A New House, a New Security Plan
Marcus closed on his place off Moorpark Street, just south of Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks, back in March. Three-bedroom ranch style, decent yard, quiet block between Woodman and Hazeltine. He’d already had a ring camera system and a SimpliSafe alarm setup carried over from his old apartment in Valley Village, but the front and side doors still had the previous owner’s old Kwikset deadbolts — the kind with a keyhole that’s been re-keyed so many times the pins are practically guessing.
He called us on a Tuesday afternoon. Said he’d been researching smart locks for about two weeks, had settled on the Schlage Encode Plus, and wanted to know if we could handle the installation and — this was the important part — make sure it actually worked with his existing security system.
“I watched a YouTube video and it looked easy,” he told our tech, Danny, when he arrived. “Then I read the comments.”
The Site Visit
Danny got to the house around 4 PM. First thing he checked was the door prep — the borehole size, the backset measurement, and the condition of the door frame. The front door was solid core wood, which is ideal, but the existing deadbolt had a 2-3/8″ backset. The Schlage Encode Plus needs 2-3/4″. Not a dealbreaker, but it meant we had to adjust the bore slightly to get a flush fit.
The side door off the kitchen — the one Marcus used most, since it connects to the driveway — was a different story. It was a metal-clad door, thinner than standard. Danny measured it at 1-1/2″ thick. Most smart locks need at least 1-3/8″, so it technically fit, but the mounting plate needed spacers to sit right. This is the kind of thing people run into when they try a DIY install. The lock technically fits, but it wobbles, the latch doesn’t throw fully, and six months later they’re dealing with a house lockout in Sherman Oaks because the mechanism jammed.
Getting the Smart Lock Talking to the Alarm
Marcus had his SimpliSafe base station in the hallway closet and wanted a setup where locking the front door at night would automatically arm the alarm in “Home” mode. The Schlage Encode Plus supports Apple HomeKit and Key by Amazon, but SimpliSafe doesn’t natively integrate with either. So Danny helped Marcus set up a bridge through a HomeKit-compatible hub that could trigger SimpliSafe routines via a third-party integration.
This took about 40 minutes of configuration on Marcus’s phone and laptop — pairing the lock to HomeKit, connecting the SimpliSafe account through the bridge app, and testing the automation three times to make sure it actually fired. Danny doesn’t just install hardware and leave. If a customer wants smart lock installation in Sherman Oaks that includes system integration, we stick around until everything runs clean.
We also set up an automation where unlocking the front door between 6 AM and 9 AM would disarm the system — so Marcus wouldn’t have to fumble with the SimpliSafe keypad every morning before walking the dog down to the Sherman Oaks Park trail.
The Small Details That Matter
A few things Danny handled that most people overlook:
Battery orientation and backup
The Schlage Encode Plus runs on four AA batteries. Danny installed lithium batteries instead of alkaline — they last longer in the San Fernando Valley heat, especially on a south-facing front door that gets direct sun half the day. He also showed Marcus the 9V emergency terminal on the bottom of the lock, in case the batteries die while he’s standing outside.
Access code management
Marcus wanted codes for his dog walker and his brother who lives over in Encino. Danny helped him program two time-restricted codes — the dog walker’s code only works Monday through Friday, 11 AM to 1 PM. The brother gets 24/7 access but with a unique code so Marcus can track who’s coming and going through the app.
Wi-Fi signal check
The front door was about 30 feet from the router. Signal was fine there. But the side door, on the opposite end of the house, was getting a weak signal. Danny flagged it and recommended a Wi-Fi extender near the kitchen — without a solid connection, the lock can’t send real-time notifications or respond to remote commands. Marcus picked one up that same evening and the issue was solved.
Practical Tips If You’re Considering a Smart Lock
Measure your door before buying anything. Door thickness, backset distance, and borehole size all affect which locks will actually fit. We’ve seen customers in the Sherman Oaks Galleria area and up in the hills near Royal Woods order locks online that physically can’t mount on their doors.
Check your Wi-Fi signal at every exterior door. If you can’t stream a video at the door, your lock won’t stay connected either.
Don’t assume smart locks integrate automatically. Smart lock installation in Sherman Oaks homes often involves pairing locks with alarm panels, cameras, or voice assistants that don’t speak the same protocol. Z-Wave, Zigbee, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Thread — these are all different, and compatibility matters.
Get a pro to do the install if your door isn’t standard. Metal doors, thin doors, old frames with worn strike plates — all of these create problems that a locksmith can solve in 20 minutes but might take a homeowner three hours and a trip to the hardware store on Van Nuys Blvd.
We’re Here When You Need Us
Marcus texted Danny two days later to say everything was still running perfectly. That’s what we like to hear. If you’re thinking about upgrading your locks or need help with any of our Sherman Oaks locksmith services, give us a call at (818) 398-9391. We’ll come out, look at what you’ve got, and figure out the best setup for your home — no pressure, no upsell, just honest work.
