Smart Door Locks for Apartments | Falcon Security Systems

What to check about your door before choosing a lock

Smart locks are chosen from photographs and fitted to real doors, which is where most disappointments begin. Three measurements decide what will physically fit, and none of them appear in the marketing.

Door thickness comes first. Most smart locks fit doors between roughly 38 and 60 millimetres. A thin interior door or a heavy armoured door outside that range needs a specific model, not an adapter. Measure before ordering.

Second is the handing — which way the door opens. Many locks are made in left-hand and right-hand versions, and hotel-style card locks are almost always handed. Ordering the wrong one means an exchange, not an adjustment.

Third is what is already in the door. Replacing an existing mortice lock is usually straightforward; converting a door built for a simple cylinder often needs new machining. For an armoured door, check whether the existing multi-point mechanism can be driven by the smart lock, because that determines whether you keep the security you paid for.

One practical point for flats: agree with the building management before changing an entrance door lock, particularly where the door is part of a fire-rated assembly.

Measure and confirm before ordering

• Door thickness in millimetres
• Which side the hinges are on
• Existing lock type and backset
• Whether it is an armoured multi-point door
• Whether the door is fire-rated and covered by building rules