Electric Strikes: A Guide for Perth Homes & Businesses

You're probably dealing with one of two problems right now. Either too many people need access to the same door, or not enough control exists over who's getting in, when, and how. Keys go missing, old tenants keep copies, staff changes create headaches, and a simple front door starts turning into a security weak point.

That's where electric strikes start making sense. They let a door stay mechanically latched while giving you controlled release from a keypad, intercom, card reader, timer, or remote button. In practice, that means you keep the convenience of a normal door handle or lockset, but add electronic control over entry.

They're not a new gimmick. They've been around in one form or another since 1886, when D. Rousseau developed and patented an “electric door opener” for remotely releasing apartment entrance locks, a useful historical marker noted by iDigHardware's review of electric strike history. What has changed is where they fit. They now sit at the centre of many modern access control systems for homes, strata buildings, offices, warehouses, and mixed-use sites across Perth.

Your Introduction to Smarter Access Control

For most property managers, the appeal of electric strikes is simple. You don't need to hand out a pile of keys just to let cleaners in after hours, give contractors temporary access, or manage a front entry used by tenants, staff, and visitors. The door still behaves like a proper door. It latches. It closes. It secures. But authorised people can release it electronically.

That's why this hardware keeps showing up in more projects. The global electric strike market was valued at $2.8 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $5.1 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 6.9%, according to Dataintelo's electric strike market report. You don't need the market forecast to know they're common, but it does show how firmly this technology has moved into mainstream security planning.

In Perth, the attraction is usually practical rather than flashy. A strata entrance needs remote release from an apartment intercom. A commercial tenancy wants staff access by credential instead of key. A warehouse wants a door to stay secure even if someone cuts power. Electric strikes solve those kinds of problems without forcing every opening to use the same hardware strategy.

Where they fit best

Electric strikes are usually strongest when the opening already has, or should have, a proper latch. That matters on doors with regular daily traffic, where you want the door to close and secure itself after each use.

They also work well when you want to connect the entry point to a broader access control system in Perth rather than treat the lock as a standalone item. The strike becomes one part of a bigger setup that can include intercoms, schedules, credentials, and audit trails.

A good electric strike installation doesn't make a door feel more complicated. It makes access easier for authorised people and harder for everyone else.

How Electric Strikes Work The Basics Explained

At a glance, an electric strike looks like a modified strike plate in the frame. The difference is inside it. Instead of a fixed metal opening that receives the latch, it has a movable keeper that can hold or release that latch when power changes its state.

Think of it as a small gatekeeper inside the frame. The lock on the door still does the grabbing. The strike decides whether that latch is being held in place or allowed to swing free.

The basic operating sequence

1. An authorised command is sent
   That command might come from a card reader, keypad, intercom, exit button, timer, or access controller.

2. The internal mechanism changes state
   A low-voltage electrical signal energises the strike's internal solenoid. That action releases or secures the keeper, depending on the strike's configuration.

3. The latch can move past the keeper
   Once released, the latch on the door lock can pass through the strike, so the door opens normally.

4. The strike resets when the door closes
   After the door closes again, the keeper returns to its normal position and captures the latch.

What stays mechanical and what becomes electronic

The key detail many people miss is this. The electric strike usually doesn't replace the lock on the door. It replaces the fixed strike plate in the frame. The lockset, lever set, mortice lock, or compatible exit device on the door still performs the latching function.

That matters because it preserves familiar door behaviour. If someone uses the inside handle, the lock can still operate mechanically. If the access control system gives a release signal, the strike allows entry without requiring someone to physically turn a key from outside.

Why installers care about compatibility

Electric strikes are very sensitive to door hardware matching. A strike has to suit the latch type, frame material, faceplate size, power supply, and the door's intended behaviour during power loss. If one of those pieces is wrong, the door may rattle, bind, fail to latch, or release unreliably.

Practical rule: If the latch and keeper don't meet cleanly and consistently, no amount of programming will fix bad alignment.

In the field, most faults come back to one of three issues:

• Poor frame preparation. The cut-out is too tight, too deep, or out of square.
• Latch mismatch. The strike is chosen for the wrong lock geometry.
• Bad alignment. The door closes, but the latch hits the keeper at the wrong angle.

