Minecraft Automatic Door Mechanism: Easy Construction with Redstone

Redstone in Minecraft is the key component for controlling automatic mechanisms like doors. In this guide, you’ll learn how to build an automatic door mechanism using simple Redstone tools to protect your base and create hidden entrances. One of these applications is using Redstone to open and close doors. There are many different ways to achieve this, varying in difficulty. Today, we’ll look at some of the simple door openers that you can build in your world without much prior knowledge. This way, you can protect or even partially hide your base or house! This is especially handy on servers with multiple players.

Minecraft Door Mechanisms: Pressure Plates, Levers, and Buttons

In one of our previous articles (Introduction to Redstone: Understanding and Applying the Basics) , we took an in-depth look at the basic mechanisms of Redstone. You can read up on the basics there if you have any questions. However, you should still have the possibilities of Redstone in mind, or perhaps you’re already familiar with it.

We have already introduced some of the door openers there, but we haven’t gone into detail yet. We’ll do that today! We’ll take a closer look at levers, pressure plates, and buttons, which work as simple Redstone mechanisms with doors. Keep in mind that you can also open a normal wooden door with your hand, but a Redstone door only works with Redstone. This makes your home safe!

Minecraft Pressure Plate: The Simplest Mechanism for Automatic Doors

Pressure plates activate when you (another player or a mob) step on them or when the weight of items is placed on them. It is one of the simplest mechanisms for doors, as you can simply walk over it, and the door opens. The pressure plate can be placed directly next to the door on the ground without Redstone dust, or you can extend the signal with Redstone. But remember, the door only stays open for a few seconds. Once there is no weight on the plate, the door closes again.

Minecraft Button: A Secure Door Opener Compared to the Pressure Plate

A button works similarly, but you have to press it, which makes it a bit less convenient. It can also be placed directly next to the door without Redstone and transmits the signal through the block to the door. You have to be quick, though, as the signal only lasts for 1 to 1.5 seconds after pressing the button. Then the door closes again. However, it is more secure than the pressure plate because the button can be better hidden and is not triggered by mobs like Creepers.

Minecraft Lever: Practical Door Opener or Obstacle?

Levers may seem practical at first, but they are somewhat counterproductive. Once activated, the door doesn’t close automatically. Therefore, levers are not very suitable for doors unless you want them to stay open. And as long as the signal is active, you can’t do much else. However, you shouldn’t give up on levers, as they are suitable for mechanisms you want to control directly.

Minecraft Hidden Door with Sticky Pistons: How to Build a Secret Base

These three methods are suitable for beginners, but we want to introduce you to a completely new method! For this, we’ll look at a Redstone block you may not be familiar with yet. This involves pistons and sticky pistons, which push and pull blocks. These pistons are perfect for building a hidden door without much knowledge.

First, dig a hole in the ground. It should be 2x3 blocks wide and 2 blocks deep. On the longer side, dig a channel for the Redstone. There should be a block at the end of each channel.

You should now fill the ground with Redstone dust. Place a Redstone torch on each of the raised blocks at the end of the channels. These will redirect the signal. Then fill the ground with a material of your choice. We chose stone. Where the torches are, simply place a block on top.

Next, the pistons come into play. Craft them from wood, cobblestone, iron, and Redstone dust. For the sticky variant we need, you’ll also need a slime ball for each one. Four pistons are enough, but you can make the door as high as you like.

First, place Redstone dust on the raised blocks. They should light up. Then, you can set up the pistons in pairs. When you place them, they always face towards you with the wood. Thanks to the torches and Redstone signal, they will extend immediately.

You can now attach your desired block to the sticky pistons. These will then retract. To activate the mechanism, use pressure plates directly in front on the ground. If you make these from a similar material, they won’t be noticeable.

You can now conceal the entire structure so that it is not visible. Your brilliant and automatic door is complete!

Testing Minecraft Redstone: How to Optimise Your Door Mechanism

Redstone is easy to understand, but not always so easy to implement. Therefore, we recommend trying out some of your constructions and door mechanisms in a creative world. This will help you find better solutions to problems and become familiar with Redstone.

It’s also no shame to get inspiration from YouTube. There are countless tutorials that can help you build different constructions. However, you will have to deal with more Redstone components. We have focused more on a simple door that anyone can build without extensive knowledge. But from there, you can decide how you want to design your own automatic door. Use the previously mentioned levers and buttons to hide the mechanism.

Conclusion: The Best Automatic Door Mechanism in Minecraft

If you want to protect your base, you should incorporate a good door mechanism. Even an iron door can help keep monsters away and make your base more secure. But even better is a door that is not visible at all! This is where Redstone comes into play again, along with pistons, which are perfect for simple constructions. With them, you can move and pull blocks, allowing you to make entrances disappear. Create complex machines on a server that only belongs to you. Rent your own Minecraft server and enjoy the game without compromises! There, you can also test Redstone together with other players… or protect your house from them.