic lock solve the same basic problem, releasing a door remotely, on a signal, instead of requiring a mechanical key, but they do it in ways different enough that choosing between them isn't a matter of preference. One replaces a standard strike plate with an electrified version that releases its keeper on command while the door's regular lock keeps functioning normally. The other holds the door shut entirely through magnetic force between an armature plate and an electromagnet, with no mechanical latch involved at all. That difference in mechanism drives almost every other decision that follows, starting with the one that matters most.
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None of this hardware gets installed on instinct. What happens to the door when power fails is a specific, deliberate choice with life-safety consequences, and it's made before a single wire gets run.
Fail-safe means the door unlocks the instant power is lost, for any reason, outage, fire alarm activation, a cut wire. Fail-secure means the opposite: the door stays locked through a power loss and only releases when power is present and a valid signal is sent. These are not marketing terms and they are not interchangeable based on which one sounds more secure. On any door that serves as a required means of egress, code requires fail-safe operation, because a locked exit during a power failure, often the exact moment a fire alarm has also triggered, is a life-safety violation, not a debatable design choice. On an interior door that isn't an egress path, protecting something like a server room or a cash office, fail-secure is frequently the correct call, since staying locked through an outage is the entire point of putting it there.
An electric strike replaces the fixed keeper in a standard strike plate with a pivoting or retracting one, released by a solenoid on signal. The door's actual lock, a mortise or cylindrical lockset, still functions mechanically the entire time; the strike only controls whether its keeper holds the latch or lets it swing free. That means an electric strike can be paired with hardware that already satisfies panic-hardware or fire-rated requirements, since the mechanical release path for someone exiting never depends on the electric component at all.
A magnetic lock has no latch, no bolt, no moving parts to wear, just an electromagnet mounted to the frame holding an armature plate on the door with several hundred to over a thousand pounds of holding force, depending on the unit. That strength is also exactly why maglocks carry additional code requirements on egress doors that electric strikes don't: because there's no mechanical latch a panic bar or lever can override, a maglock on an egress door has to release through a request-to-exit device or a fire alarm interconnect, and typically needs a clearly marked, independently powered emergency release button within reach of the door. Skipping any of that turns a maglock into exactly the kind of locked exit fail-safe hardware is supposed to prevent.
A request-to-exit device, a motion sensor above the door, or a mechanical switch built into a panic bar, signals the access control system that someone inside is leaving, releasing the maglock or strike without ever requiring a card, code, or key. It's the piece that lets a magnetically locked door satisfy code-free egress at all, and it has to trigger reliably before someone reaches the door, not after they've already walked into it expecting it to open.
A door position switch tells the system whether the door is actually closed, which matters because a maglock or strike can't securely hold what isn't fully shut against it, a door left ajar an inch reports as unsecured even if the access system thinks it locked. Behind all of it sits the power supply, sized to the current draw of the lock hardware and, on fail-safe egress applications, typically backed by a battery so the door still behaves correctly through a brief outage rather than being at the mercy of the exact moment utility power drops.
Fail-safe or fail-secure isn't a setting you adjust later, it's decided by what the door protects and whether it's part of the exit path, before installation ever starts. Call (407) 792-1378 to work through which configuration applies to a specific door.
← All Security & Access Hardware servicesYes, but only with a request-to-exit device, fire alarm interconnect, and typically an independently powered emergency release button, a maglock installed without those on an egress door doesn't meet code.
If it's part of the building's required egress path, code determines fail-safe for you. Interior, non-egress doors are decided based on what's being protected and whether staying locked through an outage is actually the goal.
No, because the mechanical lock and latch still function independently of the electric strike, egress through a panic bar or lever generally doesn't depend on the electric release path at all.
A fire-rated door is built to hold back fire and smoke for a set period, and it only does that job if it stays latched. That creates a rule that surprises a lot of people: an electric strike on a fire-rated door generally has to be a fire-rated strike, and it generally has to be fail-secure. If the strike released its latch when power dropped during a fire, the door could swing open and let fire and smoke spread through the building. People inside can still exit through the lockset or panic hardware, which works mechanically regardless of the strike, so egress is preserved while the door stays latched.
Before any electrified hardware goes on a door, check whether the door and frame are fire-rated. There is usually a label on the hinge edge of the door and on the frame, stamped metal or a plastic tag. Painting over it does not remove the rating. Cutting a rated frame for the wrong strike can void the rating, so the strike must be listed for use on that kind of door and installed the way its listing requires.
Electric strikes come in several body styles, and the right one depends on the lock already on the door and the frame it will go into.
Voltage and current matter too. Most strikes run on 12 or 24 volts. Many can be set for either, and many are available in versions that run on alternating or direct current. Alternating current strikes often buzz while energized, which some businesses use as a signal to visitors that the door has been released. Direct current strikes are quiet. Continuous duty strikes are designed to stay energized for long periods, which matters on fail-safe doors that are powered all day.
The most common complaint we hear about an electric strike is that it clicks but the door does not open. In most cases, the strike is working. The problem is preload, which means the latch is pressing against the strike's keeper with enough force that the keeper cannot swing clear. Tight weather stripping, a door pulled shut by a strong closer, air pressure pushing the door outward, or a person pulling on the handle before the strike releases can all cause it.
