Monday, June 15, 2009

Door Lock Selection

By Bob Donson

When youre shopping for a door lock, its important to know what your needs and options are. In this article Ill go over all of the basic types, so you know what best fits your needs.

One of the most common locks for interior doors is the Privacy Lockset. The emphasis here is on privacy, rather than on security. These locks are primarily intended for situations where the main objective is to stop family members or friends from entering. These locks are primarily used on interior doors like bed or bathrooms. People generally love these locks for their ease of use.

An Entry Lockset is a typical lock for an exterior door. It has a button or switch on one side and a keyhole and corresponding key on the other side. Some models actually are key-locked from both sides. These types of locks only freeze the turning mechanism, and do not provide the most effective safety.

Many homeowners want an added measure of safety for their exterior doors. A deadbolt lock can be a perfect solution for these people. Deadbolt locks work by extending a "dead" slug of metal into the door frame, which may or may not be accessible from the outside.

For people who want the added safety of a deadbolt without all of the hassels of drilling that come with interior installation, there are surface-mounted deadbolts. The function of surface-mounted deadbolts is essentially the same as that of the regular deadbolt, but rather than being installed into the door, the deadbolt is screwed onto the interior facing of the door. A metal flashing is attached to the door frame.

In door lock terminology, manufacturers often refer to what is called a handset. A handset is essentially a combination of different locks which are paired and sold together as a complete solution. Most times, handsets have a lockset and a deadbolt.

A night latch is essentially a springloaded latch that is activated whenever the door is shut. It is installed on the inside of the door, and automatically latches whenever the door closes. These locks are great secondary locks, but they dont provide enough protection to be used without another tandem lock.

I hope that these explanations have helped to illustrate the main types of door locks. It is important for consumers to understand their options in order to maximize their safety, and one of the greatest impediments to understanding is mis-information. Homeowners must take an active role in maintaining safety as a priority in their own homes.

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