I get the whole “if it works, it works” thing, but sometimes those little quirks drive me nuts—especially when you’re trying to blend old charm with new tech like keyless entry. Ever find that the smallest misalignment makes the fancy lock act up? I’m all for character, but I’m not sure I’d call a sticky door “low stress.”
Ever find that the smallest misalignment makes the fancy lock act up?
Oh man, every single time. I swapped out a 1920s knob for a smart lock once and spent an hour just fiddling with the strike plate. Turns out, even a millimeter off and you’re punching in codes for nothing. Sometimes “character” just means more headaches...
Honestly, I get what you mean about the “character” of old doors, but I’ve actually had fewer headaches with my smart lock than the old mortise setup. Maybe I just got lucky with the install? The trick for me was shimming the hinges a bit instead of fighting the strike plate forever. Ever tried that route? Sometimes it’s not the lock, it’s the whole door frame doing its own thing...
Shimming the hinges made a bigger difference for me than I expected, honestly. I used to keep blaming the lock, but once I got the door plumb again, even my old sticky deadbolt started working better. Did you notice any issues with the smart lock battery life after adjusting the door? Mine was draining fast until I fixed the alignment. Weird how much the door frame can mess with things.
Weird how much the door frame can mess with things.
Right? I used to think my smart lock was haunted or something—battery would die every couple weeks, and I’d be cursing at it in the driveway. Turns out, the door was just slightly off and the poor thing was fighting for its life every time I locked up. Once I shimmed the hinges, battery life doubled. Who knew a crooked door could be such a diva?
