Types of Door Locks

Deadbolts provide the highest level of front door security. To ensure your door locks provide solid home security, choose locks and deadbolts that are pick-resistant and bump proof. Good locks use mushroom pins or pick shields to prohibit thieves from using picking tools to pry the lock and enter your home.

When shopping for types of door locks and handles, also consider the lock’s grade and ease of installation.

Most lock manufactures have their products tested by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA) for grading on how their locks perform. They test based on operation, strength, cycle, security, material evaluation and finish.

Lock grade is the number of lock/unlock cycles you can expect your lock to complete before wearing out. It’s a reflection of the durability of the internal door lock types, not the amount of security they provide.

Locks that are Grade 1 offer the highest level of strength.

• Grade 1: 800,000 cycles
• Grade 2: 400,000 cycles
• Grade 3: 200,000 cycles

Tip: Some exterior door locks are designed to automatically lock when the door closes. To ensure you don't get accidentally locked out, shop for a lock that does not have this feature or read the manufacturer's directions to determine how to disable this feature as needed.

Before purchasing a lock, measure your door’s backset, cross bore and thickness to ensure you find the right fit.

• Backset: The distance between the edge of the door and the center of the lock hole. Usually, the backset measures 2 3/8-inches or 2 3/4-inches.
• Cross (or edge) bore: The small hole along the edge of the door frame, usually measuring about 1-inch in diameter.

Tip: Exterior doors are typically 1 3/4-inches thick, while interior doors measure 1 3/8-inches thick.

Determine the “handing” of your doors before shopping for door locks. Handing describes whether the door is designed for right-handed or left-handed people.

Finding the lock handedness is a bit different than how you determine door handing for purchasing doors. To see whether you need a right-handed lock or a left-handed lock, stand on the outside of the door. Notice where the hinges are; it doesn't matter if the door swings toward or away from you.

• If the hinges are on the right, you have a right-handed door. You will need a right-handed (RH) lock.
• If the hinges are on the left, you have a left-handed door. You will need a left-handed (LH) lock.

Most types of locks for doors will work on both types of door handings. These locks are labeled as "reversible handing" or "universal handing" and can be installed on either side of the door.

Many people like the convenience of using the same key for all of their exterior doors.

When purchasing more than one lock, look for packages that have the same “key alike” number on the package. Alternatively, our store associates can key all of your locks to work with the same key. You can also purchase a rekeying kit to swap out pins and springs yourself.

Depending on the manufacturer, some models feature self-rekeying technology that permits quick and simple rekeying using an included tool.