A high-quality door lock for a private house, apartment or office is a guarantee of security against burglary. To minimize the likelihood of unauthorized entry, it is worth installing the entrance panel correctly and selecting a burglar-resistant locking element.
What to look for when choosing?
The choice of locking structure depends mainly on its technical characteristics. In addition to the quality characteristics of the part, you should not forget about the operating conditions and the design features of the door. When purchasing, it is difficult to consider all aspects at the same time, so it is advisable to highlight the most important ones.
Main aspects of choice
It is important to know:
what level of reliability do you expect to receive after purchase;
what material is the entrance group made of?
proposed installation location;
size of the structure (large models are selected for input models).
To choose the right door lock, you need to know what types there are.
What are the types?
According to the type of locking mechanism, door locks are divided into:
Level ones. Due to their significant mechanical strength, they have gained the greatest popularity. The difference is the dimensions, which make installation difficult. If you lose the key, the door can be opened using a master key.
Cylinder. The main mechanism is located inside the cylindrical core and cannot be hacked with a master key. It is easily subjected to mechanical stress, so the core must be made of durable metal alloys. If the keys are lost, the iron core is replaced.
Combined. They are a combination of a lever and a cylinder device. The user simultaneously receives a durable, burglary-proof design. This non-standard option cannot be opened either with a master key or by selecting keys.
Electromagnetic. The locking structure is a magnet, which is activated by supplying electricity. Lack of current will cause the lock to fail. It is necessary to re-encode it if the key has been lost.
Locking structures may also differ in what object can open them:
An ordinary key, the secrecy of which is ensured by the relief of the teeth.
Coded (push-button). Pressing the buttons according to the specified sequence leads to the opening of the door. The device can run on electricity, or it can be a mechanical model. If necessary, the code can be changed independently, which eliminates the need to purchase a new product.
Biometric. This involves scanning the retina and fingerprints. Identification occurs thanks to the internal electronic database of biometric data, which is stored in memory. If you need to change the code, you won't have to change the lock. You can recode it yourself. This option is reliable.
Magnetic key card. A key is written on the magnetic strip of the card, which is read when it comes into contact with the elements of the locking device. You can change the code at any time. This will save you from wasting money on a new one.
Entrance doors are equipped with electromagnetic or combination locks of both padded and mortise types.
It is impossible to say unequivocally which of the listed options is better. It is worth choosing according to the further place of application. For interior doors of an office or apartment, a cylinder model is suitable, for a bathroom door leaf - a latch.
Advantages and disadvantages
As already mentioned, designs differ in the type of fastening. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.
There are three models:
Mortise. The model is popular due to its reliability. The downside is that you will have to make a hole in the new door leaf.
Mounted. Used simultaneously with mortise. Installation on iron entrance doors is a labor-intensive task, which is worth highlighting among the disadvantages. To attach it, the manufacturer of the door leaf must provide a protrusion in advance - a place of fixation.
Invoices. The advantage of this model is its high strength, but there are also disadvantages. The structure is not placed on the door leaf, but separately. The main disadvantage is that the structure can be easily torn off or cut down, you just need to put in a little effort.
Deciding on any option can be difficult. The best advisers will be specialists who have been working in this field for a long time. A specialized store should explain in more detail where the locking mechanism will be used. Consultants will tell you about the features of each model and tell you which one is better to choose.