Smart Lock Installation in Salem, OR

Do Salem doors suit a smart lock?

Most keypad and smart deadbolts are built to replace a standard bored deadbolt. A 1970s Salem house may already have a separate deadbolt alongside its knob lock, and that is the part a smart deadbolt swaps out, so the job is mostly matching the backset and door thickness.

Older doors take more checking. In the Gaiety Hill–Bush's Pasture Park district, where Craftsman bungalows are the most common style, an original door may not have a standard deadbolt hole, and some smart locks will not fit without new cuts. In a historic district, ask the City of Salem before cutting into an original door.

Rentals and shared buildings

In a rental, check the lease and ask the landlord before changing any lock. If the landlord is the one adding app-based entry, ORS 90.320(1)(m) allows a phone-app access control system as a means of unlocking a rental's locks, provided the landlord also offers at least one alternative, such as an access code, fob, key card or other tangible key. A shared entry door usually belongs to the owner or an association, not to one unit. This is general information, not legal advice.

Batteries, weather and a backup key

Salem has recorded temperatures from −12°F to 117°F, and winter is the wet season across most of the state. Batteries lose capacity in hard cold, and a keypad in afternoon sun can run hot, so:

• replace batteries at the first low-battery warning, and before a cold spell rather than during one
• choose a model made for outdoor use if the door has no porch cover from winter rain
• keep a lock with a mechanical key override, and keep that key somewhere other than inside the house

Before you send a request

Send photos of the current deadbolt from both sides, the door edge and thickness, and the model if you have bought one. If you want the backup key to match your other doors, rekeying can often set them alike. The Salem page describes the historic district.