How to choose a main door lock for your home

Worried for the security of your home but confused as to which lock will provide maximum security for your main door?

There are 3 aspects that come into play while choosing the right lock to suit your home.

1. Function – For a main door or any door that opens to the exterior of the house, the primary concern is security. While it should be remembered that no lock is 100 percent guaranteed to deter or keep out all intruders. However, you can greatly reduce the likelihood of intruders by making it as hard as possible for intruders to break it. Usually, intruders look for easy targets and do not want to waste time on a relatively secure house.

So, the best security is provided by ANSI grade 1 locks

A deadbolt  with a 1″ bolt and 3″ reinforcing screws is the best lock choice for home security. Deadbolts should be installed on all entry doors-from front, rear and side entrances.

A mortise or interconnected lock with a dwelling entry function is another option for exterior doors. This lockset features an integral deadbolt that is keyed from the outside and inside the home, both the deadbolt and the latchbolt are retracted by turning the knob. This allows for faster exit during an emergency.

Also for all those people who are clumsy with their keys and/or require to grant access to people when you are unavailable, or what locks that are high tech, there are fantastic options keyless security like biometric locks with fingerprint scanning, digital door locks and RF card operated door locks. Some of these locks, lock automatically when you leave the house. This is ideal for all those people who worry about forgetting to lock your door. These are generally souped up deadbolts or mortise locks and are quite the rage these days.

Digital Door Locks

Biometic fingerprint lock

2. Style – For all those looking to add pizzazz to your front door choose handlesets for entry doors rather than levers. Handlesets use a deadbolt to provide a high level of security, and are available in a wide variety of styles to complement the home’s decor. From the very contemporary stainless steel and high chrome finishes to the antique, country, arts and crafts type of style.

Handleset

Handleset by Baldwin

3. Finish – Take careful consideration of the look and style of your door and complement it with the right finish of door locks. There is a wide variety of finishes available today that will complement the look of your home.

4. Type of Door – A factor that is often neglected but has to be considered before buying a door lock is the thickness of your door. Most good quality locks cannot be fit on doors which are less than 30mm thick. Solid door provide much more security than hollow doors.

Note: Rim locks are very often used for main doors in India, but do not provide as much security as deadbolts and mortise locks.

That covers the basics of choosing the right lock for your main door. Keep safe!

Pics are taken from the websites of Yale, Kwikset and Baldwin Hardware.