Hotels and office buildings moved to key cards years ago and now the trend of going keyless is finally catching on in the home front.
Saanich locksmiths at The Lock Doctor have seen a steady growth in the sale of electric keypads as homeowners enjoy the convenience of going keyless.
“We have one customer who installed them [on every access] to his house,” said Nic Rahn of The Lock Doctor.
“His grandkids visit often and that way there’s no worry of keeping track of keys.”
Some expected numbered keypads to find their way onto the front doors of all residential homes by now but there’s still a chance it could trend that way, Rahn says.
“Right now the entry point for residential keypads are about $174 to $250 and the install time is nearly the same as it is for a traditional deadbolt.”
People are enjoying the freedom, Rahn said.
Keys break, they get lost, and keychains quickly grow to a cumbersome size.
What’s changed about the keyless keypads is the battery life and durability of the locks.
“The batteries now can go for years, but we recommend replacing them when you replace the battery in your smoke alarm, just to be safe,” Rahn said.
Electric keypads do come with a manual key entry should the battery die.
“One of the benefits is some of electric keypads can be programmed to carry 19 entry codes at a time, a handy thing for contractor or other workers that need access to the home,” Rahn said.
Rahn’s best seller is the Schlage BE 365 series, a durable keypad starting at $174. Prices vary on the style and finish of the keypad, such as the Emtek touchscreen model.
The Lock Doctor has been in the same Cedar HIll Saanich location, at 102-1551 Cedar Hill Cross Rd., since 1984.
reporter@saanichnews.com