Upgrading your lock in Ireland? It’s not as simple as you think

One thing we’ve noticed recently —

especially after speaking to different homeowners and businesses —

is that many people assume upgrading a lock is straightforward.

But in Ireland,

it’s actually a little more complex than that.

Because not all doors are built the same.

And not all smart locks are designed for them.

🇮🇪 A typical Irish door setup

In Ireland and across Europe,

most homes use uPVC or composite doors with a multipoint locking system.

Instead of one main lock,

the mechanism runs through the entire door:

👉 Multiple locking points (top, middle, bottom)

👉 A euro cylinder that controls the system

👉 A handle that activates the mechanism

💡 This means security is built into the whole door —

not just one single lock.

💡 Tip:

One easy way to tell if you have a mortise system

is to check the edge of your door —

if you see a long metal plate,

it’s likely a mortise-based setup.

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🇺🇸 How this compares to the US

In countries like the US and Canada,

most homes use wooden doors with a deadbolt system.

You’ll usually see two separate parts:

👉 A handle for everyday use

👉 A deadbolt above it for security

💡 In this setup,

security mainly depends on that single deadbolt.

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So what does this mean for upgrading?

That’s why upgrading to a smart lock isn’t one-size-fits-all.

It depends on what your door is designed for.

Once you understand how your door is built,

upgrading becomes much simpler.

In many Irish homes,

the existing multipoint system is already there.

Which means:

You don’t always need to replace everything. Sometimes, upgrading the cylinder is enough

💡 That’s where smart cylinder solutions come in — offering keyless access without changing your entire door setup.

Most Irish doors already use a euro cylinder, which makes them a great candidate for smart upgrades.

The key is making sure the size and setup are right.

🔑Some people prefer to take it a step further —upgrading to a full smart lock! so the lock becomes fully integrated with the door.

👉 That’s actually why we decided to upgrade our own door at home.

But before making the switch,

there’s one more thing worth checking.

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💡 In Ireland, there is also a type of multipoint locking system where you need to lift the handle up before turning the key.

These systems are common,

but they require a bit more attention when upgrading.

This is where compatibility checks become important.

In this type of setup,lifting the handle engages all the locking points —including the deadbolt — inside the door.

Because of this design,

not all smart locks are fully compatible with these systems.

For this type of door,we usually recommend checking two things:

1️⃣

When you lift the handle,

both the latch and the deadbolt should extend properly.

2️⃣

The distance between the handle and the keyhole is typically around 85mm.

If the measurements are significantly different (for example 75mm or 95mm), some smart lock models may not be compatible.

👉 In some cases, a smart lock can still be installed,

but the full locking function may not be engaged automatically.

This means the door may not achieve the same level of security as when the handle is lifted manually.

This is what we usually check before installation.

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This is one of the most common reasons why some installations don’t go as planned.  

But the good news is —a quick check (or even just a photo) is usually enough for us to confirm.

🚪Don’t worry if you’re not sure —

a quick photo is usually enough for us to check this for you.