Door locks provide improved security and safety. Whether it is locking your main door or cabinet door to keep your family and belongings safe, locks are essential.
If you visit the hardware store, you will find different varieties of locks in various sizes, shapes, and designs. It might be overwhelmingly difficult to choose the right type for your home.
We present this ultimate guide to you that will discuss the various types of door locks and their application. This article will help you learn and select the best door lock for your internal and external doors.
Let us get started with the discussion.
Table of Contents
What Are the Different Types of Door Locks?
As mentioned earlier, door locks are of different types, sizes, shapes, and designs. Below are the most common door locks that provide security, and privacy to your facility.
- Knob Locks
- Deadbolt Locks
- Cam Locks
- Pad Locks
- Circular Padlocks
- Mortise Locks
- Rim Locks
- Lever Handle Locks
- Barrel Bolts
- Chain Locks
- Wall Mounted Locks
- Electronic Locks
- Smart Locks
Let us discuss about each door lock in detail:
1. Knob Locks
Knob locks are the most common type of door locks seen in many homes. You find these locks mostly in the inner door like bedrooms and bathrooms.
Design:
The knob locks have knobs on both sides of the door. These locks may have single or double cylinders, depending on how you would like to lock the door. If you want to lock the door from inside, you will have two cylinders.
These door locks perform poorly. The intruders can easily bash the knob with a hammer. Hence, it is not ideal to use this lock to the front or main door. If you still want to grace your main door with this lock, it is best recommended to use it in conjunction with other secure locks like a deadbolt, etc.
Locking Mechanism:
The locking mechanism of knob locks lies within the doorknob.
Features:
The knob locks are available in various styles and finishes that match your style.
Installation:
The knob locks are easy to install.
Cost:
These door locks are affordable.
Applications:
These knob locks are explicitly designed for interior doors.
2. Deadbolt Locks
The deadbolt locks are yet another commonly used door lock for exterior doors.
Design:
Like the knob locks, even the deadbolt locks have knobs on both sides of the door. However, they add additional security to the external doors and against intruders. These locks may have single or double cylinders, depending on how you would like to lock the door.
Locking Mechanism:
The locking mechanism of deadbolt locks is unique. You need a key to operate these locks. All you have to do is insert the key into the cylinder and turn it to release the lock.
Features:
The deadbolt locks are available in various styles and finishes that match your style. The different types of deadbolt locks are:
- Single Cylinder Deadbolts
- Double Cylinder Deadbolts
- Lockable Thumb Turn
- Jimmy Proof Deadbolt
Installation:
The deadbolt locks are easy to install.
Cost:
These deadbolt door locks are a little expensive than the knob locks.
Applications:
These deadbolt locks are explicitly designed for front doors to provide maximum security. Let us discuss about the several deadbolt locks types in detail below:
a) Single Cylinder Deadbolts
Single cylinder deadbolts are the ones that you can activate easily from one side using a key.
Design:
The single cylinder deadbolts feature a key cylinder located on the outside of the door and thumb turn on the interior of the door.
Locking Mechanism:
You can use this thumb turn to open or lock the door from inside. When operating from outside, you need a key.
Features:
These single cylinder deadbolts are the simplest and easiest to use. They offer the household great safety against fire mishaps. The members can simply turn the knob to open the door instead of panicking for the key. They can easily escape in case of any emergency.
However, there is one downside of these locks. Others can have easy access to the inside of the room if the doorknob is near the window or even through the peephole. They can use the thumb turn to open the door.
b) Double Cylinder Deadbolts
The double cylinder deadbolts are the ones that you can activate easily from the inside and outside of the door using a key.
Design:
The double cylinder deadbolts feature a key cylinder located on the outside of the door and thumb turn on the interior of the door.
Locking Mechanism:
You need to use a key from both inside and outside to lock and open the door.
Features:
These double cylinder deadbolts provide great flexibility and maximum security. However, you require a key to get access to the room. If the door remains locked, you need to use the key to unlock it from inside and open the door. This can be a major problem in case of any emergency or fire accident.
The other downside of these locks is that you always need to have a key attached to the inside of the door.
Similarly, let us assume that you locked the door from inside. You have a delivery person or some guests at your doorstep and need to open the door. But unfortunately, you have kept the key elsewhere or do not remember where you have left it. In such a case, it could be inconvenient for you to open the door.
c) Lockable Thumb Turn
A lockable thumb-turn deadbolt is nothing but a kind of hybrid between the single cylinder and double cylinder deadbolt.
