Learn me - home door locks

I have a very old house,160 yrs, an the original lock gave up the ghost a few years ago.

I just went to Ace and got a lock that most closely matched the old one. QED

mazdeuce wrote: Any suggestions for keypad locks? Any system that doesn't use keys? There are non-house doors around that I would lock more if I didn't have to carry a key.

KYAllroad any input here? Id love to find a decent (not strength but usability/longevity) RFID and keyed deadbolt if one exists.

In reply to java230:

Sadly no. I locksmith for the gubmint, not residential. If I were in the market though, I'd call my local commercial door and window supplier and ask their sales staff for their recommendation. Quality costs but if that's what you're after it's worth it.

In reply to KyAllroad:

Thanks! Ill have to call around I guess.

In reply to java230:

Yale B1L or Assure, depending on what you mean by "RFID."

Don't hop on the "OMG hackers will get into my smartlock" bandwagon. It's really, really unlikely. ZWave itself uses AES. One lock company did have a bug that took some high-level sleuthing to discover, but that wasn't Yale.

For the amount of effort someone would have to put in to "hack" my smart locks, they could have broken a window and been in and out by then.

...plus if the locked detect themselves open, and they know I'm not home, I get an email alert. This:

Perhaps just not use the double key deadbolt when home? Once when my home was burglarized they took everything in the house other than the cars in the garage right out the front door after they unlocked the deadbolt from the inside. If I'd had a double keyed deadbolt then they might have only taken small valuable things and not come back with a big truck and cleaned the house out. Having the thumb knob inside for the deadbolt allowed them to easily open the door and take all the big furniture, appliances etc. I can tell you from experience that it's a real surprise to return from a trip, open your front door, and find nothing in your home but a couple inches of water.

Would be highly unlikely thanks to the networked locks. Also they lock themselves again after a few minutes, turn on some of my lights if I'm getting home and it's dark, turn off my lights after I lock the door, let me restrict people's access to the house (once you give anyone a key to your house that key is compromised forever), and so on. They're super useful.

Also because they're keyless that's one less key I carry, and they'll never have to be rekeyed!

In reply to Osterkraut:

Thanks!!

I was looking for a non networked lock, but don't really have an issue with it.

As for rfid, I'd like a fob or one of the little sticker things you can stick to a phone or wallet or whatnot. Bluetooth is fine for my wife and I, but doesn't work for the kid.

I do want something with a key override ideally.

In reply to java230:

As for rfid, I'd like a fob or one of the little sticker things you can stick to a phone or wallet or whatnot. Bluetooth is fine for my wife and I, but doesn't work for the kid.

Yale YRL220, Samsung Smartthings Hub, and an arrival sensor might be as close as you can currently get. Doesn't look like there's an NFC lock out yet.

If I'm not too late to this party, I happen to have an abundance of Schlage door locks in my garage from when my dad sold building materials. I could happily send you a set for the cost of a medium flat rate box just to clear up some shelf space.

This sort of discussion is why I love this forum . It does look like a really secure lock would be a waste of money given how flimsy the door frame is, so I'll go for normal levels of security.

@SVreX, no double cylinder deadbolts here. I intuitively never liked them and you just explained why they are a really bad idea. Plus as mentioned before, there are enough other weak points that can't easily be fixed unless we put bars on every window and sliding glass door. Not going to happen so making the front door super secure is just shifting the vulnerabilities around.

Plus, I get the distinct impression that around here in the Wild West, a lot of the security due to the knowledge that pretty much everybody around here is somewhere between well armed and equipped to supply a minor war theatre or two. Breaking into someone's residence doesn't strike me as a very healthy endeavour...

@RevRico, that sounds great - I'll PM you tonight (gotta run to work).

KyAllroad wrote: In reply to ProDarwin: Yeah, the doorjamb is typically 3/4" soft pine and the screws attaching the strike plates are 3/4" as well. A paraplegic could kick that in. The first thing I do whenever I work on residential locks is replace those stumpy screws with 3 1/2" deck screws which tie into the double 2x4 framing. Even my cheap locks become pretty sturdy then.

I know what I am doing on Sunday. That is such an easy thing to do and I never even thought of it. Thanks.

Osterkraut wrote: In reply to java230:

As for rfid, I'd like a fob or one of the little sticker things you can stick to a phone or wallet or whatnot. Bluetooth is fine for my wife and I, but doesn't work for the kid.

Yale YRL220, Samsung Smartthings Hub, and an arrival sensor might be as close as you can currently get. Doesn't look like there's an NFC lock out yet.

I was poking at the Samsung one at the local builders hardware, they had stickers and fobs for it. But no key override and it was $$$ at the time.

The Yale (assure IIRC) that you mentioned earlier, with the BT sounds pretty good. But its not out in Stain nickle yet, and no reviews out yet because its new, but that one looks promising.

In reply to Rusted_Busted_Spit:

Dont over tighten, just run them in tight. Unless its solidly shimmed behind the catch hole (unlikely) you can throw it out of whack if they are too tight.

In reply to java230:

Good to know, thanks.

Zombie thread. Canoe deleted. 

mazdeuce said:

Any suggestions for keypad locks? Any system that doesn't use keys? There are non-house doors around that I would lock more if I didn't have to carry a key.

I like the Schlage 10-button ones. I can easily add a code for a guest and just as easily, revoke it. 

Zombie or not, this is timely for me since we're going to be replacing our front door soon. 

Any updates on tech these days? Yale and Schlage still good quality options? 

Greg Smith said:

mazdeuce said:

Any suggestions for keypad locks? Any system that doesn't use keys? There are non-house doors around that I would lock more if I didn't have to carry a key.

I like the Schlage 10-button ones. I can easily add a code for a guest and just as easily, revoke it. 

 

Same.  I have a networked Schlage which I like very much.   One very useful thing is that it auto-locks after a few minutes so you (I) never forget.  I also like that it permits scheduling.  The cleaners can't get in at night or on the w/e, for example.  At least not w/o breaking something.

Since we are here....

has  anyone installed a deadbolt lock in the bottom of the door that locks into the door sill .

it would make it much harder to kick in the door.....

Or even a metal door and frame like industrial shops use....

thru the years I have had my doors kicked in a couple of times...... And also come home to "claw" marks on the door knob where they tried to twist it off with a pipe wrench or something !

thanks for your ideas

In reply to californiamilleghia :

If you're talking about a nice front door, there are some that have 3 or 5 locking points operated by the normal middle lock. We have 3 deadbolts on our storm shelter door, but all independent. Never seen any into the sill. Could be done I'm sure.