Hey everyone, I'm within 2 weeks of closing on a house and one of the first orders of business is going to be replacing the standard locks and deadbolt systems that are currently installed.
The house itself only has 2 doors to the outside, and I am okay with wifi or bluetooth locks, and certainly want a backup regular key system as well. So would like to know what people are using out there? Personal experiences and all of that.
The second order of business is a bit more long term. The house has a detached, 2 car garage, but there isn't a garage door installed at this time, not even sure if there ever was one. I need to have power run out to the garage (since nothing is there currently, going to make sure I have both 110 and 240, so probably a separate panel) and I'll be able to put outlets wherever I want, the inside is basically unfinished.
I know nothing about garage doors, other than I would like to have them as I build out the shop. I live in Seattle, so super insulated is not a concern, but I'm not sure what else I need to look for.
I would never let the access to my house be accessible to/by the internet. So much could go wrong with that.
The people across the street have a door locks with simple keypad access (not internet connected). I actually like that setup. Kids don't have to carry a key to get in. They can give temporary access codes to house guests that can then be removed from the system. It is an older hardwired system with a control panel that looks like a thermistat if you dont look at it to close. I think it is also tied in to there alarm system but not sure on that.
I've tried a few of the non-connected options and I recommend a mechanical keypad setup. No battery = less issues. I do not recommend the deadbolts with the motorized locking mechanism. I really like the fact I don't need keys when I leave my house. You can also set up temporary entry codes for friends or dog-walkers and delete the codes when you don't need them any more. If they battery dies you can use a key to lock/unlock the system as a failsafe.
I have battery-powered Schlage keypad lock (not internet connected) for my front door and garage door. They're convenient, but each one only lasted 3-4 years before they failed. They weren't cheap...+$100. The locking mechanism is manually turned but electronically active. One of the replacements I purchased was defective straight out of the box...which Schlage did replace.
When I first put a lock on my garage door I went with a quickset motorized keypad lock...this was absolute garbage and failed in ~18 months or so.
Finally, be sure you read up on the privacy issues if you're thinking about using the Ring doorbell.
No plan on getting a Ring or a connected doorbell/camera. I don't like items that have to ping back to a server. It is why I was looking at some of the strictly bluetooth or zwave locks as well. My home network is pretty secure, I keep my internet of things on a separate network. no broadcasting the ssid, various other tricks. but we do want the ability to have multiple codes for different people, things like that. I was reading some of the kwickset ones allow you to rekey the locks at any time, and that's appealing.
ShawnG
UltimaDork
11/13/20 5:12 p.m.
Door locks are only there to show signs of forced entry to the insurance company.
The big window is way easier to get through.
Insulated garage doors are more than just insulation. They make the door a lot more quiet and solid. Also more expensive. Those are the only real trade offs if you aren't interested in the R value.
I have had two different Schlage electronic keypads in my two houses I've lived in for about 5 and 7 years and they are awesome. One was a lockable door handle and the other is a lockable deadbolt.
no key to forget or lose and easy to grant access to friends or neighbors when needed. Plus we hid the backup key so we can still get in if there is some sort of problem.
The deadbolt broke on me and they replaced it without issue.
hands down the best thing we have for the house. I don't like wifi stuff for many reasons, one of which is that Wi-Fi stuff seems to go down at least once a year.
For your garage door opener, consider if you might put a lift in at some point. That will help determine what kind of opener and maybe even door you can use.
I'd also put in a plethora of outlets - high, low and a bunch outside, including 240. Maybe some on the ceiling above your work bench or high on the wall if you want to put a compressor up high off the floor.
Honsch
New Reader
11/14/20 1:11 a.m.
Do not put smart locks on anything you want to be secure.
Every single consumer grade one has horrendous flaws.
They are all worthless. You can go down the youtube lockpickinglawyer rabbit hole and feel despair over what passes for consumer grade security.
