In years past, it wasn’t uncommon to find families who chose not to lock their doors. Almost every community had them. Not only did these homes remain accessible to virtually anyone during daylight hours -- when everyone was at work or school -- but also at night when the family was asleep.
There are two main reasons why people refuse to lock their doors. The first is a general frustration or dislike of keys and the use of mechanical locks. The second, and probably the most common, is a general sense of security that all too often is misplaced.
“Also with many cars not needing keys anymore many people do not want to carry keys. These locks enable them to not have to carry a key for their house either,” says Steve Norch, president with Bierly-Litman Lock & Door of Canton, Ohio.
In small towns and rural communities this "no-lock" practice continues, despite the publicity that home invasions command during the six and eleven o'clock news. It's precisely the wide attention that these tragedies receive that has forced many "no-lock" families as well as many others to re-evaluate their home security practices.
The Use of Electric Locks in Residential Dwellings
One cure for the “no-lock” syndrome is to install electronic auxiliary deadbolt locks and encourage your residential clients to make them an integral part of their daily security practices. These high-tech security devices contain a number of features that are sure to peek every homeowner’s interest. For example, many of the electronic auxiliary deadbolt locks on the market allow up to 30 PINs so everyone who needs one can have one.
“We get a lot of calls for these types of locks for houses. Probably the biggest request that I see is for people who have babysitters and others to whom they do not want to give a key. Many of them have different numbers that can be given out so those numbers can be taken away if desired,” says Norch.
In addition, because of the growing number of older Americans that must be protected, electronic auxiliary deadbolt locks provide a great deal of flexibility in several ways.
“We have seen an increase of popularity among the elderly so they do not have to remember their keys. Their children also can visit them without requiring a key. We also see others who have a visiting nurse or some other caretaker come to help them, often on a daily basis, and the code can be given to them as well,” Norch said. Norch’s firm uses the Master Lock line of electronic auxiliary deadbolt locks.
Auxiliary electronic deadbolt locks also are an ideal way to reverse the "no-lock" habit because they allow the homeowner to automate the locking and unlocking of one or more doors by day of the week and time of day.
One locksmith, faced with a "no-lock" rural church comprised of many older practitioners who themselves were "no-lock" people in their own homes, demonstrated how an electronic auxiliary deadbolt lock can be made to accommodate their needs by automatically unlocking and locking on certain days at given times when people need ready access.
In this case, on Saturdays and Sundays the main door unlocks at 7 a.m. and locks for the evening at 11. On weekdays the schedule unlocks the main door at 8 a.m. and it relocks at 6 p.m. so the church secretary and superintendent of grounds can come and go during regular business hours without needing a key or PIN. The more tech-savvy members also can manually unlock and lock these doors, allowing them to come and go anytime using one of several PINs.
Another feature, besides scheduling and one-button locking, called "auto-locking," re-locks the door 30 seconds after someone has entered or exited the home. Again, the individual does not have to manually relock, thus making this an attractive alternative to a totally unsecured door(s).
The High-Tech Smartphone Connection
Unlocking electronic auxiliary deadbolt locks also is made equally easy through the use of a smartphone application and a wireless Internet connection. In this case an add-on wireless feature enables some electronic auxiliary deadbolt locks to communicate with the homeowner via their smartphone, tablet, or an ordinary laptop or desktop. This is made possible with the use of Z-wave or Zigbee, which are two different wireless, radio communication formats. Some locks also have the ability to communicate with a smartphone locally at the door using a Bluetooth connection. In this case a special smartphone app allows a member of the family to unlock or lock the door from as far away as 30 feet.
"We conducted a survey of 10,000 U.S. broadband households in Q2 2015 and 4 percent of respondents reported ownership of a door lock that can be controlled with a smartphone, tablet, or computer. Six percent of households surveyed intend to purchase a smart door lock in the next year. Please let us know if you need additional information," says Tom Kerber, director of research with Parks Associates of Dallas, Texas.
The advantage of having an electronic auxiliary deadbolt lock doesn’t stop there. One very powerful selling point is the fact that having one means that the homeowner will never have to hire you to return to the home to rekey the lock. Because it’s electronic, they can change any of the PINs at will at any time. The advantage for the locksmith is a larger profit margin with higher dollar figures per sale. Because of its high-tech nature, these locks are fast becoming a popular alternative for ordinary mechanical deadbolt locks.
The bottom line is this: Even the most frustrated "no-lock" person will find that the electric auxiliary deadbolt lock enjoyable to use and easy to program. Best of all, no longer will they have to fumble with a clump of keys.
Arrow Revolution®
Arrow, long-time maker of conventional door locks, now offers an electronic auxiliary deadbolt lock that features audio help with multiple volume levels to assist installers and end users alike. It accommodates 25 user PINs (personal identification numbers) as well as trilingual operation in English, Spanish, and French.
According to Arrow, "The Arrow Revolution® V2 stand-alone touchscreen lock combines the functional elements of a cylindrical lockset with the latest technological designed for electronic aesthetics. Dealers will benefit by providing an up-to-date technological solution that is also quick and easy to install."
