Types of Front Door Locks

In these modern times of widespread, unchecked crime, when the safety of your home is of primary concern it is time well spent to learn about the different types of front door locks available to secure your home. There are various types, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.

The most common, a night latch, is usually used in conjunction with another lock and serves as an internal lock that can only be opened from the inside when the little button or switched is lock. This prevents an outsider, even with a key, from breaking in. Most makes also lock automatically when the door is closed when appropriately set to do so.

An entry lockset is a relatively lesser security lock that should be adequate for the average home owner. It is usually operated by a key from the outside but by use of a button from the inside.

A deadbolt lock is one of the more secure examples. It utilizes a heavy metal bar (or similar shaped metal object) that is slid, often manually, across the gap between the door and the wall, from the inside, providing maximum security, especially when used along with another lock. In such a scenario the deadbolt lock is often only un-lockable from the inside rendering the best security possible. Otherwise, this type of lock itself may vary and have a key but it remains the safest example here, as it also provides security by the thickness of the bar which helps prevent someone from “ramming” the door down or picking the lock with a light object, such as a hairpin.

A more high-tech example is a keyless entry system. This new, not yet widely available technology provides other methods of authentication of someone requiring access, often a numerical pass code. Certain high security persons, diplomats etc, would go so far as to use iris-authentication, that is, where the lock scans one’s eyes to see if the pattern matches the data stored. As said before, this technology is still new but will likely one day become commonplace.

The final type to be discussed is the, fairly common, mortise lock. This is a complex front door lock constructed with a variety of other mechanisms discussed here and others and includes a dead bolt and a latch bolt whose movement is created by the use of a key to effect the opening of the lock. This particular type is common among apartments, townhouses and even business places requiring cheap but effective security.

A wide variety of types of front door locks have been presented here and many more are available. You can find these at many sellers of top-quality locks, often online. This article should serve as a guide in helping you choose the best from these providers to suit your security needs and financial status. Choose wisely and your home can be the safe, secure place, where you and your possessions can rest untroubled, that it was intended to be.