Change or rekey · Vaughan
Smart Lock Installation
Arthritis has made the small house key hard to grip and turn, especially with gloves on in January.
In plain words
Most of the skill in fitting a smart lock goes into the door rather than the electronics. Motors are patient but not strong, so a bolt that has to be shouldered home will stall, chew through batteries and eventually refuse. The locksmith checks that the bolt slides fully into the strike with the door closed and no hand on it, and corrects hinges, strike pocket or weatherstrip until it does. The bore holes are measured against the new lock's needs, the door's thickness is confirmed, and a reinforced strike goes in with long screws. Only then is the lock mounted, calibrated and programmed.
How the visit goesThere are four copies of the front-door key floating around: one with the cleaner, one with a neighbour, one on a hook at your parents' place, and one you honestly cannot account for. You would rather hand out codes you can switch off.
Smart Lock Installation
How the visit goes
Signal strength at the door
If the lock is to be reached from a phone away from home, the network at the door matters as much as the lock. The locksmith checks how strong the Wi-Fi is on the door itself, not in the hallway, because a metal door, a brick wall or a router at the far end of the house can leave the entrance in a dead spot. Where it is weak, the options are a bridge plugged in near the door, a hub-based model that uses its own radio, or a Bluetooth lock that works locally and skips the network entirely. Finding this out before the box is opened avoids a lock that drops offline every evening.
Power up and teach the lock its door
Once the hardware is tight, the lock gets the batteries its maker specifies, all fresh and all the same type, since mixing old and new cells shortens the life of the set. Most models then run a short calibration in which the motor learns which way is locked, how far the bolt travels and where it meets resistance. The locksmith runs this exactly as that model's instructions direct, door open or closed depending on the maker, then cycles it several times from the keypad and the thumb-turn while listening for a motor that strains. If the lock has a door-position sensor or a magnet to fit on the frame, it is placed and confirmed at this stage.
Knowing what works when the internet is out
You leave with a clear picture of what the lock does on its own. On most models the keypad, the key and any fob keep working with no network at all, because they talk to the lock directly; what needs the internet is checking or changing the lock from far away and receiving alerts. Codes and schedules stored in the lock carry on through a router reboot or a power cut. The locksmith will have named which functions on your specific model depend on Wi-Fi or a hub, so a quiet evening with no connection is an inconvenience for the app and nothing more for the door.
Smart Lock Installation
In the van
Mechanical override cylinder and repinning kit
Smart deadbolt or smart lever set
Adjustable-backset bolt and faceplate
Manufacturer-specified batteries
Hinge shims and long hinge screws
Smart Lock Installation
What affects the quote
Network setup
Joining the lock to Wi-Fi, adding a bridge because the signal at the door is weak, or pairing with an existing hub is setup time and sometimes an extra device, and appears in the quote as such.
Supplying the lock yourself
If you have already bought a lock, the quote covers fitting and setup only, with a note on whether the chosen model suits your door; if the locksmith supplies it, the hardware is listed alongside.
Retrofit versus full replacement
An interior-only unit that turns your existing deadbolt involves less door work than a complete new deadbolt with a keypad outside, and the two are quoted differently in both hardware and time.
What to have ready
- How many people need their own way in, and does that list change often?
- Is there already a keypad or app lock on the door, and who set it up?
- How strong is the Wi-Fi signal when you stand at that door?
Smart Lock Installation: questions
QuestionsWill a smart lock fit my existing door?
Most residential doors have the standard preparation these locks are designed around: a large hole for the lock body, a smaller one in the edge for the bolt, and a thickness between roughly 35 and 45 millimetres. The locksmith measures all three plus the backset before recommending a model. Thicker doors take an extension kit, thin or glass-panelled doors and older doors with a mortise pocket call for a particular model or some preparation, and all of that is sorted out before the box is opened.
Can you set up codes for my kids, the cleaner and the dog walker?
Yes, and separate codes for each of them is the whole point. During setup a code is created per person, so you can see who came in and remove one person without affecting the rest. Where the model allows, the cleaner's code can be limited to certain hours and days, and a one-time code can be made for a delivery or a contractor. Children's codes are set short enough to remember and changed if they are overheard.
I rent. Can I have a smart lock installed?
Yes, with your landlord's agreement first. Tenancy rules in this province expect a tenant to have the landlord's consent before changing a lock, and expect the landlord to have a working way in, so the sensible route is a short conversation and a note of what will be fitted. A retrofit model that mounts inside and keeps the existing exterior lock and key is often the easiest thing for a landlord to say yes to, since the door is unchanged from outside.
Related services
- Deadbolt InstallationThe bolt on the front door is keyed on both sides.
- Lock Replacement & UpgradeThe house is fifteen years old and every exterior door still wears the light hardware the builder fitted: a short bolt, a thin strike held by two small screws, and a knob lock that never suited a street entrance.
- Vintage Mortise Lock ServiceThe knob flops loose on its spindle and never springs back to level.