Electronic Access for Residential Condos
One of the most popular types of residential and commercial locks found in Vancouver condominiums are called mortise locks. These differ from the more common cylindrical locks or the less common interconnected locks. This article will explain the differences between the 3 types of locks and how we can install electronic access for each type locks commonly found in Residential Condos
As always, if you have any questions or comments, please call/text me at 604-363-2760 or email me at alex@locksmithvancouver.com. Or, please drop by our Key Store near Gastown for a quick chat. Our Downtown Vancouver Key Store is open Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm while Vancouver Mobile Locksmithing Services are available 7 days a week 8am to 11:30pm.
Common Types of Residential Locks
The three most common types of locks one can encounter in condos and townhouses in Vancouver would be:
- Cylindrical Locks
- Interconnected Locks
- Mortise Locks
If you live in a building that is very old, you may still be using a jimmy proof deadbolt or a rim cylinder night latch. However, those are becoming exceedingly uncommon and are being retrofitted out of existence in most buildings.
Cylindrical Locks
Cylindrical Locks are probably the most common type found in most residential applications. You can distinguish this type of lock as the deadbolt and the knob/lever are two completely independent mechanisms. As a result, unlocking the knob/lever will not unlock the deadbolt and vice-a-versa.
Cylindrical Locks are the most common type of locks sold at DIY stores like Home Depot and the default standard door prep on new residential doors.
The standard hole size and placement of cylindrical locks are 2-⅛” diameter holes with a 2-⅜” or 2-¾” backsets. However, it is not uncommon to find doors with smaller diameter holes (usually 1-½” in diameter) even in modern luxury condos. Unfortunately, if you have one of these doors with a smaller bore hole, you will need to modify the door because pretty much all residential-grade electronic deadbolts will only fit 2-⅛” bore holes.
Why you need a locksmith
In order to enlarge the bore hole, you will need a set of tools that can be purchased from a DIY store like Home Depot. However, I highly suggest you employ the services of a professional locksmith in Vancouver like myself.
The reasons are as follows:
- A professional locksmith will/should have professional grade tools best suited for the job.
- A professional locksmith will minimize the time required and minimize/eliminate unwanted damage.
- Why purchase a set of tools that you may use once in your entire life?
A lot of DIYers buy the plastic door lock drilling jig from a place like Home Depot, and end up damaging the finish of their door or improperly drilling the hole. Once a mistake has been made, it may be impossible or very costly to rectify.
When in doubt, just call a Vancouver downtown locksmith to do the job right, the very first time.
Plus, once the door has been properly prepped, any decent locksmith would install the electronic deadbolt for you for little to no extra cost.
Finally, the most important reason to call a Vancouver locksmith for electronic deadbolts for cylindrical locks is to make sure you are buying the one most appropriate for your application. Some of our clients want a product with all the latest features and some want one that lasts a long time and is dead simple to use.
With the current U.S. tariffs, all electronic locks are more expensive than normal. So give us a call or text to prevent buyer’s remorse.
Interconnected Locks
We’re honestly not a big fan of interconnected locks. Mechanically, they are a cheaper version of a full mortise lock. They emulate the function of a mortise lock albeit with two cylindrical locks, a deadbolt and a lever. In a mortise lock, these two functions are integrated together in one lock. In an interconnected lock, this “integration” is emulated via a spring loaded cage mechanism on the inside portion or the door.
In our experience, it just seems like the developer was mandated to install mortise locks or “hotel-like” locks (most likely to meet high occupancy BC Fire Code regulations) and chose to save money by installing interconnected locks instead.
The two most common Interconnected Lock Brands we encounter most frequently in Vancouver are Taymors and Colombos.
Colombos cost more than Taymor and are less common. We’ve seen them in East Vancouver, Olympic Village area, and in random towers in Downtown Vancouver. Taymor Interconnected Locks are cheaper than Colombos and are found often on UBC Endowment Lands, Downtown Vancouver, etc.
Why you should get rid of your Interconnected Lock
Here are a few reasons why we dislike Interconnected Locks with a passion.
- Colombo Interconnected Lock parts are never in stock and take 6 to 8 weeks to arrive.
- Taymor Interconnected Locks are almost always sold as a set and must be bought whole.
- There are no direct interchangeable parts even within the same brand.
If none of the distributors keep the parts or whole sets of Interconnected Locks in stock at any given time, it should give you a hint as to their lack of popularity.
Fortunately, if you want to convert your Interconnected Lock to a standard Cylindrical Lock, it will be fairly straight forward. For example, the most popular Taymor Interconnected Lock is the Round Rose Interconnected Lock with Vega Lever in the Polished Chrome Finish. To convert, you will simply need to order the Taymor Deadbolt Thumbturn and Vega Inside Lever for a passage function in Polished Chrome Finish.
As the conversion will only replace the inside trim, no one from the strata or building management would know the conversion had taken place. We can do something similar for the Colombo parts as well albeit at a higher price point.
The primary reason why some of my clients have done this is to install an electronic deadbolt to their door. Normally, with the spring cage and back plate from the Interconnected Lock, one cannot install an electronic lock. Converting to two Cylindrical Locks will allow you to install a standard electronic lock to your door.
Hide Your Electronic Lock from the Strata Council
It is not uncommon for many strata councils in Vancouver to have bylaws prohibiting any cosmetic changes to a unit’s front door.
If you have a difficult strata council, we would recommend an electronic lock like the August Smart Lock because it mounts from the inside of the apartment door with no visible changes on the exterior of the door.
Read our article/blog on our thoughts on the August Smart Lock. We recommend it only in cases where electronic locks must be hidden on the interior side of the door. Otherwise, we don’t really recommend it as there are better locks at the same or cheaper price point.
The Only Electronic Interconnected Lock in the Market
Given how unpopular Interconnected Locks are in the market, it should not be surprising that there is really only one Electronic Interconnected Lock we can recommend. This would be the TownSteel E-Genius Series.
I need to preface that I have never ever seen a TownSteel E-Genius Series in-person. They were already expensive before the U.S. trade war. Now, they are frankly too expensive, however, they do fill a niche need that no other company fills.
You probably never heard of the TownSteel brand before. The company has been an OEM manufacturer for many of the better known brands for many decades and only recently started to sell products under their own brand name several years ago.
If you have an Interconnected Lock on a high-traffic door that needs electronic access, perhaps TownSteel has the right solution for you. Please contact us for more information.
Bad News About Mortise Locks
The bad news about electronic mortise locks is
1) they are super expensive and
2) no strata will allow them.
Not sure if you have a mortise lock? Please call and text us a picture of your lock at 604-363-2760. We can quickly identify what type of lock you have and give you some options.
Unfortunately, if you have a mortise lock, all the options will be either 1) very expensive and/or 2) change the exterior look of your door dramatically. For example, a Schlage LE series electronic morise lock is about $1900 Canadian not including labour to install. With a mandatory escutcheon plate on the exterior, it would be a noticeable change that most stratas will not approve of.
The good news is that if you have deep pockets and a flexible strata council, an electronic mortise lock is the premier way to mechanically secure your door and have electronic access.
Conclusion
This article converted the three most common types of locks found in residential condos with advice on how to install electronic access for all three types. Cylindrical Locks are the easiest and cheapest while Interconnected and Mortise Locks are cost prohibitive and may violate strata bylaws.
If in doubt, please consult with your strata council and contact us at 604-363-2760 via cell or text. Or email us at alex@locksmithvancouver.com. We look forward to serving you!
