Best Locks For Your Door

Dead bolts are the single most important security feature of your doors. A deadbolt lock backs up a lockset on entry doors to provide maximum security.

The word "dead" refers to the fact that there are no springs to operate the bolt. It is locked or unlocked manually by a key or thumbturn on the inside.

There are a number of configurations for deadbolts including those incorporating deadbolts into conventional key-in-the-knob locksets.

Jimmy-proof deadbolt locks use an interlocking bolt mechanism to give maximum security. It's most suitable for two leaf door like our main door. It's mount on the back of the door with four tamperproof screws. See here.

Additional security comes from two interlocking vertical bits that engage the strike when the lock is closed. This means the door cannot be pried open because there is no room between the jamb and the door for a pry bar.

There are two styles of jimmy-resistant locks-single and double cylinder. The first needs a key to unlock the door from the outside. A knob or lever opens it from the inside. The double cylinder requires a key to open the lock from inside and outside. The double cylinder is recommended for doors with glass. Anyone purchasing a double-cylinder deadbolt should be cautioned to always keep the inside key in the lock when they are home. In case of fire or other emergency, the danger of a double-cylinder lock is that the key will be missing.

Some jimmy-proof deadbolt locks come with a guard that prevents the lock from being opened with a screwdriver from the outside. This guard is a steel plate that is drawn back on a spring when the lock is installed. If the cylinder is pulled out from the outside of the door, the guard springs across the opening.

It is also a good idea to suggest one-way tamperproof screws be used with double-cylinder jimmy-proof deadbolt locks.

Source from www.acehardware.com