Frequently Asked Questions

We can, but our door system is designed to be installed by anyone with basic tools.  Given that our customers are spread out all over the world, it’s usually a better value for our clients to install the door themselves or have a local contractor do the work. The expense for our crew to travel to your site usually doesn’t make financial sense given how simple the installation is.

Many of our handy clients install the door themselves. Others reach out to a local handyman or window/door contractor. No matter which route you choose, we’ll make sure your installation is a success because:

1. All of our doors are pre-hung units designed for ease of installation. Part of the process of building your door at our facility is installing it in a mock-up of your wall and testing it fully. When the door arrives at your home, it’s completely ready to be installed quickly and easily. We can be sure of this because, in essence, your door has been installed successfully once before.
2. Your door comes with installation instructions. We also have videos that will walk you through the installation process step by step. Most installations take just a few hours.
3. If you get stuck at any point, you can call us and our technicians will help you directly. You don’t need to navigate phone trees or submit a support request, either. We are here to help every step of the way and answer every question that you might have.
4. We’ve never had a client who wasn’t successful. We won’t rest until your door is fully installed and operating to your complete satisfaction.

If you’re still not sure if you want to do the installation yourself or hire a contractor, call or email us so we can go through the whole process together.

Yes, there are cheap secret doors available online. There are clear differences between these products and ours, which you can learn more about here. We strongly encourage potential clients to buy a secret door that meets their needs and budget. The budget-oriented options available from other companies may suit your needs if you:

1. Can accept larger/easier-to-see gaps.
2. Are extremely confident in your skillset and you have all the required tools.
3. Don’t need a locking device or are comfortable wiring your own.
4. Don’t need your door to operate smoothly when loaded with books or other objects.
5. Need a door for light duty use or novelty.

We price our products based on our costs to manufacture a higher quality product. Our doors may be more expensive than some competitors for the following reasons:

1. Our assembly and testing procedures are complete and more extensive. Every door we build is installed in a testing fixture that mimics the opening that exists at the client’s home. All of the electronics are installed, the trim and casings are attached and adjusted, the door is loaded with weight, and then given a thorough QC inspection. The door arrives not only pre-hung, but completely ready for installation.
2. Our hardware is much more sophisticated and made of higher quality materials. We’ve developed our own hardware just for secret door applications. The hinge is just one part of the equation. Our doors also have a steel warp compensation mechanism that keeps the gaps consistent regardless of the load placed on the door. We manufacture all of these components under our own roof, using our machining centers, laser cutters, and presses.
3. Our doors come with more standard features. We don’t offer a stripped-down version to make the advertised price artificially lower. The end result is a product that performs better and lasts far longer — which is why we’re confident in our industry-leading warranty.

There are a few other factors to consider when choosing between the available products on the market. You can learn more about these considerations here.

Wall power is not required in most cases. By default, all of our systems use an electric strike powered by 8 AA batteries. Under normal circumstances, this will last for a minimum of two years and the batteries can be easily replaced. However, our more advanced secret switches, such as wireless key fobs, book switches, and keypads, require that the door be plugged into a standard wall outlet.

Yes, our doors are available in a variety of finish options. On the product page you can choose both the wood species and finish.

Wood Species: If you intend for the door to be painted, we recommend choosing Maple. For stained finishes, Alder is the better choice because it accepts stains more evenly.

Finishes: If you want to finish the door yourself, choose the unfinished option.

Alternatively, you can choose from four stain options: light, medium, dark, and match. For us to match your stain, you will need to mail us a sample of the finish you need us to replicate.

The four available paint options are white, gray, black, and match. As with the stain match option, you will need to mail us a sample if you want us to replicate a custom paint color.

No, getting locked in is impossible. All of our doors have a manual release latch on the secret side. All you have to do is pull the handle and the door will open.

We also include a special tool with every door that makes it possible to open the door from the outside even if there is a power outage or mechanical issue. We can provide instructions on how to use the tool upon request.

Our doors carry a standard warranty of two years on parts and materials. In the event that something isn’t working properly or you need a spare part, we can ship them out almost immediately. We make all of our woodwork and hardware in house, so our lead times are short. Just give us a call if you have a problem and we will get the issue resolved quickly and easily.

Absolutely. This is extremely common. We even have an article that covers how to pick the ideal space for your door. Read it here.

Since 2003, our parent company, Creative Home Engineering, has been creating fully custom secret passageways of all types for clients across the globe. Simply head over to www.HiddenPassageway.com so we can learn about your requirements.

Lead times are updated regularly on the product pages. If you need a door immediately, please call us to see if we have any ready-to-ship doors in stock.

Safes attract attention. One of the most effective ways to protect valuables is to keep them out of sight. A safe is still a good method of keeping dangerous or valuable items out of the wrong hands, but a secret door concealing the safe will add an important layer of protection.