Types of locks to use for your home and business.
When a client calls us asking for our help dealing with his security systems, we have a wide range of products.
However, there was one client who came in, with a request for our help to complete his project.
He was building residential homes, in the city, some distance out of town, and wanted to know what the best locks we had were.
It was hard to pinpoint one. So, we laid down our selection for him, listing their security grade and significant application.
From the most popular padlocks to the knob locks, we presented all the information we had.
Besides, we had catalogs from different manufacturers.
Although they all vary in process and matters of security, we offered the range to allow him to choose one that he feels best suits his new apartments.
Installing locks is one of the cheapest yet the most effective way to keep our premises well protected.
There are several locks you can install. Some are suitable for your exterior doors, while others suit the interior doors. Here are the various locks you can fit in your place;
- Traditional padlocks
- Deadbolt locks
- Doorknob locks
- Hi-security locks
Padlocks
This is the most popular lock that exists.
Padlocks are not permanently mounted to the wall or any surface.
They are portable. Padlocks come in two major types.
They can either be dialed or keyed. The dialed padlocks have a one or more numbers combination that you dial for the lock to open.
The downside of the dialed padlock is that they easy to decode and, therefore, not that secure.
For the keyed padlocks, they are either rekeyed or non-rekeyed padlocks.
With a non-rekeyed padlock, you cannot change the key that opens the lock.
Also, there are key-retaining padlocks and non-key-retaining padlocks.
Key retaining padlocks are those that you cannot remove the key from the lock when the lock is open.
This makes it hard to misplace the key. Also, there is the shrouded shackle padlock.
This padlock is the most secure and makes it hard for one to cut the lock.
Locks come in different types and sizes to choose from depending on your needs.
Deadbolt lock
Deadbolts are often installed on the exterior doors. They come in three varieties.
The single, double, and lockable thumb turn deadbolt. Deadbolts have a key cylinder in the outside and a thumb turn in the inside.
This means that you can only access this lock from the outside only when you have a key.
When installing this lock, ensure that it is not near a window.
This is because an intruder can break a window and open the lock using the thumb turn.
Where a window is hard to escape, you can install the double cylinder deadbolt as it utilizes key cylinders on both the inside and the outside.
For this one, be ready to walk with your key all the time when you lock your door.
The double cylinder lock can be a hazard in case of a fire or any emergency which needs fast access to the door.
To curb problems during such occasions, you can choose to leave the key at a stand new the door where everyone can access it.
The lockable thumb turn is a better version of the single and double deadbolt.
It utilizes a thumb turn in the inside only that you can lock the thumb turn to prevent it from opening and closing the door.
This is an effective feature for residential homes.
When inside the house, you can choose to leave the thumb turn unlocked and only lock it when you are out of the house.
Knob locks
Knob locks are prevalent in residential settings. Many people install this lock on the exterior doors together with the deadbolts.
It is never a good idea to use the knob locks as the primary source of security for your place, especially in exterior doors.
This is because the lock cylinder is on the knob and not on the door, as found in other locks.
This means that they can easily be broken into using a hammer or bypassing using pliers.
Thus, if you are using knob locks for your doors, it is good to compliment them with other locks or replace them with other locks in the market.
When purchasing the knob lockset, be keen to check its handedness and the backseat.
