We have a unusual situation, our front door, is two narrow french doors due to the steps in front of them. We can’t have them swing outward. The left door latched at the top/bottom and the right door is deadbolt into the left door. See attached images.
I need to unlock/lock two deadbolts with a single zwave devise but also as a backup have a single key. I would like to be able to open both doors with a single lock pad. If I can deadbolt the left into the right and right into the left, I feel it should be bolted into each other is secure, any input on that thought is appreciated.
Input on any devices that could help is much appreciated!!
You have picked a doozy of a challenge there. I can't think of anything off the shelf that will easily solve your problem. This would be a completely custom solution. Any possible solution I can think of, admittedly not fully engineered, would require a major physical modification (read: deconstruction) of at least one door. I would try to live with what you have for now, and pick some other smaller hills to climb for now. I wish there was an easy solution for this, but I can't think of one.
I actually don't quite understand your original post.
So, you're saying going to add another dead bolt to the door that doesn't have one right now?
Isn't any smart deadbolt with key will do?
For example, get 2 Kwikset Zigbee/Z-wave deadbolts with Smartkey.
You can re-key both deadbolt to the same key yourself. That's the backup key that can open both.
And use the rule you mention: if lock A unlocks, unlock lock B” and vis-à-versa.
Interesting problem. I am confused however with how with this door setup a deadbolt will work at all. You have to have something that secures the doors to the floor or ceiling. A deadbolt without floor or ceiling bolts will allow the bolt to simply slide out of the striker when both doors are pulled at the same time. usually in a double door situation, one door is secured by a floor or ceiling bolt making it stationary and the deadbolt would use the "fixed" door to make the bolt/striker secure. In your case, however if both doors need to open, that will eliminate that "one fixed door" solution for a deadbolt to work. You will have to have a bolting mechanism that has rods that go down to the floor or ceiling or both that are then activated by some sort of mechanism. Otherwise the doors will not lock at all.
Here is an idea... this mechanism doesn't look like it is sturdy enough for the job but the mechanics look interesting. Watch the video of how it works.
One other possibility would be to install a magnetic locking system similar to below and control the automation with a relay. The magnetic bars install on the top of each door and the magnet is released by a control panel with relays.... Just a thought
Interesting solutions, the magnets locks might be a solution, and the mechanical ones would work but would have to slightly reconfigure for push in vs pull out, but would work. I’m going to look for a zwave magnetic solution and go from there.
