Types of Door Locks - Find the Solution for You
Residential Locks
Electronic Door Locks
By far, the most popular type of door locks we install residentially are electronic door locks, and smart locks. These locks have a keypad and touchscreen that allow you to enter a code to unlock your door. You can get this system with a traditional key lock or go completely keyless. These are a secure, modern option that eliminates the all-too-common problem of losing keys. There are solutions that allow you to use your smart technology to open your doors as well. These systems are surprisingly affordable and can easily pay for themselves if you’re the type of person who tends to misplace keys. We’ll come out and install your electronic door locks, so they’ll be secure for years to come. You may not see us again since you won’t have to call because you lost your keys or because someone got locked out of your house!
Entry Door Knobs/Entry Door Levers
This is the most common type of “traditional” residential lock. They are affordable and quick to install. If you’re moving into a new place in and need new locks quickly and at a low cost, standard entry doorknobs are a good option. These are good for rentals and short-term housing, or for those that are not into the technological options of a smart lock. Entry door levers are easy to use because they need less force to rotate. We often recommend these for seniors or other individuals who may have trouble turning a regular, round door handle. Some entry door levers are even ADA compliant.
Deadbolts
The classic deadbolt is still the standard-bearer for affordable home security. Tried and true, these systems get the job done affordably.
COMMERCIAL LOCKS
Today’s commercial locks are a combination of systems that are often integrated with electronic entry and security technologies.
Access Control
Many businesses today use access control system, meaning that the facility doors are always locked. Since anyone opening the doors at any time must have credentials to unlock the door and access an area. keycard access control systems have a lot of advantages. Of course, they secure the premises against unwanted intruders 24/7. They are also useful for tracking employee access. If someone loses their card, it’s a minor security breach, but much less of one than if they lose a physical key. Keycard systems can easily be updated to deny a lost card, so they don’t require any physical changes to the lock itself, which would be the case if a key is lost.
Here are some other types of commercial locks to be aware of for commercial businesses.
Cylindrical Lever Locks
Cylindrical lever locks are common for commercial applications mainly because they’re built for heavier usage than similar residential lock designs. They can be operated with a key or combination push button.
Mortise Locks
Mortise locks are one of the most robust, heavy-duty types of locks available and are used in commercial environments with very heavy use. The deadbolt of these locks is housed within the lock body, which makes it less accessible and more resistant to forced entry.
Panic Bars
This sounds like an odd name for a lock, but panic bars (aka crash bars) are actually very common on commercial properties. The panic bar is the bar you push to open the door when exiting a building. Pushing the bar automatically unlocks the door, but of course this only works from the inside. When the door closes on the outside it remains locked.
Panic bars are used in places like stores, restaurants, or theaters where there may be a large number of people inside the building. If there is an emergency, people can exit the building without having to engage a rotary door handle. Panic bars make buildings more ADA compliant.
Electric Strike Locks
Electric strike locks are the actual physical mechanism used with keycard and keypad systems. These have an electric strike plate that is engaged when the circuit is broken, which is what happens when you swipe your keycard or input the correct keycode. Electric strike locks are more technologically advanced, but with that comes an added level of complexity. If you’re not trained to work on this type of lock, you don’t want to mess with it.
As always, we are happy to help you find the solution that is best for your specific situation so don’t hesitate to call us anytime. The lock and security experts at Beishir Lock and Security are happy to help keep your people and property protected!