Knowledge base · Technical note
Converting a building to self storage
In a conversion, the doors usually exist before the hardware decision does. Working through this checklist in order prevents the two from meeting badly on installation day.
Step 1 — survey the doors before specifying anything
Walk the building and record, per door type: existing lock preparation, door material and thickness, opening direction, whether it is a fire door, and the frame condition.
Conversions typically produce more door types than a purpose-built site: existing personnel doors, new stud-wall unit doors, loading doors. Each type is a separate specification line.
Step 2 — decide the locking point per door
For each type, decide what secures it:
- Hasp door → disc or combination padlock
- Cam or mortise door → cylinder lock
- Roll-up or shutter door → latch and hasp assembly
- Corridor and common doors → cylinder, usually on the master-key schedule
Step 3 — plan the key system before ordering
Keying cannot be changed after production. Decide the levels (tenant, group, site, group management), how many keys at each level, and the lost-key rule for each. This is also the point to decide whether overlock hardware shares the same schedule.
Step 4 — plan the overlock routine
Vacant and delinquent units exist from day one. Decide the hardware, confirm it clears the door track on your actual doors, and write the operating rule: what triggers it, who applies it, and where it is recorded.
Step 5 — order spares with the first batch
Cylinders and latches at the site's exact specification, plus keys at each level. In a conversion, the first six months produce more replacements than any later period — mostly from move-in damage and commissioning adjustments.
Step 6 — phase against the construction programme
Hardware usually arrives before the building is secure and the doors are hung. Plan deliveries against the construction sequence rather than shipping everything at once, and arrange secure storage for anything that arrives early.
What to send us
Door types with a photo of each, unit count per type, the key-level decision, and the opening date. We will come back with a fit confirmation, a specification per door type and a phased delivery plan.
Confirm it on your own doors
Send a door photo, the cylinder size or the mounting dimensions. We confirm fit with a physical sample before you commit to a quantity.
What readers ask next
Settling the practical points once the door survey is done.
Can you deliver against a construction programme instead of one drop?
Yes. Phasing deliveries against the build is normal and it keeps hardware off site until the doors are ready. Send the programme dates and we will confirm how the batch lead time fits them.
Who decides the locking point, us or you?
We confirm fit against your door, but the locking point is a site decision. Send the survey photos and the intended point per door type, and we will flag where the hardware does not suit the door.
What belongs in the first order and what can wait?
First order: everything phase one needs plus spares. Later orders: the remaining phases, which is also the moment to confirm the specification has not drifted. Ask for a re-order reference with the first batch so the second matches it.