The main entry into the home is always the front or the back door. That is why it is so important for homeowners to choose the best high-security door locks for those doors. With the market flooded with locks, it can be difficult to find exactly what you need for your home.
We regularly help homeowners find the perfect lock to keep their homes safe and secure. We have used that information to create this guide to help you find the best lock for your home.
Steps to Choosing the Best Lock
Step 1: Look at Your Door
Not every lock works with every material of door. For instance, five lever mortice deadlocks will not work with a UPVC door. It is important to know what you need before you take action.
Step 2: Look at Your Door Frame
You can have the strongest lock in history, but it won’t do you much good if your door frame is rotten.
Before investing in that high-security lock, ensure that your door frame is solid, not warped, and firmly attached to the surrounding walls.
Step 3: Check your Home Insurance
Home insurance can include a clause or two about the level of security at your home. It might require a specific type of lock on your doors, or it might need the locks to meet a specific security grade.
Make sure that you are investing in a door lock that meets the requirements set out in any insurance documents.
Step 4: Know Your Door Locks
Because different locks work with different doors, and because they vary wildly in the type of protection that they provide, it is important to know the different high-security door locks and understand what they are good for.
Here are some of the recommended high-security door locks.
Five Lever Mortice Deadlocks
- Lock for Wooden Doors.
- Can only be opened with a key.
- Burglars cannot unlock the door from the inside (by smashing the adjacent window) unless you have left the key in the lock.
Multi-Point Lock
- Most commonly used with UPVC and Composite Doors.
- Fitted into the door frame.
- Locks at multiple points.
- Stronger door not easily forced.
Smart Locks
- Fits any door.
- Works on Bluetooth.
- No key.
- Cannot be bypassed by traditional means (lock picking or bumping).
Deadlatch Rim
- Mounted on the door not in.
- Once the door is closed, the latch is engaged.
- Key on the outside, latch on the inside.
Step 5: Understand Your Area
Are you in an area of high burglary rates? If so, then you will want to invest in a harder-to-break lock.
However, you also want to be careful. If you are in an area with lower burglary rates and you invest in that higher security lock, you will be advertising that you have something worth stealing as you will stand out from other homes with less protection.
Find the right balance. Make sure that the locks you consider match the needs of the area.
Step 6: Check Door Locks for the Following
High-security locks have many great anti-theft features that you may wish to consider for your high-security door lock.
- Weight. A heavy lock means that parts do not have empty space or plastic replacements. As a rule, the lighter a lock the more security risks it comes with.
- Cut Resistance and bolt strength. The bolt strength prevents the lock from being snapped, while a deadbolt that is cut-resistant can prevent a criminal from making entry by cutting.
- Drill Protection. Drilling a lock to gain entry is a quick and efficient way for a burglar to go about his/her business. Drill protection on a lock removes this option.
- Patented Keys. Having a patented key makes it so that if anyone wishes to copy your key they must first provide proof of ownership.
Step 7: Understand the Pricing of Door locks
When it comes to the security of your home you really do get what you pay for.
The price of a lock does not reflect the parts or the time that goes into its creation. You are paying for security. The higher the price tag the more likely you are looking at a brand that has proved itself time and time again through tried and tested methods.
If the price is too good to be true, you are probably not getting a high-security lock.
Would you like expert advice on choosing the best high-security lock for your door?
Learn more from the experts by contacting The Security and Lock Corporation Miami on (305) 846-9360. It is our aim to help you feel safe in your home.
