Redstone is a fantastic feature in Minecraft, providing players with numerous opportunities to express their creativity. It works like an electrical network and can be used to automate specific mechanisms. One such application 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 simple door openers that you can build in your world without much prior knowledge. This can help you protect or even hide your base or house! This is especially useful on servers with multiple players.
Simple Door with Pressure Plates, Levers, and Buttons
In one of our previous articles (Introduction to Redstone: Understanding and Applying the Basics) , we discussed the basic mechanisms of Redstone in detail. You can read up on the basics there if you have any questions. You should still have the possibilities of Redstone in mind, or you might already be familiar with it.
We also introduced some door openers there, but we didn’t go into detail. We’re doing that today! We’ll take a closer look at levers, pressure plates, and buttons that work as simple Redstone mechanisms with doors. Keep in mind that you can open a regular wooden door with your hand, but a Redstone door only works with Redstone. This makes your home secure!
Pressure Plate
Pressure plates activate when you (another player or a mob) step on them or when items’ weight is placed on them. It is one of the simplest mechanisms for doors, as you can simply walk over it, and the door will open. 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. Remember, the door stays open only for a few seconds. Once the weight is off the plate, the door closes again.
Buttons
A button works similarly, but you have to press it, making it a bit less convenient. It can also be placed directly next to the door without Redstone and transmits the signal to the door through the block. However, you need to be quick, as the signal lasts only 1 to 1.5 seconds after pressing the button. After that, the door closes again. It is safer than the pressure plate because you can hide the button better, and it won’t be triggered by mobs like Creepers.
Lever
Levers may seem practical at first, but they are rather counterproductive. Once switched on, the door does not close automatically. Therefore, levers are not suitable for doors unless you want them to stay open. And as long as the signal is on, you can’t do much. However, you shouldn’t give up on levers, as they are great for mechanisms you want to control directly.
Hidden Door with Pistons!
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 that you might not know yet. We’re talking about pistons (Piston) and sticky pistons (Sticky Piston), which can push and pull blocks. And this piston is 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.
Now, fill the floor 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 floor with a material of your choice. We used stone. Place a block on top of where the torches are located.
Next, we’ll introduce the pistons. Craft these from wood, cobblestone, iron, and Redstone dust. For the sticky variant, which we need, you also need a slimeball for each piston. Four pistons are enough, but you can make the door as high as you want.
First, place Redstone dust on the raised blocks. These should light up. Then, you can arrange the pistons in pairs. They should always face you with the wood side when placed. Thanks to the torches and the Redstone signal, they will extend immediately.
You can now attach your desired block to the sticky pistons. These will retract them. To activate the mechanism, use pressure plates directly in front of them on the ground. If you make these from a similar material, they will blend in.
You can now disguise the entire construction so that it doesn’t stand out. Your wonderful and automatic door is ready!
Try and Test
Redstone is easy to understand but not always 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 get familiar with Redstone.
It’s also not a shame to get inspired on YouTube. There are countless tutorials there to help you build different constructions. However, you will have to deal with further components of Redstone. Therefore, we focused on a simple door that anyone can implement without much knowledge. But from there, you can explore how to design your automatic door. Also, use the previously mentioned levers and buttons to hide the mechanism.
Conclusion
If you want to protect your base, you should install a good door mechanism. An iron door alone can help keep monsters away and make your base more secure. But even better is a door that you can’t even see! This is where Redstone comes into play, along with pistons that are perfect for simple constructions. They can move and pull blocks, making 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 with other players … or protect your house from them.
