Digital and Smart Door Lock Installation: Things to Note

The sheer convenience offered by the latest digital and smart door lock models has generated significant interest among homeowners in replacing existing key locks with these high-tech alternatives. While they provide plenty of additional features to enhance your property’s security, installing one is not straightforward. In fact, it helps to know the dos and don’ts when preparing your door for a digital or smart door lock installation, as it can mean fewer problems while effectively safeguarding your property 24/7.

A digital or smart door lock installation can be quite extensive depending on various aspects, including the nature of your door’s original key lock. It is not as simple as removing the older lock and installing the new one in its place; as such, it helps to take note of these core elements before you decide on a new digital or smart door lock model.

The most vital component to consider is your front door or gate (the latter if you live in an HDB flat) where you plan to mount the digital or smart door lock. Doors in various properties across Singapore typically feature different door locks, with the mortise lock being one of the more common types, featuring a durable metal construction embedded within the door frame. Some other properties may have a traditional door handle and locking mechanism, while others feature a deadbolt that enhances security.

If you have a front gate, they will also come with assorted traditional key locks that vary from model to model. While they support digital or smart door locks, you need to account for the gap separating the front gate from your front door. Certain digital or smart door locks may be large enough to take up the entire distance between the front gate and the door, potentially complicating entry into or exiting your home.

Where compatibility is concerned, spatial requirements are your top concern to ensure optimal security with your new digital or smart door lock. For instance, you may like to retain an existing security feature on your front door or gate, such as a deadbolt, to further increase your property’s security. Doing so is not too difficult as you need to ensure sufficient space to accommodate the new digital or smart lock without getting in the way.

The same principles apply to filler materials needed to fill the remaining space after removing the old locking mechanism. These filler materials aim to retain the front door or gate’s durability without hindering the new digital or smart door lock’s functionality, especially if the filler material prevents the locking mechanism from properly disengaging and causing issues with entering or exiting your property.

You may also need to consider additional criteria when choosing your digital or smart door lock. Thinner door frames, for instance, may be ideal for many models, while thicker ones may require additional wiring or filler material to ensure the new door lock’s smooth operations. You can manage this headache by enlisting professional services to assess your front door or gate and determine the best compatible digital or smart door lock for your needs.

Digital and smart locks offer various access methods, allowing keyless entry and exit from your property anytime. Most digital and smart door lock models come with at least three access methods at any time, with PIN codes being the most common keyless access method, while more advanced models can have up to eight access methods. You might only need a few access methods to access your property, as it largely depends on your preferences. For example, some homeowners may be content with the PIN code function, while you may prefer the easy-to-use RFID tag where you simply wave a card in front of the digital or smart door lock’s sensor to disengage the locking mechanism.

Your door lock choice can also hinge on your door’s position relative to various factors, including where it might receive plenty of sunlight or where many people pass by the entrance. As such, you may feel ill at ease keying in your PIN code while people pass you by, while digital or smart door locks equipped with cameras may end up suffering from sun glare on an exceptionally bright and sunny day. These can end up hampering the ease of use of your digital or smart door lock, so be sure you consider these factors when selecting an appropriate door lock.

Many digital and smart door locks will have different power requirements, as some will require a fixed power supply (typically from a nearby electrical outlet) to ensure the door lock can function at all times. Some models may feature a built-in battery that does not require a fixed power source but needs to be recharged at specific intervals, though these typically have an impressive battery life ranging from a few months to a year or more. Some may only require replacing AA batteries, while others require recharging via a power bank or a nearby electrical outlet.

Depending on your choice of door lock model, you need to ensure that you choose one with a sufficient power supply that can last for a long while. Since it can be challenging to plan your annual timetable at any one time, having a long-lasting door lock that can operate reliably for as long as possible ensures your property remains secured for as long as there is power. Trouble, however, can come from an unexpected power outage that can impair the door lock’s security functions. In most cases, digital and smart door locks come with emergency redundancy systems that enable the door lock to operate for an additional duration, but this extra time only spans several minutes to up to half an hour and is not ideal if you are away for a considerable time.

It helps to think about your chosen model’s power requirements and how well it will fit with your timetable, especially when unexpected emergencies like a blackout can happen at any time. As these events are hard to predict, the best is to find a digital or smart door lock model with a robust power supply, emergency redundancies, and someone you can trust who can stay on top of things in case something happens.

Fire-rated digital or smart door locks can be an essential feature to have mounted on a fire-rated door, offering enhanced fire safety when a fire does break out. It is common to find different models with different fire ratings, typically rated in minutes or hours to denote how long a door lock can withstand the intense heat of a fire before it fails. They also include safety features that enable you to open the door during a fire without using a key, tool, or other means of disengaging the lock. The lock should automatically disengage once it detects a fire has broken out.

A fire-rated digital or smart door lock will need to be made of specific fire-resistant materials that meet specifications set out by select certification bodies in Singapore. Each fire-rate model will have a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) that abides by the SS 332/EN 1634-1 certification. They should also come with additional features that help improve its fire rating, such as built-in sensors that can detect sudden temperature spikes that denote a fire has begun.

If a digital or smart door lock is fire-rated, you can safely mount it onto your fire-rated door and ensure your safety should a fire break out. Purchasing a model without asking for the CoC or whether it is fire-rated can be problematic, as when a fire does occur, the door lock may fail and prevent you from safely evacuating from the fire. As such, be sure to double-check its fire rating before purchasing.

Completing the digital or smart lock door installation at the end of the renovation cycle may be a good idea if you plan to renovate your property. Once the door lock is set in place, it can be quite inconvenient to remove it to repaint or refurbish the door without the door lock getting in the way. Moreover, installing it while ongoing renovations can damage the door lock as the contractors move in and out of your property with all their equipment and the renovation materials. It is also ideal to be present when the door lock installation is finally underway so that you can learn the fundamentals from the installation team on how to operate the door lock. It may be of particular importance if your chosen model also has a built-in facial or fingerprint recognition system that you need to register with for the system to work.

Enjoy peace of mind, high-quality home security, and more, thanks to Eazea’s selection of the latest digital and smart locks. Take your pick from our Korean-engineered digital locks at affordable prices, or opt for something fancier or more high-tech with select picks from Samsung, Philips, and Midea. Going keyless has never been Eazea!