Old Fashion Way of Securing Doors

Photo by Andrew Kline

Are y'all still relying on the lock that was on the front door when you moved into your house? The lock seems like an quondam, dear friend, simply information technology may not be. Nearly 3 million U.Southward. homes are broken into every year. Although not all break-ins are preventable, exterior locks and expressionless bolts are your nigh of import line of defense. Today's locks offer much greater protection. But picking the right lockset can exist very confusing. We've done the initial enquiry on three major types of exterior locks on the market place—keyed-entry doorknobs, handle sets and dead bolts—to sort out features and costs. In case all you need is a way to proceed the kids out of your room at nap fourth dimension or a new door handle for the closet, we likewise tell you how to gauge the offerings in privacy and passage locksets. The Central to Security
The obvious purpose of any lock is to keep unwanted people out, but the kind of lock yous purchase depends on where it's going in the house and your upkeep. Exterior doors. To exist truly secure, any exterior door needs a dead bolt. Yous have a choice of separates—a deadbolt and a lockset mounted separately—or a handle set that incorporates both features. Prices vary from $25 to over $300, reflecting a wide range of quality and style. Higher-end units typically feature solid, forged-contumely components and a Grade ii or even a Grade 1 (commercial duty) security rating. An antitheft option you should look for on locksets or handle sets is a dead-locking latch commodities; it prevents burglars from jimmying the latch with a credit bill of fare. On dead bolts, look for hardened pins that can withstand sawing. And because a latch or bolt is only as potent every bit the strike plate it engages, make sure the lock you're because comes with a heavy-duty plate and 3-in. screws. A handle set that allows you to open up both the expressionless bolt and latch from inside with a unmarried motility is convenient and could exist a lifesaver in an emergency. Some other terrific convenience is universal keying, which allows yous to behave one house primal despite having installed locks on other doors from different makers. As for esthetics, look for dual-torque springs that prevent knobs from sagging and a no-tarnish lifetime end. Interior doors. Interior door locks only forbid nuisance entry—they won't keep bad guys at bay. Grade iii security is sufficient. Only you lot might want a model with a latch get-go that keeps the door from accidentally locking backside yous. Likewise be sure there's an emergency release (look for a modest pigsty in the heart of the handle) that lets you open the door from outside with a paper prune in an emergency. As with exterior locks, look for dual-torque springs to keep knobs from sagging and a no-tarnish lifetime finish. Interior locks cost considerably less than exterior locks. About go for $8 to $16, though high-end forged, solid- brass locks can cost 10 times that.

Dead Bolts

Photograph past David Hamsley

Dead Bolts
Where they go: On exterior doors, typically 6 to 12 in. above the keyed entry (locking door handle) or handle fix (handle and dead bolt combination) for added security. Double-cylinder dead bolts require keys to open up the lock from the interior also as the exterior. This makes it more secure—burglars can't unlock the door by breaking door glazing or a sidelight and reaching in—but it tin be very unsafe if there's a fire and you need to make a fast leave in smoky, poor-visibility conditions. Proponents advise hiding a cardinal nearby, merely building codes in many areas require single-cylinder units that have a turnpiece on the within. Features to look for:
• For virtually homes, a Grade 2 rating. Course one, a commercial rating, offers added security—at added cost. Avoid Form 3. And beware of ads touting dead bolts with "Form 1 features." The rating must exist for the entire lock.

• A forged, solid-brass plug (the part that the fundamental turns) and cylinder (the part that surrounds the plug). Avoid less expensive locks that have softer brass-plated zinc cylinders and plugs.

• A half dozen-pivot keying system, which is harder to choice than a five-pin organization.

• A heavy-gauge-steel or -brass strike plate. Secure it with iii-in.-long screws that become through the jamb into the framing.

• A 1-in. throw, which means the bolt extends a full 1 in. into the jamb.

• A gratis-spinning, sawproof, hardened-steel pivot at the eye of the bolt. If thieves utilize a saw on the bolt, the steel will resist the blade and the pin will spin, frustrating the cutting action of the saw.

• A housing that protrudes into the door face rather than one that sits flush with it. This prevents thieves from sheering the dead bolt off with repeated hammer blows.

• Big turnpieces on the interior side that offer more than leverage for children or anyone else who has difficulty opening dead bolts. Look for Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance.

• Conveniences that also add security. Weiser Lock'south Powerbolt 3000 dead bolt tin can be unlocked by remote command. Titan's NightSight model has a motion detector that switches on a lite to illuminate the cylinder, making it easier to find.

Keyed-Entry and Handle Sets

Photograph past David Hamsley

Keyed-Entry and Handle Sets

Where they go: Keyed-entry locksets, besides called cylindrical and exterior-door locksets, are lever or doorknob units installed in exterior doors that are meant to piece of work in tandem with a dead bolt. Handle sets are locksets with doorknobs or lever handles inside and swan's neck-type handles outside. Handle sets always include a dead bolt. Look for models where the lock and dead bolt are interconnected and then you can unlock both with a single move in case of an emergency leave.
Features to expect for:

• A Grade 2 security rating.

• A dead-locking latch bolt, or dead latch. This small rod adjacent to the strike that protrudes into the adjacent doorjamb prevents the lock from being jimmied with a credit card.

