Door locks: types and tips for choosing

In whatever calm and peaceful area people live, they definitely need to equip their doors with locks, the varieties of which today exist in many. Therefore, attention must be paid to the choice of a design that is suitable in each specific case.

In Russia and other post-Soviet countries, the most common type of door lock is the English type. Back in the twentieth century, this device was used very widely. The English castle got its name due to the fact that it was developed in the 18th century by British inventors. The lock includes a cylinder with pins that adjust in height when the key is inserted. However, the problem is that not all devices have a sufficient number of pins.

Experts believe that English locks, even the most advanced ones, do not guarantee the required degree of protection. The English key does not look too pretentious, it is a plate with specially located grooves and protrusions. The reasons for the popularity of English castles are:

• affordability;
• ease of obtaining duplicates in a short time;
• the possibility of increasing the stability of the structure through the use of keys with zigzag profiles.

Breaking open a door with a biometric lock is much more difficult than using an English lock. Such designs have become widespread relatively recently. Until a few decades ago, these devices were used only in critical facilities, where safety justified the high cost. The structure of a typical fingerprint lock includes:

• frame;
• reading machine;
• control elements;
• microcircuits;
• mechanical constipation, subject to an electronic system;
• battery compartment.

Initially, the fingers of those people who are allowed to enter the house or a separate room are scanned. The mortise type of biometric lock works by putting your fingers on the scanner. You can open the door while inside the room by turning the handle. The indoor unit is bumped into the door. Overhead structures differ in the location of the indoor and outdoor units in a single body.

There are biometric locks made in the doorknob format. Such a device can complement the already installed mechanical locks. But it is important to understand that regardless of the specific version of the fingerprint recognition lock, its functioning may be impaired. Therefore, it is required to use additional elements that will allow you to open even a damaged device. For duplication, apply:

• remote control facilities;
• access codes;
• mechanical locks;
• magnetic keys.

Differences can also be associated with the types of scanners. The capacitive scanning device contains a semiconductor array. When a finger touches the reading part, the capacity of the cells changes. Comparison of actual data and information from the memory of the device allows you to open access or block it, if necessary. Optical systems use digital video cameras that record the refraction of light when the plate touches.

The reliability of these scanners is quite high. But they can still be circumvented by using a dummy of the required fingerprints. High sensitivity to dirt is also a big problem.If the fingers are wet or cold, recognition errors are possible. As for scanners with temperature-sensitive elements, they are devoid of this drawback, but they have restrictions on the operating temperature of the air.

It is almost impossible to install biometric locks on sliding and sliding doors. It is better to use a simple mechanism or an electromechanical product there. The most simplified option is deservedly considered a device in which instead of a crossbar there is a special hook. He, leaving the case, must fall into the hole on the other part of the lock. It is already being placed either on the box or on the second flap.

The hitching of the crossbar and the counterpart of the lock is very tough, therefore it will not work to open the door without a special key. There are two kinds of keys: one looks like a pin and the other resembles a cylinder with a serrated end. If the door is not locked, opening it is very easy. In addition, even the simplest mechanism must be complemented by a secret, including a hook and a keyhole. The possibilities of choosing a product suitable for design characteristics are quite large.

The electromechanical device works thanks to a powerful electromagnet. When the button is pressed, the voltage is turned off, as a result the deadbolt is released. The quality of work of electromechanical locks is quite high, but they cost a lot of money and cannot work without power supply. Therefore, such devices are rarely used in residential apartments and private houses. The main area of ​​their use is warehouse and office premises.

But the electric lock can also be digital with an access code. It is such a device that is becoming more and more popular in our turbulent times. A feature of electronic locks is the ability to place them in an arbitrary part of the door with a reliable shelter from the eyes of intruders. Importantly, there is no sign of the prominent location of conventional locks - a keyhole. Depending on the intention of the designers, access to the premises is provided using:

• key fobs;
• plastic cards;
• secret codes.

Experts recommend, if an electronic type of lock is chosen, to put a reliable steel door. Separated from each other, these components do not provide sufficient protection. Electronic constipation can also be used in warehouses and office buildings. It is possible to choose the cut-in and overhead type of the device. The highest security (the door will not open even when the lock is completely or partially destroyed) means, however, that in the event of a breakdown, the owners will be able to enter or exit only with the help of professionals.

Some of the electronic locks are equipped with elements of artificial intelligence. We are talking about time meters that record the moments of visiting a room. It is allowed to program devices to perform auxiliary tasks. It should be borne in mind that the electronics may not function properly if the atmospheric pressure changes abruptly. In addition, microcircuits are subject to mechanical destruction and damage is very easy.

