If you're a building or project manager, you might feel overwhelmed with the prospect of securing your facility. You want the safety of your building and the people inside it protected, but you might feel as if you don't have any control. You're here to get answers about how to install security access control systems, and gaining this knowledge provides peace of mind.

This is something many project managers face. It's a serious issue so you should not delay looking further into access control installation and what it can do for your organization.

By following a structured approach, even complex security upgrades become manageable. Let's break down the process step-by-step.

Table Of Contents:

• Understanding Your Building's Needs for Access Control
• Designing an Access Control System: Understanding the Essentials
• System Specifics
• Choosing the Right Credentials
  • Choosing Electric Locks
  • Choosing Readers and Credentials
  • Choosing the Correct Controller
• Power and Compliance Considerations in the Access Control Space
  • Electrical Planning
  • Building Codes: Understanding Egress, Fire Safety, and Accessibility
• How to install security access control Systems
  • Running the Wires
  • Installing the Hardware: Locks, Readers, and More
  • Configuring the Access Control System, Onboarding, and Testing
• Selecting a Vendor and Installer for Your System
• Maintaining Access Control Long-Term
• Conclusion

Understanding Your Building's Needs for Access Control

Before you grab a drill, consider a crucial point often missed and overlooked. Different facilities have completely different needs when it pertains to physical security.

A small office might simply need to control access to a single front door. A larger complex might have dozens of access control points, common areas, and varying levels of security clearance to plan for.

Think about it. Do you have sensitive areas like server rooms that need maximum protection, or more public areas where you mostly are interested in monitoring who comes and goes?

Start by outlining every location you want to secure. Then determine the specific type of control and security access needed for each.

Designing an Access Control System: Understanding the Essentials

Before designing an access control system, it's crucial to understand the demands of your building. This includes identifying the number of users, the level of security required, and the areas that need restricted access.

System Specifics

Once you understand the demands of your building, we move on to system specifics. The core elements of an access control system include:

• Electric locks: These control physical access to doors and gates.
• Readers: These verify the credentials of individuals trying to gain entry.
• Door controllers: These manage the flow of traffic and ensure that only authorized individuals can enter.
• Credentials: These are the methods used to gain entry, such as cards, biometric data, or mobile devices.

Choosing the Right Credentials

Do you like the idea of card readers, facial recognition, or mobile credentials but are uncertain which method might suit your specific security scenario the best? Each of the access control solutions has tradeoffs. For example:

• Card readers are cost-effective and easy to use, but they can be lost or stolen.
• Facial recognition offers high security and convenience, but it can be expensive and raises privacy concerns.
• Mobile credentials offer flexibility and ease of use, but they require a reliable internet connection.

By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each credential option, you can make an informed decision about which one is best for your organization.

Do you like the idea of card readers, facial recognition, or mobile credentials but are uncertain which method might suit your specific security scenario the best? Each of the access control solutions has tradeoffs.

Choosing Electric Locks

Electric strikes are pretty common, but in some circumstances, electromagnetic locks that are connected in both directions will better provide protection. A building owner should examine those factors. When putting in an electric strike, remember to line up the lock and door jamb.

Choosing Readers and Credentials

Card readers are popular because of their flexibility. Access control systems also offer some pretty high-tech methods using biometrics.

We're talking fingerprint scanners or even facial recognition; these up the security for truly sensitive zones. Many access control systems now support mobile credentials via a smartphone app.

So users can ditch physical cards but still integrate with building access.

Choosing the Correct Controller

The door controller acts like the brain. It connects your readers, locks, and management software and connects to all of the system data and programming.

Controllers, much like locks, come in many different specifications for many various scenarios. The type of system selected greatly impacts your wiring, too.

This ties directly back to knowing your needs.

Power and Compliance Considerations in the Access Control Space

This might seem boring, but trust me, you need to do it right. Did you know the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code dictates rules about emergency egress?

Or how The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) impacts reader height and accessibility. We are not talking about suggestions. These are legal codes for a reason.

