Deadbolts, Why These Locks are So Important

By far, one of the most vulnerable places for illegal entry into any home is through its exterior doors. That’s because thieves have become very good at doing things such as tripping spring-loaded lock mechanism and ‘bumping’ locks open using minimal force. This is why so many locksmiths recommend using deadbolts on exterior doors. They offer the most protection against lock picking and lock forcing due to their heavy construction and advanced but simple design. Deadbolts make excellent primary and secondary exterior door locks. This article will talk more about these affordable yet effective door security enhancing devices.

Why Choose Deadbolts?

Deadbolt locks are recommended to have on exterior doors more often than regular keyed locks because of two main reasons. The first is that they are reinforced in several key areas. This makes them much harder to pry open, smash open, or force open in other ways. Secondly, deadbolt locks do not have spring-activated tumblers like regular keyed locks do. This makes them much harder to get open by picking their locking mechanism. These are the reasons why lock professionals recommend that you have at least one deadbolt lock on every exterior door.

How Deadbolt Locks Work

Deadbolt locks use a cylinder type locking mechanism that attaches to a cam. When a key is inserted into the cylinder and turned it moves this came to an open or closed position. There is no spring assistance mechanism so all the cam action is initiated entirely by the user’s movements. 

Be Aware That All Deadbolt Locks Are Not Good Quality

Like most products, not every deadbolt lock that you come across in a store will be a good one. So be sure to look at each one you are thinking about buying very closely. These are some of the most important characteristics to look for as far as deadbolt locks are concerned. 

• Make sure they are ANSI Grade-1 rated deadbolts

ANSI is the acronym for the American National Standards Institute. They are one of the most well-known testing agencies for American goods that are sold. ANSI is known for subjecting the products that they test to some pretty extreme measures to see how they hold up and stay working. Grade 1 is the highest ANSI rating that can be given to any deadbolt lock. Here are some of the tests that a deadbolt lock must perform well on to receive the coveted grade-1 rating.

• Has been tested rigorously tested to perform well over 250,000 opening and closing cycles
• Has a throw bolt that goes at least 1-inch into the frame of the door
• The deadbolt has to be able to withstand 10 significant hammer blows without showing imminent signs of failure
• The deadbolt lock you are thinking about buying should have a six-pin keying system, these are much harder deadbolt locks to pick than those that are built using a five-pin system.
• Make sure they have a heavy-gauge brass or steel strike plate. This will help make any deadbolt lock very tough to force open. This strike plate should also be fastened down with 3-inch screws that go through the jamb and into the framing.
• You want your new deadbolt to have at least a 1-inch throw. This means that the throw bolt will get inserted at least 1-inch into the door jamb.
• The deadbolt lock that you purchase should have a free-spinning hardened steel pin at the very center of its throw bolt. That way if a thief tries to cut through the deadbolt, it will start to spin and severely hinder the cutting action of the saw. This will frustrate any thief trying to get through your exterior doors this way.
• You want a deadbolt housing that actually extends through the door face instead of just sitting flush on top of it. This gives your new deadbolt extra protection against being sheared off or pried open.
• Make sure it has a large turn piece on the interior side of the door. This gives children and those adults with disabilities and an easier time opening it in the event of an emergency. All deadbolts that are like this should be marked with as being compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Types of Deadbolts
• Here are the three main types of deadbolt locks:
• Single cylinder
• This is the most popular type of deadbolt lock. It is activated by a key when used from the outside and by a knob when used on the inside. 
• Double cylinder
• These are controversial deadbolt locks that are key activated from the inside and outside. They work best for exterior doors that have glass panels in them. 
• Keyless deadbolt

These types of deadbolt locks are opened using a keypad or a fingerprint scan.

Who Installs Deadbolt Locks for You?

Who should you turn to if you need new deadbolt locks installed? The answer here is a professional locksmith. They can do everything from helping you to choose the right deadbolt locks for your needs to installing and repairing them for you. They are experts when it comes to all matter concerning deadbolt locks.

One of the best things about locksmiths is they can help you out 24-hours a day with any deadbolt problems you are experiencing.

Tips to Help Keep Your Deadbolt Locks as Secure as Possible

Here are some great tips to get the most protection possible out of your new deadbolt locks: 

• Make sure that the strike plate is installed using longer screws (2” or better at least)
• Have your deadbolt locks installed by a professional locksmith.
• Be sure to have periodic maintenance and inspections done on your deadbolt locks
• Limit the number of people that have access to the keys that open your deadbolt locks.