31 Jul Unlocking Secure Access For Secret Doors
Secret doors have a certain novelty all on their own. Not everyone has one, each one can be different and only the owner knows how to access it — unless he or she has let the cat out of the bag.
Accessing or “unlocking” a secret door is its own experience. It’s the moment, when showing the door to others, that people experience the most excitement likely because they’re about to see the door in action, they’re about to see what’s behind it and they’re still surprised the door even exists.
That moment, the unlocking, can be experienced in a number of different ways thanks to technology. Of course, movies have shown audiences for years how doors allow access to action heroes, from iris scans to secret codes to palm prints and beyond. And at Creative Home Engineering, the access options for our secret doors aren’t that far removed from what Hollywood can imagine.
And many times, we go beyond what has been depicted in motion pictures. We’ve found that sometimes the secret switch takes just as much creativity, if not more, than the door itself. Some of our most exciting switches have included:
- Chess sets, where a door opens after a certain piece moves to a certain spot.
- Stone walls, where a door opens after certain stones are pushed like buttons in a designated sequence.
- Books that open doors after being tilted or opened to reveal a keypad.
- Pianos, where a door opens after a specific tune is played correctly.
- Breaker boxes that open a door only after circuit breakers are switched on and off in a designated sequence.
- Wine bottles that need to be twisted to open a door.
- Candlesticks that open a door after being tilted in a particular direction.
- Firearm displays, where pulling a particular trigger offers access to a door.
Our secret doors, regardless of their design, have the ability to integrate into home security systems, allowing homeowners to have visibility and control of access to the door. And, even the secret doors we design with bulletproof and fire-resistant capabilities, offer options for access control.
Magnet keys: A secret door that is accessed using a magnet key is still hidden to anyone who isn’t looking for it. The key, when waved over a specific spot on the exterior of the door, will engage and unlock the door — often without anyone knowing. The key is small enough to be hidden and some of our clients use an empty book or other hiding spot to keep the key disguised, safe and nearby.
Wireless access: A secret door that relies on wireless access is one of the more creative unlocking mechanisms we offer at Creative Home Engineering. The options here are quite literally limitless, since we have the ability to design, integrate and activate wireless buttons of just about any style or size. Wireless access means the homeowner trips an external trigger, or button, that then unlocks or opens the door. The classic option is the bust, featured in the video on our home page, but the same concept and technology can be designed to work in an endless number of other applications — from books to maps to signs to anything a homeowner can think of.
Keypads: Assigning a secret code to a secret door seems to make sense for anyone wanting to password protect access to the door and what’s behind it. Keypads are a pretty common and straightforward way to manage and secure access to a secret door.
Biometric access: In a very Mission Impossible-Meets-James Bond way, our secret doors have the ability to utilize biometric screening devices at its access point. From iris scans to fingerprint readers to palm scans, the devices ensure that only those with permission can access the door and the space behind it.
In all honesty, we can create just about any kind of secret switch derived from any interest or display item a homeowner would prefer — offering a truly customized, personal touch. Learn more by viewing our gallery.
View our gallery of secret doors here.
Creative Home Engineering, a Gilbert, Arizona-based company, is the global leader in designing and manufacturing secret doors. From swinging bookcases to sliding walls to rotating fireplaces and safe rooms, Creative Home Engineering has been an innovative leader in the field of hidden passageway design for more than 20 years. Learn more at www.hiddenpassageway.com.