Guides

How to Install a Magnetic Door Lock: Glass, Wood and Metal Doors (2026)

23 October 20266 min read

Magnetic door lock with its armature plate

Quick answer: To install a magnetic door lock, fix the magnet to the top of the door frame on the opening side, fix the armature plate to the door so it sits flat against the magnet, and wire the lock to a 12V supply through a keypad or card reader and an exit button. Frameless glass doors need a U bracket, and doors that open towards the side the lock is on need a ZL bracket. At ZZ Marts the parts for a basic door cost Rs 5,849: a 180kg maglock (Rs 2,999), an RFID keypad (Rs 2,200), an exit button (Rs 350) and a 12V adapter (Rs 300). A maglock unlocks when the power goes, so add a backup supply if the door must stay locked during load-shedding.

What you need

Part	Price at ZZ Marts	Notes
Magnetic lock: 60kg, 180kg, 280kg or 380kg	Rs 2,299 / 2,999 / 3,499 / 9,899	Comes with the armature plate and mounting screws
Bracket: 180kg ZL / 280kg ZL, or 180kg U / 280kg U	Rs 2,399 / 2,899, or Rs 1,499 / 1,999	Only for some doors (see step 2)
Entry device: RFID keypad SMQ-303 II, T11 keypad or ZKTeco X3 fingerprint	Rs 2,200 / 2,999 / 8,500	Card, PIN or fingerprint from outside
Exit button: standard or stainless steel	Rs 350 / 699	Lets people out from inside
Power: 12V 1.67A adapter or ZZ-PS-5A backup supply	Rs 300, or Rs 9,500 (Rs 13,500 with 7Ah battery)	The backup supply keeps the door locked through power cuts
Emergency break-glass release	From Rs 1,349	For doors on an escape route

Prices as listed on ZZ Marts on 23 October 2026. For lock prices and holding forces in detail, see the magnetic door lock price guide.

Step 1: Choose the holding force

Match the lock to the door, not the biggest number. 60kg suits cabinets and light internal doors, 180kg standard office doors and glass partitions, 280kg heavy glass and main entrances, and 380kg wide, heavy or high-traffic doors. A lock is only as strong as what it is fixed to: a 380kg lock on a slim glass door gives no more real security, because the glass or bracket gives way first.

Step 2: Check the door and pick the bracket

Framed door that opens away from the lock side: the magnet usually screws straight under the frame header and the plate onto the door. No bracket needed.
Door that opens towards the lock side (inward opening): use a ZL bracket set. The L bracket holds the magnet on the frame and the Z bracket holds the armature plate on the door, so they line up.
Frameless glass door: use a U bracket that clamps onto the glass, so nothing is drilled into it. Measure the glass thickness and match the bracket to the lock's rating before you order.

Not sure? Send a photo of the door edge and frame on WhatsApp and we will confirm the bracket.

Step 3: Fix the magnet and the armature plate

Fix the magnet body at the top of the frame, at the corner furthest from the hinges, on the secure (inside) side.
Close the door and mark where the armature plate meets the magnet face. Fix the plate to the door (or to the Z or U bracket) so the two surfaces meet fully and flat.
Do not over-tighten the plate's centre bolt. It needs a little movement to sit flat against the magnet; a plate that touches at an angle holds far less.
Run the cable through the frame or in trunking, so it cannot be cut from outside.

Step 4: Wire it

A maglock is fail-safe: it holds while it has power and releases when the power is cut. Everything that should open the door therefore works by breaking the lock's power for a few seconds.

With a keypad or reader: power the keypad from the 12V supply and connect the lock to the keypad's lock output, as shown in the wiring diagram supplied with the keypad. Connect the exit button to the keypad's exit input. A valid card, PIN or fingerprint, or a press of the exit button, then releases the lock.
Exit button only: wire the exit button's normally closed (NC) contact in series with the lock's power. Pressing it opens the circuit and releases the door.

Wiring the exit device the wrong way round (NO instead of NC) is the most common maglock fault: the door either never locks or never releases. On the 5-wire locks with status output, the extra wires report whether the door is locked; connect them only if your controller or alarm uses that signal.

Step 5: Plan for load-shedding

Because a maglock releases when the power goes, a plain adapter leaves the door unlocked during every power cut. To keep it locked, power the lock and keypad from the ZZ-PS-5A backup supply, which gives 13.5V DC (1.8A continuous) and, with its 7Ah battery fitted (Rs 13,500), keeps the lock powered through outages. If a room must stay locked even with no power at all, use an electric drop bolt or bolt lock instead.

Step 6: Escape routes and fire safety

If the door is on an escape route, people must always be able to get out. Fit an emergency break-glass release beside the door, and where the building has a fire alarm, wire the lock so a fire alarm activation cuts its power independently of the keypad. Never rely on a keypad alone on an exit door.

Step 7: Test before you hand over

Push and pull the closed door: it should not move.
Check each card, PIN or fingerprint releases it.
Press the exit button from inside: the door should release every time.
Switch off the mains: with an adapter the door should release; with a backup supply it should stay locked.
Test the break-glass release and, if fitted, the fire alarm release.

Common mistakes

Ordering the lock without the bracket the door needs.
Exit button wired NO instead of NC.
Armature plate bolted rigid or at an angle, so it does not sit flat.
No backup power on a door that must stay locked during load-shedding.
Dust or grit on the magnet face. Wipe it and the plate clean from time to time.

Want us to install it?

ZZ Marts supplies and installs door access in Karachi and Lahore. On a recent single-door job in DHA Phase 2, Lahore, installation cost Rs 3,000. Request an installation, or send a photo of your door on WhatsApp for the right parts list.

Frequently asked questions

How do you install a magnetic door lock?
Fix the magnet to the top of the door frame on the opening side, fix the armature plate to the door so it meets the magnet flat, then wire the lock to a 12V supply through a keypad or card reader and an exit button. Frameless glass doors need a U bracket and doors that open towards the lock side need a ZL bracket.

Which bracket do I need for a magnetic lock?
A ZL bracket set for doors that open towards the side the lock is mounted on, and a U bracket for frameless glass doors. A framed door that opens away from the lock side usually needs no bracket.

How do you wire an exit button to a maglock?
With a keypad, connect the exit button to the keypad's exit input as shown in its wiring diagram. Without a keypad, wire the button's normally closed (NC) contact in series with the lock's power, so pressing it cuts the power and releases the door.

Does a magnetic lock open when the power goes?
Yes. Maglocks are fail-safe, so they release when power is cut. To keep the door locked during load-shedding, power it from a backup supply with a battery, such as the ZZ-PS-5A with its 7Ah battery (Rs 13,500).

How much does it cost to fit a magnetic lock to one door?
At ZZ Marts the parts for a basic door, a 180kg maglock, RFID keypad, exit button and 12V adapter, cost Rs 5,849. A bracket, a backup supply or a fingerprint reader add to that. On a recent single-door job in Lahore, installation cost Rs 3,000.

Can a magnetic lock be fitted to a glass door?
Yes. Use a U bracket that clamps onto the glass, so nothing is drilled into it, and match the bracket to the lock: Rs 1,499 for a 180kg lock or Rs 1,999 for a 280kg lock. Check the glass thickness before ordering.