Smart locks: what we install, and what we talk people out of

Smart locks are the most-asked-about product in our store, and the honest answer is that they are excellent for some doors and a bad idea on others. Two rules cover most of it.

Rule one: always keep a mechanical backup

Every smart lock we install has a physical key override. Batteries die, phones die, and a lockout caused by the lock you bought to prevent lockouts is a particular kind of frustrating. Keypad-plus-key is the combination we fit most often.

Rule two: the lock is not the weak point — the door is

A smart deadbolt on a hollow frame with a short strike screw is a smart lock on a door that can be kicked open. If the budget is fixed, reinforcing the jamb and fitting a proper strike plate buys more security than the electronics do. We say this on site regularly, and it is the advice people thank us for later.

Where smart locks genuinely earn their place

• Households where several people come and go on different schedules, and you would rather issue a code than cut a key.
• Short-term rentals, where codes can be rotated between guests.
• Anyone who has ever stood at their own door wondering whether they locked it — remote status is the feature people actually use daily.

What we set up before we leave

We fit the lock, align the strike so the bolt throws fully without forcing, pair the app, set the master and guest codes, and show you how to add and remove a code yourself. We also set auto-lock to a delay that suits the household rather than the factory default, which is usually too aggressive.

If you want one but are not sure it suits your door, send a photo. We will tell you whether it fits, and what else the door needs first.