The Arrow Revolution® V2 also features an inside lever for manual retraction designed to meet the most stringent of fire codes. Also, a master code enables the rapid creation and removal of user PINs as needed as well as a means of performing a quick lockout of all users, which is an ideal application during a crisis situation.
Operation is assured by 4 AA dry cell batteries with an effective life of 1 year. The assembly includes a common mortise cylinder with a single key for mechanical override when needed. The Arrow Revolution® V2 meets ANSI A117.1 accessibility code and carries an ANSI/BHMA A156.36, Grade 2 certification. For more information on the Arrow Revolution®, go to http://bit.ly/1gEQKxk.
Kwikset SmartCode
The SmartCode touchpad electronic auxiliary deadbolt lock, made by Kwikset, offers the convenience of rapid installation with heightened security. In fact, many criminals will automatically retreat at the mere glimpse of this and any of the other electronic auxiliary deadbolt locks featured in this story. That’s because these sophisticated stand-alone or Internet-connected locks require an access PIN to open the door.
The Kwikset SmartCode lock has many features that end users will appreciate. The lock provides two PINS, one for family members and the other as a temporary access code for users outside the home who may need temporary access. The length of the PINS can be set from four to eight digits. Where common PINs consist of four digits, an eight-digit PIN allows for a greater degree of security at the door.
Kwikset also has a one-button locking feature that goes a long way to encourage use by “no-lock” people. An optional auto-lock feature re-locks the door within 30 seconds after someone has entered or left the home. An audio beep tone also is available for those who would like to have feedback when they input a PIN or while they program the lock. It’s also a great way to know when someone’s on the other side of the door trying to gain access.
The lock also features Kwikset’s “Connect Home” technology that uses wireless connectivity to provide remote access through a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or any other Internet-based communication device. It also enables the integration of the lockset with other in-home systems and devices, such as security alarms, lighting control systems, and more. This includes a feature where the alarm system can be automatically armed and disarmed based on the security mode of the lock.
If there is a downside to the Kwikset SmartCode electronic auxiliary deadbolt lock for locksmiths, it’s the fact that it offers a feature called “SmartKey” that allows end users to rekey their own lock. The lock operates on four AA batteries that provide an average of one year of use.
For more information on the Kwikset SmartCode electronic auxiliary deadbolt lock, go to: http://bit.ly/1gEQI8F.
Schlage Sense
The Schlage Sense electronic auxiliary deadbolt lock is a high-tech access control device for use in ordinary residential applications that fall under the high-end “Smart Home” category. It features 30 user codes as well as alarm detection sensors to detect tampering, forced entry, or general lock activity.
On the high-tech end, the Schlage Sense electronic auxiliary deadbolt lock is designed to integrate with a number of Apple-made and other devices, which includes the Siri, iPhone, iPad, and the iPod Touch. To use this degree of integration, Schlage offers the Apple HomeKit™ which can be added now or later.
These Apple-related high-tech features ride on Z-Wave as well as Bluetooth wireless technologies. A smartphone app called “Schlage Sense” gives homeowners remote access and thus control capability through a cellular network or locally using Bluetooth. Best of all, none of this requires additional monthly charges.
Apple HomeKit provides added security because all wireless data are encrypted. The Schlage Sense electronic auxiliary deadbolt lock also comes equipped with an anti-tamper plate to prevent prying and sawing. The lock carries ANSI/BHMA, Grade 1 residential certification; it uses four AA dry cell batteries with a expected life span of a year. For more information on this product, go to: http://bit.ly/1FoGZ1W.
Yale Real Living
The “Real Living” electronic auxiliary deadbolt lock made by Yale, of Monroe, N.C., a subsidiary of Assa Abloy, offers illuminated buttons combined with a one-button enrollment feature, making programming a cinch for those new to the use of high-tech locks. The lock body on the outside of the door is weatherized with an appropriate gasket to protect the lock’s internal circuitry.
The Real Living lock has no keys for a criminal to pick or bump. The lock itself operates on 4 AA batteries that provide approximately one year of service. And, unique to this lock is the use of a nine-volt battery to assure that when the four primary AA batteries fail, the homeowner can still gain access to the home. The deadbolt latch is motorized, adding additional security
The Yale “Real Living” lock carries ANSI/BHMA Grade 2 certification. For more information on this product, go to: http://bit.ly/1MEmgKg.
Master Lock Electronic Keypad Deadbolt
The Master Lock Electronic Keypad Deadbolt with Recodable Cylinder, model DSKP0603PR125, is powered by 4 AAA batteries for wireless operation and will accommodate up to 20 user PINs. Each PIN can be independently programmed for 4 to 10 digits—10 providing the highest level of security at the door. The lock also features BumpStop, is a unique technology that resists bumping.
Like the Kwikset SmartCode lock, the Master Lock uses a unique technology called “Recodable Cylinder” that allows end users to recode the cylinder without calling a locksmith to program it for them. This requires a special rekey tool. This lock also offers a feature called NightWatch which involves the use of a thumb turn on the inside that prevents unauthorized persons from entering, even when they have a valid key.
The lock meets ANSI grade 2 performance standards. More information is available on this product on Master Lock’s website: http://bit.ly/1LLgd0S.
