Locking sliding garage doors from both sides?

March 25, 2016 8:38 AM

My neighbor and I share a garage door that we'd like to keep secure. Without walking around the block, it's easier for me to open it from within and easier for him to open it from without. Currently, the door is locked with a latch and a padlock on the outside, but I'd like to be able to unlock it from the inside too. Is there a solution?
posted by TheNewWazoo to Home & Garden (17 answers total)

There surely is, but it would help to have pictures or at least know some details about the door beyond the fact that it is "sliding." Does it slide up, or to the side? Is it made of wood or metal or something else? What kind of track does it slide in? Are there multiple door panels that slide past each other?

If you can, take photos of the door and adjacent wall from both sides while it is open and while it is closed.
posted by contraption at 8:53 AM on March 25, 2016

A garage door opener isn't in the cards? It'll keep the door secure, and they all come with multiple clickers - one for you, one for him.
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 9:05 AM on March 25, 2016 [2 favorites]

I don't know if any of these will work with garage doors (without modification, at least), but here are a couple of options for shared locks.

http://www.everlocksystems.com/
http://www.tayhope.com/

posted by primethyme at 9:06 AM on March 25, 2016

Response by poster: Ah! Good call, sorry for not including that info. I can't really take a picture at the moment, but it's a pretty simple setup:

The two wooden doors hang on sliding rails that run above the door opening, and slide to the side. They mate in a "butt", and are currently latched to one another; one slides left, the other right. Replacing the doors entirely is not an option, alas.
posted by TheNewWazoo at 9:07 AM on March 25, 2016

Wait, I don't think I've had enough coffee yet. I doubt any of those solve the problem of access from both sides of the door. Never mind me...
posted by primethyme at 9:07 AM on March 25, 2016

Response by poster: This image is an accurate depiction of the design.
posted by TheNewWazoo at 9:10 AM on March 25, 2016

Would some sort of pocket door lock work?
posted by Lucinda at 9:12 AM on March 25, 2016

You don't need to connect the two doors to each other to lock them. You can have two latch and padlock type things that lock each door to the door frame (e.g. on the side, or on the top), or even to the floor. You would then install one latch on the outside and one on the inside.
posted by Behemoth at 9:14 AM on March 25, 2016 [4 favorites]

It sounds like you're looking for something like this: Keyed lockset.

Person who locks from outside gets the key.
posted by Karaage at 9:21 AM on March 25, 2016

I feel like there has to be some neat manufactured solution already figured out for this, but if you can't find one, cut a hole in each door and put the padlock on a chain so you can pull it to the inside and your neighbor can pull it to the outside.
posted by yeahlikethat at 9:22 AM on March 25, 2016 [1 favorite]

I was going to suggest this keyless padlock opened with your smartphone. But then I realized that you still need to physically remove the lock from the latch, which you can't do from the inside. I'd have a locksmith look at it and see if they have a solution. I do like yeahlikethat's solution, if it's an old ratty set of doors making a hole shouldn't matter. Nail a rubber flap over it to keep the rain out.
posted by beagle at 9:39 AM on March 25, 2016

I have a sliding door on my workshop. I close it with a hook on the inside, and have a padlocked hatch on the outside that I reach through to get to the hook. I can try to post pictures later, but it lets me get in and out, and prevents someone on the outside from locking me in. So, yeah: Openable from both sides.
posted by straw at 9:49 AM on March 25, 2016

Best answer: I think what you're looking for is a double cylinder lock. There might be something intended for sliding glass doors that would work or maybe something like this would do the job? You might have to hire a contractor or a locksmith to get something installed, but certainly a solution exists.
posted by maniactown at 9:57 AM on March 25, 2016

There are quite a few solutions available for sliding gates or sliding doors.
posted by Mitheral at 10:15 AM on March 25, 2016

Seconding Behemoth.

I'll add that if the goal is to get a vehicle in or out, the two locks should be keyed alike, or you each should have both keys (so both doors can be opened). But independent locks will solve your problem.
posted by a halcyon day at 11:10 AM on March 25, 2016

Response by poster: Nice! I think maniactown has found the perfect answer! "jimmy proof deadbolt" seems to be the magic phrase, and that looks perfect, especially in a single cylinder design. It lets me keep the latch mechanism inside, open and unlock from the inside and outside, and I don't have to cut a mortise! Thanks, all!
posted by TheNewWazoo at 12:34 PM on March 25, 2016

Another option: my friend has door you unlock with an app. You can push the app button to unlock the door from the outside or the inside. He wrote his, but I guess its something like this.
posted by DarlingBri at 2:53 PM on March 25, 2016