The fix is usually mechanical rather than electrical: adjusting the strike position so there is a small gap between the latch and the keeper, lightening the closer, or choosing a strike rated to release under preload. When a strike is replaced because it seems dead and the new one does the same thing, preload is almost always the reason.
A maglock only delivers its rated holding force when the magnet and armature plate meet flat and full face. The armature is designed to pivot slightly on its mounting bolt, using a rubber washer or bushing, so it can settle flat against the magnet even if the door is not perfectly square. Tightening that bolt all the way removes the float, and the lock holds with a fraction of its rated force. We see this often on installations done in a hurry.
Door swing matters too. On an out-swinging door, the magnet mounts under the header on the push side, which is the simplest case. On an in-swinging door, brackets are needed to bring the magnet and armature into position, and those brackets have to be strong enough not to flex, or the holding force drops. On glass doors, special armature mounts are used so nothing drills through the glass.
Magnet faces and armature plates are steel, often with a protective coating. In Florida humidity, especially on exterior doors and gates, surface rust forms on those faces over time. A little rust or grime between the faces leaves a small air gap, and even a thin gap reduces holding force a lot. Wiping the faces clean periodically and checking that the armature still lies flat keeps the lock performing. Exterior maglocks should be models rated for outdoor use, with sealed electronics, because moisture inside the housing will shorten its life.
Heat affects power supplies and electronics more than the magnet itself. A power supply mounted in an unventilated space above a ceiling in summer can run hot enough to fail early. Placing it somewhere with some airflow, and choosing a supply with some headroom above what the locks draw, keeps it from running at its limit every day.
Across Central Florida, condominium buildings, apartment communities and HOAs use maglocks and electric strikes on pool gates, fitness rooms, clubhouses and lobby entrances, usually controlled by fobs or keypads. These doors see heavy use by residents, weather, and plenty of propping open. Pool gates in particular live in sun and rain, and they often need to close and latch on their own for safety reasons. A maglock on a gate that does not close fully does nothing, so the gate's hinges and closer are part of the system.
When a community gate or amenity door stops working, the cause is often simple: a failed power supply, a cut or corroded wire, a card reader that lost its programming after a power surge, or an armature that has shifted out of line. Fixing the hardware side is locksmith work. Reprogramming the access control system may require the company that manages it or someone with access to its software.
Central Florida gets a lot of lightning, and access control systems are sensitive to power surges. A nearby strike can knock out a power supply, a controller or a reader, even if the lock itself survives. Surge protection on the power feeding the system and proper grounding reduce the damage. Battery backup keeps doors behaving correctly through short outages.
Long outages after a hurricane raise a planning question. Fail-safe doors will unlock once the battery backup runs out. If a door protects something important and it is fail-safe for egress reasons, the building needs a plan for securing it mechanically during an extended outage, such as a manager with a key who can lock the mechanical hardware. Fail-secure doors will stay locked, so whoever needs to get in after the storm needs a mechanical key override that actually works. Test those overrides before storm season.
An electric strike sits in the frame, which is fixed, so running wire to it is usually simple. Electrified locksets and exit devices sit in the door, which moves, so power has to cross the gap between frame and door. That is done with a power transfer hinge, which carries wires through the hinge, or with an armored door loop, a flexible metal conduit that bridges the gap. Exposed wire across a door gap wears through quickly and is easy to cut, so it should never be left that way.
On aluminum storefront frames and hollow metal frames, wire has to be fished through the frame, sometimes through tight spaces with other wiring. Planning the route before cutting avoids damaging the frame or running wire where it can be pinched.
Access control projects often involve several trades. The locksmith handles the door hardware: strikes, maglocks, exit devices, closers, and the mechanical fit of everything on the door and frame. An access control or security integrator may handle the controllers, readers and software. A fire alarm contractor handles any connection that releases doors when the fire alarm activates. An electrician may run power to the location. Knowing who is responsible for each part avoids gaps where nobody checks the connection between the door and the system.
Tell us the door material and frame type, whether the door is fire-rated, what lock or exit device is on it now, which way it swings, and whether it is part of an exit path. If there is an existing access control system, note the brand and who manages it. Photos of the door edge, the frame where the latch meets it, and the header above the door answer most of our first questions.
One of the most common small business setups in Orlando is a front door that stays locked while staff are inside, with a button at the reception desk that releases it for visitors. Medical offices, insurance agencies, salons and small professional offices use this to control who walks in without leaving someone to stand at the door. An electric strike is usually the best fit here. It works with the existing lever or storefront lock, so staff can still leave by turning the handle, and the door behaves normally when the strike is not powered, depending on how it is set up.
A buzz-in system can be as simple as a button and a power supply, or it can add a video intercom so reception sees who is at the door before releasing it. The details worth deciding up front: whether the door should unlock during business hours on a schedule, whether staff need a keypad or fob to enter from outside, and what should happen during a power outage.
A few quick checks can save a service visit or at least speed one up. If a door stopped releasing, check whether other doors on the same system also stopped. If they all did, the problem is likely the power supply or controller, not the lock. If only one door is affected, look at the latch and strike for signs of rubbing, and try releasing the door while pushing it gently closed to take pressure off the latch. For a maglock that will not hold, check whether the armature is sitting flat and whether anything is stuck between the faces. Note any lights or beeps on the reader or the power supply. Those details help us narrow down the cause quickly.
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