A well-selected electric strike feels almost invisible in use. People badge, press, or call, and the door releases. A poorly selected one becomes a service call waiting to happen.

Fail-Safe vs Fail-Secure and Other Key Specifications

The most important question in any electric strike discussion is blunt. What should the door do when power fails? If you get that wrong, you can create either a safety problem or a security problem.

The two common operating modes are fail-safe and fail-secure. The names sound similar, but they serve different priorities.

The difference that matters on site

Mode	What happens if power is lost	Best suited to
Fail-safe	The door releases	Openings where life safety and emergency egress take priority
Fail-secure	The door stays locked from the secure side	Areas where asset protection matters during an outage

A fail-safe setup is chosen when occupants must be able to get through the opening automatically during a power loss or emergency release event. A fail-secure setup is chosen when the opening must remain protected even if supply is interrupted.

For most managers, this isn't an abstract hardware decision. It's a site-use decision. A fire escape route and a storeroom should not behave the same way.

Typical applications

• Emergency and egress-sensitive doors often lean toward fail-safe behaviour, subject to the full life-safety design of the opening.
• Tenancy entries, plant rooms, comms rooms, storage areas, and controlled back-of-house spaces often suit fail-secure arrangements.
• Mixed-use buildings commonly use both, depending on the purpose of each door.

This video gives a useful visual overview of the difference in locking logic:

The heavy-duty specifications worth checking

For tougher commercial and industrial openings in Western Australia, the strike should be built for abuse, not just convenience. Electric strikes for heavy-duty applications in Western Australia must meet ANSI Grade 1 performance, requiring a static strength of at least 1,000 lbs (454 kg) and dynamic impact resistance to withstand forced entry attempts. These units are often dual-voltage (12VDC/24VDC) and field-selectable for fail-secure or fail-safe modes.

That spec matters on doors that slam all day, doors exposed to rough handling, and doors protecting stock, equipment, or restricted areas. If a site has a history of attempted forcing, poor door treatment, or constant traffic, a light-duty strike won't age gracefully.

Other specifications that affect performance

When comparing models, look beyond the basic fail mode.

• Voltage compatibility matters because the strike has to match the system power available on site.
• Current draw affects power supply sizing and battery backup behaviour.
• Faceplate type determines whether the strike will fit the frame neatly or require unnecessary modification.
• Keeper design affects latch engagement and door tolerance.

On a busy door, reliability usually comes from boring details. Correct voltage, clean alignment, solid frame prep, and the right fail mode beat flashy features every time.

Installation and Integration Considerations

An electric strike is only as good as the opening around it. The strike can be high quality, but if the frame is weak, the latch is wrong, or the cable route is poor, the system won't behave properly.

The first installation question is always hardware compatibility. Commercial aluminium frames, hollow metal frames, timber jambs, and narrow stile doors all present different fitting challenges. Some allow neat retrofits. Others need careful frame modification and reinforcement so the keeper sits exactly where the latch expects it.

Getting the door and frame right

Before anyone chooses a model, these points should be checked:

• Lock type. Cylindrical, mortice, and other latch arrangements don't share the same keeper geometry.
• Frame material. Aluminium and hollow metal frames usually install differently from older timber frames.
• Handing and swing. Inward and outward openings can affect which body and faceplate combination works.
• Clearance and alignment. If the door is already sagging or rubbing, the strike will inherit that problem.

A lot of avoidable trouble comes from treating the strike as if it's a universal part. It isn't. It's one of the most opening-specific components in access control.

Power and wiring decisions

Power selection also changes how smoothly the project goes. In larger sites, wiring distance and power stability become part of the hardware choice, not an afterthought. For AU-regulated installations in Perth and greater Western Australia, 24VAC/12VDC operation is preferred for long-distance wiring in multi-building deployments, and strikes used for AC operation should include an integral rectifier to stabilise supply. In practical terms, that means the strike, power supply, controller output, and field wiring all need to be planned as one system.

The integration side is where electric strikes become useful rather than merely electronic. They can work with:

• Intercoms for apartment and gatehouse-style visitor release
• Keypads where a code controls after-hours entry
• Card and fob readers for staff and tenant credentials
• Timers and schedules so doors are released and relock around business hours
• Alarm and monitoring logic where door state and forced-door events matter

If you're planning a broader system rather than a single-door fix, it helps to start with a proper access control system installation approach so wiring paths, power supplies, door hardware, and user permissions are designed together.

