Builders' Show: Schlage lets your fingers do the locking
From washers to thermostats, you'll find more touchscreen technology all around the house. Schlage's new Touchscreen Deadbolt Lock brings that convenience to your front door. The battery-powered deadbolt replaces your existing lockset without the need for modifications and uses simple, four-digit access codes to open and lock the door. The touchscreen lock was on display at the International Builders' Show.
The new lock can hold up to 30 codes, including temporary ones for guests, contractors, and other short-term visitors. You can also program in codes for specific times of the week, say, to let the cleaning person in on Wednesdays. An anti-pick shield protects against tampering while a built-in alarm can tell you if it detects significant pressure from a swift kick to the door. And, yes, there's a standard key override, in case the battery runs out.
The Schlage Touchscreen Deadbolt is sold at Home Depot and Amazon for $199. Using optional Nexia software, you can program the lock to send you text alerts when an alarm triggers or when a specific code is entered. You can also control it remotely from your smart phone or laptop—perfect for making sure you remembered to lock the front door when you're late for work.
In Consumer Reports tests of door locks, three electronic models did not fare as well as the Medeco Maxum 11*603 deadbolt, which was the best at resisting assaults with a drill and other break-in attempts.
For more news and new products from the Builders' Show, check our full coverage.
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