How can I install an electronic door lock ? Can an electronic door lock be installed on any door ?
I am fixing to purchase an apartment in Australia and it will come with a "Solid Core door with Deadlocks" for the front door. I just want to make sure I get a secure locking mechanism on my front door (as well as never to remember if I forgot my keys), thats why I am leaning towards the keypad lock things. I am missing HomeDepot
Installation instructions depend on the exact model of "electronic door lock" you purchase.
Most of the low-cost/self-contained units install into a standard cylindrical-lock bore (ie, in place of the normal knobset and/or deadbolt), occasionally with another hole or two to anchor them firmly in place. That's an easy retrofit.
Commercial-type units, where the electronics is separate from the door hardware, are more complicated.
It turns out electronic locks (and door passage sets—a.k.a. door handle sets) have a limited range of door thicknesses they install in.
A condo I used to live in had a mondo solid wood entry door 2.5 inches thick (exterior doors are normally 1.75 inches thick). To obtain a suitable electronic lock required a special order, 8 weeks, and $750.
It was a pain to install mostly because the previous mechanical combination lock required custom cutouts in the door which I had to either cover or modify for a standard lock pattern through-holes.
Bottom line: check the actual door thickness and range of the lock. Otherwise, it should fit on "any door".
