How to Have ‘The Talk’: Talking Locks With Your Home Builder

Building a home is a challenging yet exciting process. The fact that you are in control of how your living space will look and feel can be exhilarating, especially when you start choosing the details and features of your home such as flooring, countertops, cabinets, paint colors, etc. Interestingly enough, one of the most important aspects of the finished product that often goes overlooked is the issue of door locks. After all, what good is building a beautiful home from scratch when your doors are not adequately secure? It’s important to take the time to consider what type of locksets you plan to put on your exterior and interior doors, so you can be sure your new investment will be protected from unauthorized access.

When working with a home builder, you’ll need to make them aware of your intention to equip your doors with keyless locks early on in the home building process. As a matter of fact, the sooner you do this, the better. This is an important step that can’t be overlooked, because in some cases, certain types of doors will better lend themselves to particular keyless lock styles, and your builder will need to know which doors best suit your objectives. This will save time and money on the front end, instead of having to go back later and replace a door due to an improperly fitting lock.

For example, if you have an entry door with an adjacent decorative glass panel, you may need to consider installing a double-sided keyless deadbolt lock such as the Lockey M210DC. This lock will help prevent any kind of security breaches where someone could break the glass and then reach around and unlock the door from the inside. The fact that the M210DC is non-handed helps as well; you won’t have to worry about not being able to use it for whatever door you need, since it can fit both right- and left-swing doors. While these details may seem minor by themselves, they actually matter quite a bit to a builder. Several other design and building decisions may need to be made based on one of these seemingly minor details, so definitely keep your builder informed about your various lock choices as early in the process as possible.

An extra-thick door may prevent you from using certain keyless locks, so if there are any situations where the builder may have had plans to use a door that is thicker than the average door, you’ll need to let him/her know about it as soon as possible. The last thing you would want is to install a beautiful door, only to find out later that it’s too thick to accommodate the keyless lock you’ve chosen for it.

For any exterior doors, you definitely want to make sure that the keyless locks you choose for them are weather-resistant. The Schlage keypad FE575 lock is a tough lock that is perfect for interior or exterior use. It has been UL/BHMA approved to withstand high humidity, and it’s reliable enough to work well in all kinds of weather conditions. The interior elements of the lock feature rubber gaskets that seal the lock against any moisture, so you can be sure your lock will function properly even in the midst of a blinding rainstorm. And while we’re at it, if you ever find yourself in that position, you will still be able to see what you’re doing to unlock the door, because the keypad of the FE575 illuminates when you touch it. How’s that for weather-immune performance?

Once you’ve settled on which keyless locks you want to choose for the different doors of your home, you can then provide the builder with the particular specs you need for each door, so that the keyless locks can be installed flawlessly. This is an extremely important step to take, because you don’t want to waste your time (or the builder’s) on doors that won’t accommodate the locks you have chosen.

Out of all the things mentioned above, the common thread is simply this: Communication. If there’s one thing that can derail a home building project more than anything else, it’s lack of adequate communication. The builder should not have to guess what type of locks you plan to use for each door of your house, and it’s dangerous to rely upon assumptions alone. Take the time to thoroughly document what type of keyless locks you want, and explain your expectations to the builder in detail. Be meticulous about the details, so there will be no room for guesswork or misunderstandings. This will help prevent any communication misfires, which can ultimately cost both parties time and money.

Lockey M210DC, M210DC-EZ Double Sided Keyless Deadbolt Lock

SCHLAGE FE575 Camelot Auto-locking Keypad Lock