Installing magnetic locks and strikes takes skill, experience and craftsmanship - from selecting the correct lock for the project (and the door) all the way to testing the installation and leaving the customer pleased and well-informed. There are definite dos and don'ts that will make the difference between frustration and satisfaction.

It doesn't matter how good an installer you are, if the product is the wrong one for the door or application. Beyond security concerns, there are other factors that may help determine the type of lock you need to use.

"It's all about the wall construction, door frame construction and door construction," says Mark Grossman, vice president and general manager, ASG Security, Beltsville, Md. "Those are the three things that will dictate what type of locks you should use.

"A magnetic lock is typically used in applications where the construction of the door makes it difficult to get wires within the door frame to an electric strike. Electric strikes are often used on internal doors because they usually have drywall framed construction and hollow frames that allow you to more easily fish a wire into the frame and get it to the electric strike," Grossman says.

Step 2 is to make sure the door is ready to receive the lock and that you have all of the instructions and tools necessary for the job. Step 3 is installing the lock. Both magnetic locks and electric strikes typically take an average of an hour to an hour-and-a-half for one technician to install (assuming no problems). In addition to the standard tools, there are some specialized tools that come in handy. For magnetic locks, there is no cutting, but there are more steps involved.

Step 4 is a clean finish. Once you are done with the installation make sure you do all the proper testing, explaining and cleaning up. Grossman recommends two types of tests. "Before we hook the wires up, we put direct power to the lock and make sure that it functions without any other influences. Then we make the connections to the controlling system and do another functional test. That way when we hook everything up and it doesn't work, we can tell if it is the lock or the system." Click here to read more.

Bill SB 1006 passed the Senate on February 9, but was allowed to die in a subcommittee of the House of Delegates Appropriations Committee on February 20.

Multiple industry associations pulled together to combat the bill, as each one understood the potential ramifications on the entire industry if the bill passed.

The Security Industry Association (SIA), the Virginia Burglar and Fire Alarm Association, the National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA), the Central Station Alarm Association and many individual companies all worked together in opposing the legislation.

"There were a lot of elements within the industry that came together to fight this bill," John Chwat, director of government relations for the NBFAA, said. "Industry organizations were active, individual companies like ADT were active, and all the individual parties complemented each other and focused all their energy on preventing the bill from passing."

"This defeat is critical because many other states are watching to see what happens in Virginia," Chwat said. "If this bill had passed, it could start a mass effort in other states to start collecting revenue in a similar manner."