DEADBOLTS: HOW TO BEST SECURE YOUR HOME

Are you shopping for just the right locks for your home? You’ll soon find out that there’s a seemingly countless list of locks. We all want to keep our household safe and sound ~ a sanctuary of privacy where we can completely relax. When it comes to deciding which locks will most efficiently give you reliable security, any locksmith professional will affirm that deadbolts are a very successful, reasonably priced way to secure your place of residence. In general, locksmith professionals agree that deadbolts are the optimum locks for your home.

Residential locksmith specialists worth their salt will tell you to install deadbolts on all of your exterior doors. The reason they’re called “dead” is because they don’t have springs to operate the bolt. That is, a deadbolt is operated by hand, using a key or a thumbturn.

Here are 4 of the most well-known deadbolts:

The most popular deadbolts are: single-cylinder, double-cylinder, jimmy-proof, and lockable thumbturn.

1. The single-cylinder deadbolt is the deadbolt lock that we typically imagine when we think of a basic deadbolt. Used on a solid metal or wooden door, a key cylinder is installed on the outside, with a thumbturn on the inside to open and close it. The one downside to a single-cylinder deadbolt is that if there is any possibility for access to the inside (through a nearby window, or through the peephole), then the door could be opened by a thief using the thumbturn.

2. A double-cylinder deadbolt is one way to remedy this drawback. It has a key cylinder on the door’s inside as well as on the outside. Therefore, if the door is locked, a key is necessary for opening it from the inside. A double-cylinder deadbolt is great if your door has any glass, or if you have a window close to the door, because it prevents an intruder from breaking the glass and reaching in to unlock it; but the disadvantage is that to provide security in case of a fire, you must always keep a key inside, accessible to anyone who’s at home, so that, in case of an emergency, every person will be able to get out quickly and safely.

3. The jimmy-proof deadbolt is a surface-mount lock, which you’ll often see on double doors, and most commonly at apartment houses. A surface-mount lock means that you screw the lock into the door’s inside, rather than with an intricate drill pattern, the way a conventional deadbolt does. A jimmy-proof deadbolt is preferred by many property owners because it requires minimal door modifications. In this style of deadbolt lock, the deadbolt interlocks with the jamb bracket, preventing it from being pulled apart or from being forced open from the outside.

4. A lockable thumbturn deadbolt is a most advantageous deadbolt, one that will give you superior security and flexibility. It’s actually the perfect combination of the features of a single-cylinder and a double-cylinder deadbolt. The way it works is that it has a thumbturn on the inside, which works like a single-cylinder deadbolt; and, it can also be locked with a regular key, to keep the door from being unlocked or locked.

This means that you can leave the thumbturn in an unlocked position while you are home, but it will still operate just like a single-cylinder deadbolt. When everyone is away, especially if you’ll be gone for an extended time, you can lock the thumbturn. Thus, even if a robber does gain access to your door, the deadbolt still can’t be unlocked.

There are numerous additional good deadbolt locks:

Besides the four above no-nonsense deadbolt locks, there are also five more first-rate deadbolts, which any dependable residential locksmith technician will likely advise you to buy: mortise, vertical, rim, keyless, and digital.

1. A mortise deadbolt lock is a traditional lock, which you install in a mortise or in a recess pocket, which is cut into the door’s edge. This makes it very difficult for a criminal to tamper with it. This lock is tough and resilient. One negative aspect is that, because you have to penetrate the door’s frame to create the hole, it could slightly weaken the structure of the door itself.

2. The vertical deadbolt is bolted on the top inside face of the door, which makes it impossible for a burglar to pry it open by sticking a bar between the door and the frame (which can be done on some horizontal deadbolts by an experienced crook).

3. A rim deadbolt is also bolted to the inside face of the door, but the benefit of this type of deadbolt is that it locks automatically behind you when you close the door. That way, you’ll never forget to lock it. Both the rim deadbolt and the vertical deadbolt involve relatively easy installation procedures. One minor point to consider regarding both the rim deadbolt and the vertical deadbolt is that they’re a bit ungainly, not quite as attractive as the standard deadbolt.

4. A keyless deadbolt mounts on the inside of the door also, but you’ll use a keypad rather than a keyhole. Instead of putting a key in, you’ll enter a passcode. You won’t ever have to worry about misplacing your key again, or stressing out over your keys being stolen. Moreover, for excellent security, you can change your code as often as you like.

5. The digital deadbolt is like a keyless deadbolt, using a keypad instead of a keyhole; but it’s different in that in order to work, a digital deadbolt requires batteries or electricity. If you get a digital deadbolt, you must make it a habit to check on the power level periodically. In case of a power failure, keep the batteries charged at all times so your property will remain secured.

To choose exactly the right deadbolts for your home’s needs, bring all your questions to a reputable local locksmith you can count on. If you live anywhere in Des Plaines, Illinois, it would be smart to hire a mobile residential locksmith professional on staff.