Smart Lock Installation in Buffalo, NY

Will a smart lock fit your door?

Most smart deadbolts are made for a modern bored door: a round hole through the face, a smaller one into the edge, and a standard thickness. Older doors often do not match that standard. Allentown, north of downtown, is a National Register historic district of about 733 buildings, listed in 1980. A door original to a house there may carry a mortise lock, be thicker than a kit allows, or have old holes that do not line up. Some smart locks are made for mortise doors, and others replace only the inside half of an existing deadbolt, leaving the outside cylinder and key alone. Describe or photograph what is on the door now so the right type is chosen.

Shared doors, inspections and egress

In a double house, the city's historic survey notes, each mirror-image unit has its own main entrance, so a smart lock on one side affects only that unit. A two-decker is different: where a street or hall door serves both flats, a smart lock there changes access for both households and needs the owner's agreement. A tenant should check the lease and talk with the landlord before changing any lock.

Buffalo's Chapter 264 rental inspections also look at whether common halls and exits keep an unobstructed path of egress. On any exit door, choose a model with an inside thumbturn so the door opens from inside without a code, app or key. This is general information, not legal advice.

Cold, snow and batteries

The state's climate report describes lake-effect snow that builds as Arctic air crosses Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, and an outdoor keypad takes whatever weather reaches the door. Cold can also weaken batteries. A few habits help:

• Put in fresh batteries before winter and act on the first low-battery warning.
• Mount or shield the keypad under an overhang or storm door where possible.
• Choose a lock with a mechanical key override, and keep that key somewhere other than inside the house, such as a wallet or with a neighbor.

If the override cylinder should match your other doors, ask about lock rekeying during the install. Installation details are on the smart lock installation page; for Buffalo housing types, see Buffalo.