Redstone is a wonderful feature in Minecraft, providing players with numerous opportunities to get creative. It works like an electrical circuit and can be used to perform certain mechanisms automatically. One of these applications is using Redstone to open and close doors. There are many different ways to do this, varying in complexity. Today, we’ll look at some simple door openers that you can build in your world without much prior knowledge. This way, you can protect or even hide your base or house! This is especially useful on servers with multiple people.
Simple Door with Pressure Plates, Levers, and Buttons
In one of our previous articles (Introduction to Redstone: Understanding and Applying the Basics) , we thoroughly discussed the basic mechanisms of Redstone. You can read up on the basics there if you have any questions. You should still remember the possibilities for Redstone, or you might already be familiar with it.
We have already introduced some door openers there, but we haven’t gone into detail yet. That’s what we’ll do 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 place items on them. It’s 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. Remember, though, the door only stays open 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, which makes it a bit less convenient. It can also be placed directly next to the door without Redstone and extends the signal through the block to the door. You have to be quick, though, as the signal lasts only 1 to 1.5 seconds after pressing the button. Then the door closes again. However, it is safer than the pressure plate because the button can be better hidden and is not triggered by mobs like creepers.
Lever
Levers might seem practical at first, but they are rather counterproductive. When switched on, the door does not close automatically. Therefore, levers are not suitable for doors unless you want them to remain open. As long as the signal is on, you can’t do much else. However, don’t give up on levers, as they are useful for mechanisms you want to control directly.
Hidden Door with Pistons!
These three methods are suitable for beginners, but we want to introduce a completely new method! For this, we’ll look at a Redstone block you might not know yet. This involves pistons and sticky pistons, which push and pull blocks. Pistons are perfect for building a secret door without much knowledge.
First, dig a hole in the ground. It should be 2x3 blocks wide and 2 blocks deep. On the longer sides, dig channels for the Redstone. There should be a block at the end of each channel.
Now fill the bottom with Redstone dust. Place a Redstone torch on the elevated blocks at the end of the channels. These will redirect the signal. Fill the bottom with a material of your choice. We used stone. Place a block on top of where the torches are.
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 piston. Four pistons are enough, but you can make the door as high as you want.
First, place Redstone dust on the elevated blocks. They should light up. Then you can set up the pistons in pairs. They should face you with the wooden 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 then retract. To activate the mechanism, use pressure plates directly in front of the door on the ground. If you make them from a similar material, they won’t stand out.
You can now cover the entire construction so that it is not noticeable. 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 helps you find better solutions for problems and become familiar with Redstone.
It’s also not a shame to get inspired on YouTube. There are countless tutorials to help you build different constructions. However, you will have to deal with more Redstone components. We focused on a simple door that anyone can build without much knowledge. 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
If you want to protect your base, you should install 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 and pistons come into play, perfect for simple constructions. They allow you to move and pull blocks, making entrances disappear. Create complex machines on a server that is yours alone. Rent your own Minecraft server and enjoy the game without compromises! You can also test Redstone with other players there … or protect your house from them.
