How To - install an electronic door lock

When it comes to home security, the first barrier to any intruder is your front door… and the lock that secures it in place. Ideally, you want something that’s going to provide some security and strength against any unwanted visitors, while retaining a welcoming aesthetic for those you do want to come in.
Schlage provides a range of high-performance front door locks and handles designed to keep intruders out, yet remain stylish enough to grace the entryway to your home. As well as a range of standard ‘keyed’ locks, Schlage produces electronic versions, which offer a unique range of advantages over standard locks. For a start, you don’t need a key to get in, which means you won’t need to fumble around in your bag or through your pockets looking for one when you get home. There’s also no key to get lost, so you won’t need to worry about where it is or who’s got hold of it.
Different codes can be programmed into the lock depending on who you want to have access and when. For example, if a tradesperson needs access to your home, you can programme a one-time code that automatically erases itself from the system once it’s been used, or you can have different entry codes for different family members.
If you get to the door after the sun’s gone down (or shortly before it’s due to come up), the backlit keypad makes it easy to see what you are doing.
The lock is powered by a standard nine-volt battery, which lasts up to three years in normal circumstances and gives plenty of warning when it is running low on power. Even after the initial ‘low power’ warning, there are still a couple of months of normal performance left in the system. If the battery runs flat, a standard key override allows access to the house, which means you can hide the key away in a safe place, just in case the system runs out of power. A light on the keypad flashes with differing colour combinations (ie, red/green or red), indicating the battery requires replacement.
Lock installation isn’t difficult and if you are considering retro-fitting one to an existing door, these locks are compatible with a standard 54mm hole. As a rule of thumb, if you have a handle with a key that inserts into the front of the knob or lever, then you should be able to swap it for a new Schlage lock without any difficulties.
If you have basic DIY skills and the necessary tools, you will be able to install one in a new door yourself.

 

Basic tools required:

• Electric drill

• 53mm hole saw

• 25mm spade bit

• Phillips screwdriver

• Tape measure or ruler

• Sharp pencil

• Chisel (approx. 25mm)

• Hammer

 

 The first step is to establish the correct height on the door for the handle – too high and it will be difficult to reach, too low and it will feel awkward and look out of place. Around 1m up from the bottom of the door is a good starting point.
 At that point, mark the door based on the back set of the latch – in the case of this Schlage set, it has the option of 60mm or 70mm. Because it sat nicely in the centre of the door stile, a 70mm back set was chosen in this case. Using a square, a ruler and a sharp pencil, mark this position on both sides of the door.

 Once the position of the handle has been established, drill a 54mm through the door to accommodate the hardware. Using a sharp hole saw fitted to an electric drill, make a hole through from one side without going all the way through the door, then drill back through from the other side. This will prevent the saw breaking out and damaging the face of the door.

 To fit the cylinder of the latch set, a 25mm (1”) hole needs to be drilled in the centre of the edge of the door – lining up to the middle of the 54mm hole you have already made for the handle. Take care to keep the drill straight and level as you are drilling or this can cause problems when you fit the latch.


 
The faceplate of the latch cylinder needs to be checked into the edge of the door so it’s flush with the surface.
 Mark around the faceplate and use a sharp chisel to carefully remove timber until the faceplate sits flush with the surface. If the plate sits above the surface when it’s in place, it can cause the door to bind to the frame or hit the strike plate when it’s closed, so continue to chisel out any extra material until the plate fits correctly and then screw it in place.

 Slip the handle in to place ensuring the connect wire is fed through the hole to the other side of the door.
Slip the backing plate into place (this is held in position using a ‘hands free post’, which is an adjustable screw used to hold it together while you work), then connect the battery and plug in the connection wire. If correctly installed, the handle will beep to let you know it’s working.

 When everything’s connected, the battery can be slipped into position in a holder on the backing plate, the wires tucked away and the inside handle screwed in. Note that this is done using a standard screwdriver and not a battery driver, as these can over tighten screws and cause damage.
 
 Now that the handle is all fixed in place and working properly, the strike plate needs to be fixed to the doorframe.
 This is a fairly simple job but can cause some problems if it’s not done correctly. A striker plate that’s not fitted in the right plate can cause a door to either rattle in the wind (too loose) or needed to be slammed to latch into place (too tight). One way of working out the correct position is to mark the position of the latch on the doorframe, measure back from the front of the door to the backside of the bolt and then transfer this measurement to the door frame.
By chiselling out a small amount of timber first and then closing the door, it’s easy to establish just where the strike plate needs to be fitted.
Once this position has been established, mark around the striker plate and remove the timber with a chisel until it sits flush with the surface before screwing it into place.
The final step to getting your door working is to read the keypad operation instructions and establish the key codes. It’s best to do it with door open and the code sheet nearby, because the last thing you want to do it lock yourself out – a possibly frustrating end to your lock installation project!