• An emergency-get out characteristic that allows the within knob to turn freely to open up the door, fifty-fifty when it's locked.

• A six-pin keying system. It costs more than a five-pivot keying organisation, merely is harder to pick.

• A heavy-duty-steel or -brass strike plate. Screws securing it should exist 3 in. long and penetrate the framing behind the jamb.

• Dual-torque springs to keep knobs from sagging or loosening with age.

• A protective shroud behind the rose (the decorative circular collar mounted affluent to the door). The shroud shields the lock mechanism fifty-fifty if the rose is pried off.

• Universal keying, which allows a single key to operate locks from different manufacturers.

• A tarnish-free finish and mechanical warranty (both lifetime).

Privacy Locksets

Photo by David Hamsley

Privacy Locksets
Where they become: Also called nuisance or bed-and-bath locksets, privacy locksets secure interior doors against accidental entry. They lock with a turn of a centre knob, by button or with a key. Features to look for:

• A no-lockout or latch-kickoff feature that unlocks the door each time it's shut—essential for push-button locking systems.

• Pinhole emergency release, letting you open up the door with a paper clip from outside if someone is trapped inside.

• Dual-torque springs to keep knobs from sagging or loosening.

• A Grade 3 security rating. A Form 2 rating is more expensive and typically unnecessary.

• A tarnish-free finish and mechanical guarantee (both lifetime).

• If y'all buy a lever-handle unit—dandy for improving access—determine whether your door is a left- or right-manus model, then buy the appropriate handle. Many companies include a diagram explaining left- and right-handedness on packaging. Some locksets, like Titan'south, are reversible. Passage Sets

Where they go: With simply a knob and nonlocking strike, passage sets are designed for closet and hallway doors. They're ideal for French doors, provided they work in tandem with a dead commodities and ane door is fitted with an integrated vertical lock or slide bolts. Features to look for:

• Dual-torque springs to continue knobs from sagging or loosening with use over time.

• A tarnish-free lifetime end, peculiarly for contumely, and a lifetime mechanical warranty.

• If doors demand just outward-facing knobs because spring catches or magnets are used instead of a latch-and-strike mechanism, buy a low-toll dummy knob that's surface-mounted and requires no drilling for latch installation.

Additional abode safety resources:

• Vivint reviews
• SimpliSafe reviews
• Best DIY abode security

Passage Sets

Photo by David Hamsley

Installing Locksets and Expressionless Bolts
i. Position the Template. Most doorknobs are 34 to 38 in. high, with dead bolts 6 to 12 in. to a higher place that. Decide for yourself what height is comfortable. When drilling new holes, record the manufacturer'southward template in place with the lockset centerline at the desired peak. Determine the backset—the distance from the door border to the knob centerline—and use the corresponding template marks. The backset tin can exist ii 3/eight or 2 3/iv in.; many locksets conform both. And then drill ane/8-in. airplane pilot holes through the door to center the 2 1/8-in. hole saw. At the door edge, use the template to drill a 2-in.-deep pilot hole for drilling for the strike or bolt. two. Drill the Door confront and mark the jamb. Using a drill with a bubble level or a torpedo level taped on top, drill halfway through the door from each side with the pigsty saw to prevent blowout splintering. And so marker the doorjamb for the strike plate by closing the door, inserting a nail from within the two ane/eight-in. hole through the strike pilot hole and pushing it into the jamb. iii. Drill the jamb and door edge. With the smash mark as an indicator, drill a 5/8-in.-deep hole for the strike or a one-in.-deep hole for the dead bolt using the i-in. spade bit (sizes vary, and so check instructions). In the door edge, use the airplane pilot hole to guide a 1-in. spade bit and drill through to the large hole where the cylinder will sit down. iv. Chisel the jamb and door border. Concur the latch assembly up to the door edge and score its outline deeply with a utility knife. Exercise the same for the strike plate on the doorjamb. Then score the wood to be removed at one/4-in. intervals with a chisel, removing enough wood so the strike box sits flush with the door edge and the strike plate sits flush with the doorjamb. v. Install the Hardware. Insert the latch associates in the hole you drilled in the door edge and fasten it with screws afterwards predrilling for them. Next, insert the handle gear up and cylindrical lock or dead bolt assembly and then the spindle or tailpiece aligns with the strike assembly. Typically, screws laissez passer through the door to hold the 2 lockset pieces together on contrary sides. For security, be sure exposed screwheads are on the interior side of the lockset.

Where to Find It:
Masco
841 E. Wyomissing Blvd.
Reading PA, 19011
Masco
800/437-7448 Kwikset
i Park Plaza, Suite 1000
Irvine, CA 92714
Black and Decker
800/327-5625 Schlage Lock Co.
1915 Jamboree Drive, Suite 181
Colorado Springs, CO 80920
Schlage
888/805 9837 Titan, Kwikset Corp.
1 Park Plaza, Suite m
Irvine, CA 92714
Blackness and Decker
800/327-5625 Weiser Lock
6700 Weiser Lock Dr.
Tucson, AZ 85746
Weiser Lock
800/677-5625

Share this post