Electrical Planning

Getting power to all components of your security setup might be easier than you anticipate. The power available could impact the choices around things like which door locks can actually be installed.

Power over Ethernet (PoE) simplifies much of the electrical mess. Although heavier-duty setups often need separate supplies, you can review those specs ahead of time.

Building Codes: Understanding Egress, Fire Safety, and Accessibility

Failing an inspection stops everything. Before you're knee-deep in putting in security hardware, review and verify all safety measures needed.

You can work closely with providers to review UL 294 Standards for hardware safety. Also, be sure that all access control options comply with local building codes.

It is important to have door access control on all the main entrances.

How to install security access control Systems

Having your action plan in place sets you up to install the system in phases. Below you will find a table of various steps to complete. After it will be a few in-depth explanations.

Running the Wires

This phase feels the most like traditional construction. You, or a qualified electrician, are snaking cables through walls, ceilings, and possibly even underground conduit for exterior gates.

Following manufacturer diagrams becomes critical here. Refer to a wiring diagram to install electric door locks.

If your system uses "Power over Ethernet", that reduces some wiring clutter, although, high-security locks often have bigger power demands.

Installing the Hardware: Locks, Readers, and More

You need to match the physical hardware, starting with the electric locks. If there are any current existing electric locks, it's usually much easier to use similar specs during an upgrade, although it may be required to do extra cutting.

When going all-new, take accurate measurements. Make sure the door reader itself mounts securely, whether it's on the doorframe or adjacent wall.

Getting wiring neatly in place adds another step.

This part also could mean wiring in those "Request to Exit" (REX) devices. REX is often a motion detector near interior doors for safety and tracking when doors are opened.

They come in many shapes and sizes from small box readers to large push bars across a doorway. Installing access control requires experience with door hardware.

Configuring the Access Control System, Onboarding, and Testing

With things connected up, power up the software that runs all this. Modern, cloud-connected software is installed quickly and updated more easily down the road.

Getting started with configurations involves providing the basic system settings as well as users to the new system. These settings could be language, basic operational functions, names, and time zones.

Be mindful when assigning access codes. Many access control systems provide detailed documentation, including setup guides, user manuals, and troubleshooting resources to help users get started.

Review these materials carefully, test thoroughly, and then test again after onboarding users. 

System admins should check for software glitches that need to be calibrated with new entries added.  The process never actually ends. 

Selecting a Vendor and Installer for Your System

When it comes to securing your business with electronic access control, investing in quality hardware, and software and partnering with reliable installers delivers peace of mind. The top access control companies engineer robust, integrated systems.

Integrated access control systems provide the flexibility and advanced security your operations need. Selecting products designed and tested to work together maximizes the ongoing reliability of your access solution while minimizing complexities down the road.

Proper access control management is important.

Maintaining Access Control Long-Term

Even once everything is set up to perfect functionality, this is not a set-it-and-forget-it deal. Your system evolves in many aspects like software, company policy, employee or tenant use, so keep the whole organization in the loop.

Consider offering refresher courses periodically. As employee and staffing transitions change, systems evolve with it.

Your business or location policy must reflect and grow with this evolution to give the highest access security functionality and efficiency. Periodic review of logs lets you spot trends, and a specific door having frequent, failed access attempts could use additional attention.

Conclusion

Knowing how to install security access control Systems is less intimidating when it is broken down. Your own needs of your building, the type of access you require, and then setting up a system that fits best, takes a methodical process.

Anyone could grasp and implement this themselves. If the wiring scares you, you could even begin this job slowly.

Do it door by door so you can properly grow as the business demands. Putting security in place gives you control, and having a proper plan and following through it gives you back the time and money you have poured into this already, so the reward is even higher.

If you're ready to enhance your security with a reliable access control system, partner with experts who understand your specific needs. Contact us today for a consultation, and let’s create a tailored security solution that fits your facility perfectly. Your safety starts with the right system—let’s install it the right way.