Door Locks: Which Ones Are Right for You?

 

Just like every aspect of home design, doors and the locks that accompany them come in a range of shapes, sizes and specifications. Whilst it can be easy to consider your door locks a low priority when upgrading or moving to a new home, they can actually have a big impact on home insurance premiums and claims.

Most home insurance companies adapt their pricing based on a range of different factors, including door security and lock choice. With this in mind, it’s important to consider what locks your home currently has and if you are renovating or building, what locks you want your new door to have. To assist you in this decision, here are four of the most common door locks worth considering for your home.

Mortice Locks

Mortice locks are one of the most commonly seen and utilised locks on the market. Available in a variety of materials and specifications, there are two commonly discussed types of mortice lock, 3-lever and 5-lever. 3-lever mortice locks are less secure than their 5-lever counterparts and are not suitable for securing your front and back door. This is especially important as 3-lever mortice locks don’t conform to BS3621, the British Standard for single-point lock security.

5-lever mortice locks tend to be most commonly used on the external doors of your home and if your lock conforms to BS3621, indicated by the British Standard Kitemark, it will have been tested against multiple burglary methods. To identify what lever your lock is, look at the faceplate on the inside of the door and it should read clearly.

Cylinder Locks

Cylinder locks, also known as euro cylinder locks, have seen increasingly common use in modern homes and are usually attached to uPVC and composite doors that mortice locks are not suited to. Cylinder locks are also primarily used on external doors, though professional organisations often utilise them to secure specific areas indoor areas too.

Cylinder locks are particularly advantageous due to how easily they can be operated and changed. The locks are unobtrusive and have a minimal profile, allowing for a more seamless change if you are upgrading your cylinder to make it more secure. If you have an old cylinder lock, it’s definitely worth considering getting it replaced for a moderately affordable but large security improvement.

Multi-Point Locking Systems

Multi-point locking systems are usually found as an extension to standard euro cylinder locks. Primarily found on UPVC and composite doors, though suitable for timber and aluminium too, high-security multi-point locking systems balance durability with changeability.

Primarily multi-point locks are found on entrance and exit doors and feature additional locking points to make a door more difficult to force open. Usually, this involves turning the key multiple times for each lock or lifting the handle for the additional locks to come into place. For someone unaccustomed with multi-point locks, this can cause issues getting into a building in question, though the security offered is more than worth it.

Nightlatches

Nightlatches are a final option worth considering and add a new layer of security to your home. They operate by being attached to the internal side of an inside swinging door. When the door closes, it is automatically latched shut.

The primary difference between nightlatches and the other locks on this list is that nightlatches aren’t always the only lock on your door. Instead, they are often treated as an extra security measure to add additional resilience, rather than as the primary locking measure. Again, nightlatches tend to be added to external doors and are extremely easy to use – a major benefit for users that struggle with traditional locks.

Whilst these door locks are not the only ones available, they are some of the most popular and widely used. As always, be sure to investigate the legislation and security regulations behind your lock of choice as without a British Standard lock, you might find that your home insurance is invalid.