Lockset
designs are almost limitless. There are metals in chrome, brass,
glass, pottery, aluminum. There are tubular and cylindrical locks
and rim locks and deadlocks for safety and protection. In fact,
deciding on what style lock you want may be more difficult than
installing the lock after you buy it.
THE
BIG TWO:
"Standard" locksets found in almost all home center, building material,
and hardware stores are tubular locks and cylindrical locks. In
design, both look about the same. In function, the locks are different:
Tubular
locks-
are manufactured for interior doors, sometimes called "passage"
or "pass" doors. Only two holes are needed to mount tubular locks
in doors: one hole for the knob assembly and another hole for the
latch bolt assembly. There are design options: some locksets have
a pushbutton in the knob for lockout--such as for bathroom doors.
The lock is on the inside of the door; if a child locks the door
and can't get out, you can activate the lock by sticking a nail
or stiff piece of wire into a small hole in the knob of the lockset
on the outside of the door. Similar locksets do not have a locking
devices just a latch system that keeps the door latched in a shut
position. You turn the knobs to move the latch.
Tubular
locks are usually less expensive than other types of residential
locks. And, these locks are usually packaged with installation instructions
and a template for cutting holes in the door.
Cylindrical
locks-
They are made for exterior or entrance doors, and, therefore, they
are heavier and stronger than tubular locks. The outside knob of
this lockset is keyed; the inside knob has a pushbutton device so
the door may be locked from the inside by pushing a button, or the
entire knob, toward the door. For security reasons, the lockset
is mounted from the inside of the door so no screws are available
for disassembling the lockset.
Other
Options:
Deadlocks
or deadbolts are a 2-hole locking assembly. Outside, the lock is
operated by a key. Inside, the lock is turned by a thumb lever.
Or, the inside is also key-operated. If there is glass in the door,
a key-operated deadlock is the best buy: an intruder would need
a key to unlock the door even if the glass was broken.
Rimlocks
could be termed security locks more than passage locksets since
they have a spring latch that automatically locks the door when
the door is closed. Other rim lock designs are key-operated. Rimlocks
are better than cylindrical locks for security. However, deadlocks
are better than both from a security standpoint. Rimlocks are easy
to install, however. The lock case and strike plate are simply screwed
to the inside of the door and door casing.
