To add to the rejuvenation of our front entry way, we decided that the front door hardware had to be replaced. It no longer looked like gold or brass and was not making a good impression. In fact, not sure it was nice to even put your hand on to open the door.
The next thing we decided to do was look into replacing the dead bolt with a smart door lock key less entry deadbolt. If your door handle hardware is still in good shape, you can choose to only replace the deadbolt.
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Most companies carry many different finishes for door hardware including bronze, brass, gold, and black. We opted to select a shiny brass finish.
Why a smart door lock?
We have a lot of people in our family and had a lot of trouble trying to get everyone a key. We would have to hide a key or get a key to each person we had checking on the house or pets when going on vacation. A key less entry provides a much easier solution.
- Most products allow you to program multiple codes into the pad. We decided each child could have his own code and make the code something easy for them to remember. An idea would be using the same code or similar code they use to unlock their cellphones.
- Most products also allow you to program temporary codes and give those to persons taking care of your house or pets while you are out of town. Later upon returning home, you then erase that temporary code.
- Some more advanced products also allow tracking of the codes used for entry.
A lot of the smart door locks also provide audible signals for when the door is opened and alarms that go off for forced entry or attempted forced entry. The intruder alarms are often loud enough to alert neighbors so would be a nice feature when you are away.
There were several brands we looked at but the one that seemed to have the best reviews and features was made by Schlage. It was the Schlage Connect – Touchscreen Deadbolt with Alarm.
Installation
Schlage also has an extremely thorough manual and step by step instructions.
Please read the manual about installation and better yet watch and follow the Schlage installation video available below.
The Schlage videos are great and I used them to install mine. They were so good I thought it would be a waste of time to try and recreate a video tutorial just like it.
The number one thing was to carefully read about adjusting the new bolt length based on your door deadbolt opening once you removed your old hardware.
If you order the new door handle with the deadbolt be sure to compare the old location and holes to the new door handle. The only difficulty I had was that the old door handle appeared to be non-standard and required for me to drill another hole through the door. The Schlage door handle had an adjustable mount but even with that the hole for my old door handle was just out of reach. Fortunately the new handle’s hardware covered both holes on the outside. I had to tape off and repaint a small area around the new handle.
Besides adjusting the door handle fit, installation went very smooth and right along with the video and instruction booklet.
Secure The Connections
The key less entry pad runs on four AA batteries so I would use quality batteries so they last awhile. I also took black electrical tape and put some around the battery pack to further hold in the batteries and also a strip over the top of the plug connection. This is to guard against the connection loosening from door vibration when it is open and shut. I found it came loose a time or two and the pad was disconnected. Not everyone in our household shuts the door gently.
The Schlage set deadbolt does provide keyed entry to the lock as a backup and they provide one key. I suggest hiding it somewhere accessible but very hard to find as a way to still get into the house should the batteries die or connection shakes loose. Do not hide under a plastic rabbit statue, flower pot, etc on your front porch. That is not going to fool an intruder.
Programming Entry Codes
Follow the instructions in the booklet or from this Schlage video to easily program your codes. Codes can be as short as 4 digits but I suggest 6 or 8 digits making it hard for anyone to guess.
Testing the New Door Lock
Shutting the door and locking it and entering a code always starts with pressing the Schlage logo at the top of the keypad. Shutting the door and pressing the logo locks the door. You will hear the bolt mechanism sliding the bolt into place. You can test this of course with the door open to see the mechanism extend and retract to test codes without getting locked out.
Entering your code begins with first hitting the Schlage logo and then entering the digits of your code one at a time. As each digit is entered, you should see a green check mark in the lower left corner of pad. If the code is incorrect you will see a red X in the lower right. Once a successful code is entered your will hear the bolt mechanism activate and retract the bolt.
Forced Entry Alarms
Entry alarms and forced entry alarms can also be programmed into the keypad. See how this is done here in another easy to follow Schlage video.
I chose not to use the entry notification and only set the forced entry alarm because my dogs are terrified of the sound the entry tone makes. They bark each time the mechanism activates to open the door anyway so why torture them with the regular entry beep or tone.
So spruce up your front door and add convenience and security with a key less deadbolt. I have also noticed that Schlage is now integrating these locks with the Ring door bell for even more security. This will probably be the subject of a new post in the new future so look out for that in next couple of months.
Blessings Rich and Donna
Products referenced:
**Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. We appreciate your support. (disclosure policy)
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