Meeting WA Safety and Fire Code Compliance

Compliance is where many electric strike discussions become serious. A door isn't just a slab and a lock. On commercial, industrial, and strata sites, it's often part of a regulated path of travel, a fire separation, or an entry point with documented egress obligations.

That means the strike has to suit more than convenience. It has to suit the opening's code role.

Faceplate and frame requirements

For AU-regulated commercial and industrial installations in Perth, the frame details matter. Electric strikes must often be retrofitted with a 4-7/8” (124mm) faceplate compatible with standard commercial aluminium and hollow metal door frames, a requirement tied to ABCB-aligned installation expectations for those premises.

That sounds minor until you're on site trying to fit the wrong faceplate into an existing prep. If the faceplate is wrong, the installer may end up modifying the frame unnecessarily, leaving visible gaps, weak fixing, or poor keeper alignment. None of that is desirable on a compliant opening.

Life safety comes before convenience

The harder part is understanding whether the door sits on a required egress path. If it does, the hardware behaviour during a fault or alarm event has to protect occupants first. Property managers sometimes focus on preventing unauthorised entry, which is sensible, but a code-relevant opening must still permit lawful and safe exit.

That's why the correct strike choice is never just about what the manager prefers. It's about what the opening is required to do under normal use, under alarm conditions, and during power interruption.

If a door forms part of your emergency escape strategy, the lock behaviour must support evacuation first. Security comes second on that opening.

A practical compliance checklist

When reviewing an electric strike proposal for a WA site, ask for these points in writing:

• Door function identified. Is this an entry door, a restricted internal door, or part of an egress route?
• Frame compatibility confirmed. Has the installer matched the strike body and faceplate to the existing frame prep?
• Power-loss behaviour defined. What exactly happens on outage, alarm, or controller failure?
• Mechanical egress reviewed. Can people still exit as required from the inside?
• Related hardware checked. Closers, latches, handles, intercom release, and fire interface all need to work together.

Where mistakes usually happen

Most compliance issues don't come from the strike body itself. They come from incomplete thinking around the opening. Someone changes the lockset but not the strike. Someone adds remote release but ignores the egress requirement. Someone chooses a fail-secure mode because it sounds safer, without checking the life-safety role of the door.

That's why the opening needs to be assessed as a system, not as a single product line item.

Electric Strikes vs Magnetic Locks Which is Better

Neither option is universally better. They solve different problems. The right question is which one suits the door, the traffic, the safety requirement, and the look you can live with.

Electric strikes work by controlling the latch point in the frame. Magnetic locks work by holding the door shut with electromagnetic force. That difference changes everything from appearance to egress design.

When electric strikes usually win

Electric strikes are often the better fit when the door already has suitable latching hardware and you want the opening to feel normal in day-to-day use. They're less visually intrusive, they preserve the mechanical latch, and they suit many office, strata, and commercial entry doors.

They're also a strong choice on doors where you want controlled entry but familiar exit operation through lever hardware or other door furniture already in use.

When magnetic locks make more sense

Maglocks are often chosen when the opening doesn't lend itself neatly to strike prep, or when surface mounting is simpler than frame modification. They can also suit some glass and special-frame applications where conventional latch-and-strike arrangements are awkward.

The trade-off is that maglocks usually need the rest of the exit strategy designed around them, including the appropriate release logic and door hardware.

A practical comparison

Consideration	Electric strike	Magnetic lock
Appearance	Usually more discreet	More visible on the opening
Use of existing latch	Yes, that's a key advantage	No, it relies on magnetic holding force
Frame work	Can be more installation-sensitive	Often simpler on some door types
Power-loss behaviour focus	Often chosen where mechanical latching matters	Common where fail-safe release is central to design
Best fit	Standard access-controlled doors with proper latching hardware	Openings where surface-mounted locking is the cleaner path

A neat rule of thumb is this. If the door should behave like a normal latched door that happens to be electronically controlled, an electric strike is often the better answer.

