Installing a smart lock for your main entry point can improve your overall home security significantly. First of all, this type of security system can provide an advanced security protection for your house, and it will make your entry point much more difficult to breach. Intruders will have a difficult time trying to get through your main entry point because the advanced locking system will have lots of features that ensure all their suspicious movements are detected and reported immediately.
However, installing the smart locking system in your house might be a little more complex than installing any regular lock. So, if you want to install it in your main entry point, here are 7 checklists you should know before installing a new smart lock:
1. Make Sure that It Fits Your Door
Remember that there are specific requirements that you need to meet for each smart locking device. So, make sure that it fits your door first. This is because some devices will be unable to be installed and set up when it recognizes that the door size or measurement is not right. Moreover, if the door is not of a standard built, it can be a problem too. So, be sure to check the door condition and the device requirements before starting the installation process.
2. Make Sure to Choose Your Preferred Connection Type
Different smart locking devices will offer different connection types. Depending on your needs, you should choose the connection type that best suited with your current home security installation. This is because it affects the way you connect to the smart lock using other security devices that you have. Bluetooth and wireless connections are the most common connection types that you can find, and they both offer various advantages and disadvantages.
3. Choose the Brand that You are Familiar with
There are a few big brands that produce good quality smart locks in the market today, and most of those brands also offer traditional locks and other security products. If you have been using a certain brand name for your other security products, it is better for you to pick the smart lock that comes from the same brand name because it will give you the best user experience. It will also be easy to integrate with other home security devices that you already have.
4. Combine It with the Deadbolt Lock
The smart lock system, despite being a good replacement for the traditional lock system, shouldn’t replace your deadbolt lock. In fact, the smart locking device can be used in conjunction with the deadbolt lock that you already have on your door. It will be easy to integrate both of the security locking devices and make them work together to improve your home security even more.
5. Pick the Unlocking Type that You Want
Different smart locks will offer different ways of unlocking your door. You can use a traditional key to unlock the door, or you can use other methods, such as PIN code, key card, smartphone tapping, fingerprint, and so on. You should pick the unlocking method that you think is suitable for your house. Remember that depending on who you are living with, different unlock methods will offer different security protection for your house.
6. Keep the Battery Backup Ready
Most of the time, the smart lock system will work with your main electricity as the power source. In addition to that, there is a battery backup power that you can use in case of emergency or power failure, which is why you need to keep the battery backup ready to use all the time. In the time of emergency or power failure, your smart lock system won’t work unless there’s a battery backup installed and ready to use. Though the manufacturer might provide more unlocking methods in case of emergency, it is better to keep the battery backup ready all the time.
7. Make Sure that Your Door Closes Properly
Lastly, before installing your smart lock, the door needs to be closed properly. Improper built of the door might prevent you from closing it properly unless you push it a bit hard when you close it. This can be a problem because the smart lock might mistakenly detect this as suspicious movements, which might trigger false alarm in your home security system. It is better to fix the door installation first if you have this problem. Once you can ensure that it can close properly, then you can begin the installation of the smart lock device without problem.