What Are My Options For Home Door Locks?

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new home2When purchasing door locks for your home, the available options can be overwhelming. There are many types of home door locks and several factors that you should consider before purchasing one. Although there are countless types of door locks, this article explains the four most common; Padlocks, Deadbolts, Jimmy Proof Deadbolts and Lever Handle Locks. Here you will find the best option for your home and if you are looking for properties  learn about the difference between turnkey rental property providers and more valuable information for your home.

  • Padlocks

Padlocks are the only types of door locks that are not attached to anything else, they come in a wide range of sizes, they are easily portable and they are the most recognized types of door locks.

They are two main types of padlocks; keyed and combination. The combination padlocks have a combination of numbers that should be dialed correctly in order to open the lock. There are several options to consider when it comes to the keyed padlocks. There is the non-rekeyable and the rekeyable padlocks. You cannot change the key that opens the lock of a non-rekeyable padlock. Padlocks can also be either key retaining or non-key retaining, you can remove the key when the padlock is still open in a non-key retaining padlock.

Lastly, there are some padlocks that have a shrouded shackle, an extension of the body that make it harder for burglar to cut the padlock.

  • Deadbolts

deadbolt lock3Deadbolts can be installed on exterior doors and there are several options to consider. Deadbolts are available in three varieties; lockable, double and single thumbturn. Single cylinder thumbturn are found in most American homes, they use only one key cylinders on the outside and a rosary in the inside to close or open the door. The major weakness of this type of deadbolt is that if a burglar accesses the house from another entry point like the window, they can easily open the door using the thumbturn.

The double cylinder deadbolt uses two key cylinder both on the inside and the outside to solve the weakness of the single cylinder deadbolt. However, a major disadvantage of double cylinder deadbolt is that a key is always needed to open the door from the inside which can pose a problem in case of an emergency. When used in homes, the inside key should always be left when there is someone around to allow emergency exit.

The lockable thumbturn solves the problem of both single and double cylinder deadbolt. It has a thumbturn on the inside which works like the single cylinder but the thumbturn can be locked using a key on the outside, therefore one cannot open the door from the inside. The thumbturn should be left in an unlocked position when there are people in the house to operate like a single cylinder deadbolt but when everyone leaves, it locks easily preventing access from the inside. This type of deadbolt provides maximum security and flexibility in all situations.

  • Lever Handle Locks

Lever handle lock1This type of door lock is mostly used on inner doors but can also be used on the exterior doors. They can be opened easily as they have a larger push down handle than knob locks that can be grasped and turned. When purchasing lever handle locks, you should measure the correct backset; this is the distance from the edge of the door to the center of the bore hole. In US, the common basket for residential homes is 2 3/4 inches and 2 3/8 inches depending on your preference.

Lever handle locks are target for torque attack where a lot of pressure is applied on the handle to force the lock to open. Ensure that the lever handle lock you purchase is clutch which means that if force is applied, it just turn instead of applying pressure on the lock which can braek the lock.

  • Jimmy Proof Deadbolts

This type of door locks are mostly found on double doors and apartments and they are preferred due to the minimal door modification required. They have a jamb bracket that prevent them from being forced easily or pulled apart from the outside. The surface mount lock means the lock is fastened on the inside of the door instead of having a complex drill pattern similar to that of deadbolts.

To install Jimmy proof Deadbolts, drill a hole straight through the door from the rim cylinder. If there is already an existing jimmy proof deadbolt, just replace the rim cylinder to upgrade security in your home.

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