For some sites, the choice isn't either-or across the whole building. One opening may suit a strike. Another may be better served by a maglock. If you're weighing both options on the same property, it helps to compare them against dedicated magnetic lock applications rather than trying to force one hardware type onto every door.

Selecting and Maintaining Strikes for Perth Properties

Perth conditions often separate a tidy brochure answer from a workable installation. A strike that fits a new commercial aluminium frame in a metro office may not be the right answer for an older house in the suburbs or a hot industrial site closer to the coast.

The opening matters. The climate matters. The age of the building matters.

Legacy timber frames need extra care

A neglected issue in Western Australia is the way electric strikes interact with older timber frames. That matters because 68% of residential upgrades in WA involve retrofitting older structures, and guidance on timber-frame mounting is often missing from standard instructions.

Timber frames can work well, but they need a more careful approach than many generic guides suggest. Older jambs may have movement, uneven density, prior patching, paint build-up, or damage around the latch point. If the timber is soft or split, the strike body may be secure on day one and loose after repeated use.

For older homes and small unit blocks, the installer should look closely at:

• Timber condition. Sound timber holds fixings properly. Soft or cracked timber may need repair before hardware goes in.
• Latch position. Older doors don't always sit consistently in the frame, so keeper alignment needs to be checked with the door fully closed.
• Reinforcement method. Some openings need more than a simple cut-out and screw-in install.
• Finish quality. Timber retrofits show mistakes quickly. Rough chiselling and oversized cut-outs are hard to hide.

Heat and battery backup are real issues in WA

High temperatures also change how access control systems perform. In WA industrial conditions, especially in hotter zones, ambient temperatures above 45°C can reduce battery life by 30 to 40%, based on the verified data provided for Australian industrial environments.

That doesn't mean electric strikes stop working. It means battery-backed systems need to be sized and maintained with heat in mind, especially if the site relies on uninterrupted access control during outages. The problem is that many product discussions assume ideal indoor temperatures rather than local plant room or warehouse conditions.

If a site depends on backup power, ask practical questions:

• Where is the battery housed. A cool comms room is different from a hot service area.
• How many devices share that backup. The strike is only one part of the total load.
• What should the door do during an outage. Security and egress priorities must be settled before sizing backup expectations.
• How often is the system tested. Battery failure often stays hidden until the first blackout.

Heat is hard on batteries. If the site runs hot, don't assume the backup behaves the same way it would in a mild office environment.

Maintenance that actually prevents faults

Electric strikes don't need constant fussing, but they do benefit from routine checks. Most failures aren't mysterious. They come from wear, dirt, movement in the door, or power issues that have been building for months.

A sensible maintenance routine includes:

• Checking latch alignment after any door adjustment, closer change, or frame movement
• Inspecting fixings and faceplate tightness so the body doesn't shift over time
• Cleaning the keeper area where dust, paint, or debris may affect free movement
• Testing release under real conditions using the actual intercom, reader, or button that controls the strike
• Verifying power supply health when the strike becomes intermittent, noisy, or slow to release

The biggest mistake is blaming the strike first. Often the issue is a dragging door, failing closer, swollen timber, loose lockset, or weak power delivery.

Partner with Perth's Access Control Experts

Choosing an electric strike isn't about picking a brand off a shelf and hoping it suits the opening. The right decision depends on the door type, frame material, traffic level, compliance role, power-loss behaviour, and how the opening fits into the rest of the property.

For homeowners, that usually means avoiding a poor retrofit on an older frame. For property managers, it means making sure entry convenience doesn't create an egress or compliance problem. For businesses and industrial sites, it means matching heavy-duty hardware to the realities of daily use, site heat, and system integration.

If you're comparing installers, it helps to use the same logic you'd apply to any specialist trade. This guide with expert advice for homeowners is worth a read because the questions it raises about licensing, scope, workmanship, and communication apply just as much to access control as they do to building work.

The best electric strike setup is rarely the most complicated one. It's the one that fits the opening properly, behaves correctly under fault conditions, and keeps working after the novelty has worn off.

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If you want a compliant, reliable electric strike solution designed for your property, talk to Securitec Security. Their licensed Perth team can assess your doors, explain the right hardware for each opening, and design an access control setup that suits your building, your risks, and the way people use the site.