Smart Lock Installation in Louisville, KY

Do Louisville doors suit a smart lock?

Many keypad and smart deadbolts are made for a standard bored hole in the door. Louisville's housing is old: 36.5 percent of homes were built before 1960, and doors that age may still hold mortise locks. Before buying, check the door's bore and backset against the lock's fit list and send a photo of the door edge, since an older door may not take one without work.

Preservation districts

The Landmarks Ordinance (LMCO §§ 32.250–32.263) covers seven districts, among them Old Louisville, Cherokee Triangle, Butchertown and Clifton. Section 32.256(A) lists video doorbells, cameras, lighting motion sensors and similar temporary security items that do not change the permanent historic fabric among the things that are not exterior alterations. Keypad and smart deadbolts are not among those examples, so check with Metro's Landmarks staff before changing street-facing hardware. This is general information, not legal advice.

Shared entries and rentals

In converted Old Louisville houses and in buildings of 15 to 20 stories, a lock may be tied to a building fob or a shared entry, so ask the manager before changing it. In a two- to four-unit building, which is one Louisville home in ten, a new lock at a shared entry affects every household that uses it. With 39.3 percent of Louisville's occupied homes rented, a tenant should read the lease and ask the landlord before swapping a deadbolt for a smart one.

Cold, batteries and a backup key

Batteries in key fobs and smart locks lose output in hard cold, which northern Kentucky sees more often. Replace them before winter, and keep a mechanical key, because a keypad with a dead battery becomes a lockout.

For a smart lock installation request, send the neighborhood, a photo of the door edge and lock, the model you own or plan to buy, and whether the home is owned or rented. If the old hardware is worn, ask about lock replacement first. The Louisville page lists the district rules.