Design:
The lockable thumb turn deadbolts feature a key cylinder located on the outside and inside of the door and a thumb turn on the interior of the door. You can use it as both a single cylinder or double cylinder deadbolt.
Locking Mechanism:
You may use a key from both inside and outside to lock and open the door. Else, you can simply ignore the interior lock and use the thumb turn to operate. That means it works both as a single cylinder and double cylinder deadbolt, and you can use any, based on your convenience.
Features:
These thumb-turn deadbolts are secured systems. You can use the interior lock for extra safety when you are going out for longer vacations.
d) Jimmy Proof Deadbolt
As the name says, you cannot pry or jimmy the door lock open.
Design:
The jimmy proof deadbolt lock has a locking body that mounts on the surface of the door. It features a knob and a two-part vertical bolt.
Locking Mechanism:
The knob or key operates this two-part vertical bolt. When this bolt interlocks with the deadbolt, the lock gets engaged.
Features:
These locks are anti-pry and have great resistance to natural jimmying.
3. Cam Locks
Cam locks are a type of locks mostly seen for cabinets, lockers, etc.
Design:
These cam locks feature a cam, and keys of the same shape as a cam to open it.
Locking Mechanism:
You require a key to open the cam in order to lock or unlock the door. These cams come in either flat or tabular shapes.
Features:
The cam locks are available in different lengths. Moreover, these locks can rotate in clockwise or anti-clockwise direction to up to 90 or 180 degrees.
Installation:
The cam locks are the most simple and easy to install devices.
Cost:
The cam locks are affordable.
Applications:
These cam locks are mostly used for cabinets, lockers, and drawers.
4. Padlocks
Padlocks are just like regular locks, but they are detachable.
Design:
Unlike other door locks, the padlocks do not come permanently attached to the door. Instead, they feature a solid body, a shackle, or a U-shaped bar that comes hinged at one end and a cylinder.
Locking Mechanism:
The inside surface of the U-shaped bar has two notches and is a part of the lock mechanism. When you allow the shackle to pass through an opening of the body and push them together, the internal lock mechanism engages the shackle and fixes it in place.
Features:
The padlocks are the most secured systems and guarantee protection against vandalism and theft. They are available in different types, which can be categorized into two main types, as mentioned below.
- Combination Padlocks
- Keyed Padlocks
Installation:
The padlocks do not require any installation, as they are portable devices.
Cost:
The padlocks are inexpensive door locks.
Applications:
You can use the padlocks for various applications like doors, gates, chains, fences, etc. Let us discuss about the several padlocks types in detail below:
a) Combination Padlocks
The combination padlocks do not use a conventional key to unlock them.
Design:
They come with rotary dials with digits or letters, or a series of buttons.
Locking Mechanism:
You need to turn or adjust the buttons in the correct combination to release the padlock that will automatically open the lock. They do not require any key to unlock them.
Features:
You can change the combination whenever you want and simply reset it with a different code. These are ideal for those who tend to forget the keys or misplace them. Since you do not require keys to access, these can be a great option. The only downside of using a combination padlock is that they are easy to decode. Moreover, they are easier to break open in comparison to other locks that operate with keys.
b) Keyed Padlocks
As the name goes by, the keyed padlocks use a conventional key to operate them.
Design:
The keyed padlocks feature padlock and key.
Locking Mechanism:
You need to insert the key into the padlock and turn it to release the lock.
Features:
The keyed padlocks come in key-retaining and re-keyable models.
5. Circular Padlocks
Also known as disc padlock, you can detach these locks from the doors.
Design:
A circular padlock is a variation of the padlock that offers more protection. Unlike the latter, it does not have a U-shaped shackle. Instead, it features a curved bar. Moreover, they are thicker and also more tough to break into than a normal padlock. It has a keyway present right in the center of the lock.
Locking Mechanism:
The curved or circular shackle comes enclosed in the body. It extends from one side of the lock, travels through the door handle, and locks on the other side to form a disc. It locks firmly and prevents the door from opening.
Features:
The circular padlocks are the most secured systems that resist bolt cutter attacks. You cannot hammer, cut or bolt crop the shackle, thereby guaranteeing protection against vandalism and theft.
Installation:
The circular padlocks do not require any installation, as they are portable devices.
Cost:
The circular padlocks are very affordable.
Applications:
You can use the circular padlocks for various applications like doors, gates, chains, fences, etc.