An intercom door release is the electric strike or electric lock in the shared street door that opens when a resident presses the button upstairs; when the intercom door release is not working, the cause is either in the strike and the door, which a locksmith repairs, or in the intercom wiring and panel, which an electrician or the intercom company repairs.
A courier is at the street door, you press the button, you hear the buzz, and the door stays shut. Or you hear nothing at all. In an Amsterdam apartment building with six flats on one street door, this is the complaint that lands with the VvE or the property manager every month. It helps to know which half of the system has failed.
How the system works
The intercom panel at the door sends a signal to the flats. The button in the flat sends power back down to an electric strike in the door frame, or to an electric lock in the door. The strike releases the latch for a few seconds; the visitor pushes the door open. The lock, the cylinder and the door closer are separate parts.
Three quick checks
- You hear the buzz, but the door does not open: the strike releases but the latch is stuck or misaligned. That is a door and lock problem.
- You hear nothing and the panel is dead: no power or a wiring fault. That is an intercom problem.
- It works for some flats and not for others: the button or the wiring in those flats, so again the intercom.
A fourth clue: if the door is hard to push open even when unlocked with a key, the closer or the hinges are the cause.
What the locksmith repairs
Everything in and around the door: the strike, the latch, the lock case, the cylinder, the hinges and the closer. A worn strike is replaced; a dropped door is realigned. Our lock repair service covers the shared street door as well as flat doors. If keys to the street door are missing, the cylinder is replaced too; our blog on losing the key to a shared street door explains that.
What the intercom company repairs
The panel, the handsets, the wiring and the power supply. If the strike receives no power, no locksmith can make it release. Call the intercom company when the panel is dead; call us when the buzz is there but the door does not open.
For the VvE: a street door that keeps failing
A street door that fails every few months usually has a mechanical cause: a closer that slams the door onto the strike, a dropped door, a light strike on a heavy door. Fixing the door once saves the building a call out every quarter. We tell you on site which part is at fault and confirm the price before we start.
Frequently asked questions
The buzzer sounds but the door stays shut. Who do I call?
A locksmith. The release works; the latch or the door is stuck or misaligned.
The panel is dead. Who do I call?
The intercom company or an electrician. Without power the strike cannot release.
What is an electric strike?
The part in the frame that holds the latch and lets it go when the button in the flat is pressed.
Can the street door still be opened with a key?
Yes. The mechanical cylinder works independently of the intercom. If it does not, that is a lock problem.
Does Locksmith Amsterdam repair shared street doors for a VvE?
Yes. Call +31 (0)20 210 1986. We repair the strike, the latch, the closer and the cylinder, and confirm the price before we start.
Street door release not working? Call Locksmith Amsterdam on +31 (0)20 210 1986. We check the strike, the latch and the door on site and confirm the price before we start.
