The buildings and the hardware
The buildings here mean you see a lot of older doors and mixed hardware that don’t match modern components. Expect anything from original mortise locks and rim cylinders to modern bored cylindrical locks retrofitted into thick, sometimes warped, door edges. Multiunit apartments bring keyed-alike setups, utility-room access hardware and tenant-grade locks that have been serviced repeatedly. Small storefronts often have heavy metal doors or older panic hardware that needs a different approach than a residential deadbolt. That variety changes the parts needed and sometimes requires on-the-spot custom fitting or ordering nonstandard replacements to make the door function properly.
