To multilock or not?
Roger_S39
| Posted in General Questions on
Hi all,
Trying to decide if the multipoint lock system is worth the upgrade for the purpose of added air sealing performance etc. to keep the home air tight at the front door plus any door warping prevention it may provide.
The multipoint lock quote would add ~$800 to a mahogany 3’6″x8’0″ front door that is 2 1/4″ thick.
Assumption would be the $ saved due to reduced leakage would take a while to get back. Also, would assume the multilock would help with moisture management; however, on a house that will be roughly 2.8-3.5 ACH50….
** Would it be worth it dollar wise to consider the lock upgrade?
** Could one just add a simple dead bolt from HD/Lowe’s to the top and bottom thirds/quarters of the door via drilling through it with a donut saw and achieve the same result as the multipoint system for less $?
Thank you.
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Replies
Roger,
I really like how doors with multi-locks feel. The case for them is increased security, and a better seal - but there is no ROI in getting one. The payback period is probably measured in centuries.
Thanks Malcom.
In my opinion multi-point is required with 8'0" doors. I attempted an 8'0" door without it and had to install it later. You can push the door away from the seal at the top with just one finger applying moderate pressure to the door.
If you don't want to spring for the cost of multi-point go with a regular 6'8" door.
Thanks Etekberg!
Roger, did you see this recent article: https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/multi-point-locking-hardware?
I agree with Malcolm that you will never see a good financial return on investment with multi-point locks, but you will get improved comfort and leak resistance, especially over time--most doors seal well on the day they're installed, and leak a little more every day after that. Multi-point hardware fixes that problem.
Adding deadbolts could do roughly the same thing, but they would have to be installed oddly high and low on the door, and they don't have the same design to draw the door in tight that latches have--so you might need to also add pull handles. If you don't mind the look and action of that setup, you could save a few hundred dollars. But I don't know many people who would go for that on a house--especially one at a price range that can justify a 3-6/8-0 mahogany door.
Thanks Michael!
I did read the article and really enjoyed it.
After reading the replies here: the multi-lock is the right way to go.
If one spends the money on the door, one may as well spend the extra to do it right and enjoy the peace that comes with that.
Thank you.
It will not get you to passive house levels, the old school spring bronze weather stripping works quite well with larger doors. I've had 7.5' 100 year old doors that leaked only where there was no seals (typically the threshold) and were surprisingly well sealed up with century old hardware. Since these seal against the side of the door, the door warping or bending has little effect on the quality of the seal.
Multi point is nice, keep in mind that they are a bit annoying to lock as it is not a straight forward process. Lot of times the door ends up only on the single point during the day which does defeat the air sealing benefit.
At the risk of being redundant... we built our new home in 2019 and it has two 8' high doors and one 6' 8" door. All doors have the MP locking system and we are very glad that we went this route. As others have noted, it helps with air infiltration and comfort. We also like the enhanced security the MP system adds.