Smart Lock Installation in Raleigh, NC

Do Raleigh doors suit a smart lock?

Close to half of Raleigh's housing dates from 2000 or later, according to Census Bureau estimates, so many doors here are newer builds. Before ordering a keypad or smart lock, check the maker's door-thickness range and backset, the distance from the door edge to the center of the bore.

Older doors need more thought. A pre-war house in Hayes Barton or Five Points may have a mortise lock, which takes a smart lock built for mortise doors or a retrofit that works with the existing lock. In a historic overlay district, a keypad on a street-facing door is hardware seen from the street, which is where a Certificate of Appropriateness question can arise. The city's ordinance puts doors and door openings on its minor-work list in Section 10.2.15, so raise it with preservation staff before you buy. This is general information, not legal advice.

Approvals in shared buildings

In the high-rise buildings around North Hills, management may run lobby and garage access, and a smart lock on a unit door sits apart from that system. Ask management whether the building sets rules for unit hardware before you install. In a townhome with an association, check its rules on anything mounted on the front of the house. If you rent, get the landlord's consent first.

Batteries and winter

NOAA describes the state's winters as moderately cold, and batteries lose output in the cold, so a lock that seemed fine in October can start warning on a January morning. Replace batteries at the first warning, not when the lock stops, and wipe ice off the keypad after freezing rain rather than pressing through it.

Keep a backup key. Choose a model with a mechanical key override, keep that key outside the house, and learn how the override works before the batteries run down.

Details to send with a smart lock request

• photos of the current lock from both sides, and the door thickness
• the smart lock model, if you have bought one
• any building, association or landlord approval
• whether the door faces the street in a historic district

See also residential locksmith work, and the Raleigh page for the districts and buildings named here.