These disadvantages are absent in classic mechanical locks. An important type of it is cylinder constipation. The working part (cylinder) turns inside the body only when a suitable key is inserted. But cylinders are found not only in mechanical (disk, pin, frame), but also in magnetic locks. Now, unlike the first half of the twentieth century, cylinders are interchangeable. However, this property makes it much easier to break the structure. Vandals can easily get inside.

Cylinder locks are most often pin-type. The device includes:

• core with a through groove;
• round (sometimes shaped) body;
• spiral springs (there are the same number of pins inside);
• pins-levers located inside and outside;
• one or more stubs.

But whether simple mechanics or electromechanics or biometric systems are used is not so important. If you look inside any castle and see what it consists of, or look at the section in the technical documentation, you can see approximately the same parts:

• secret (larva);
• fallopian uvula;
• retractable crossbars;
• panels (overlays);
• pen.

Easier arrangement of locks for interior doors. They lack a secret mechanism. But nevertheless, it is impossible to completely abandon special accessories. The number of combinations that the larva has is directly proportional to the degree of security of the entrance. In the most important rooms, locks with increased resistance to burglary are often installed, they can only be opened with “their own” key, made specifically for a specific device.

The lever type of the lock is initially more reliable than the cylinder lock of similar complexity. The key is also different: it got the name "soldier" or "butterfly". When the key in the lock turns, the levers rise to the required level. An alternative is presented by a disk device, but it should be borne in mind that its reliability is low. The key for such a lock looks like a rod cut into two parts, the surface of which is made with several notches.

When the key is inserted into the hole, the discs begin to turn. A kind of "tunnel" appears, and the mechanism is released. As for the crossbar systems, everything is simple - the opposite (in relation to the front surface of the door) side of the lock is equipped with a latch. The reliability of such a constipation does not stand up to criticism. But the weakest version of the castle is the cross type; the larva can be opened with a screwdriver or any other suitably shaped object.

In an attempt to compensate for the weakness of mechanical locks, many designers and builders have resorted to a secret installation. Only special types of constipation that do not have a keyhole are suitable for her. In this case, even trained and motivated criminals have practically no chance of getting into the house. It is often practiced to equip doors with radio locks. Yes, you can open them by scanning, but then you will have to stay for a long time in the entrance with special equipment, in addition, having accurately determined the location of the electronic part.

An electric motor is used to move the valve. It is located in the case, while the designers take care of its secure fixation in extreme positions. Only those who are inside will be able to move it. The design is thought out in such a way that in the event of a fire or other extreme situation, the passage is automatically opened. The electronic block of the radio lock allows you to reconfigure access (so that if one of the keys is lost, it cannot be used).

This issue is extremely important for owners of both private houses and apartments. It is impossible to draw conclusions only on the properties of a particular type of constipation. Additionally take into account:

• the material of the lock itself and the door;
• lock profile;
• number of combinations (in the case of mechanical locks).

In Russia, it is customary to mark the category of burglary resistance with numbers from 1 to 4; the first class is the least reliable of all. In the European tradition, instead of numbers, letters are used - A, B, C, D. The minimum reliability (1st group, or A) almost does not allow protection against burglary.Even non-professional criminals and random people will be able to overcome the protection in a maximum of 2 minutes. It is unlikely that these products can be taken seriously at all.

The lock of the 2nd class (denoted by European manufacturers with the letter B) is considered suitable for installation in a canvas made of plastic, various types of wood, as well as glass. The maximum duration of a break-in is up to 5 minutes. Such devices can be used for entrance doors and garage doors, but only as auxiliary elements. Category 3, aka C, according to official requirements, must deter the invasion of criminals for at least a quarter of an hour. A prerequisite for assigning a lock to this category is high mechanical strength, otherwise it would be possible to simply crush and destroy the body.

The 4th class of the lock, aka D, is great for a metal door. You can put such structures in canvases made of any other materials. Products are able to withstand both rough and sophisticated instrumental hacking for at least 30 minutes. Top-class locks are recommended for use in rooms where there are large material values, weapons and other items of special importance.

The newest solution, designed to ensure the highest reliability of protection, are the so-called two-system locks. They usually combine lever and cylinder mechanisms. But still, such a decision can hardly be considered a good choice. With regard to electromechanical and electromagnetic locks, they have significantly greater capabilities than simple mechanical systems. However, it must be remembered that auxiliary blocks do not increase the mechanical strength of the device.

Having dealt with the requirements for the protection of the entrance, it is also necessary to find out what methods of installation of locks are. The cut-in version implies that the body of the device and its secret part are placed inside the canvas. Therefore, constipation cannot be seen from the outside. The increased reliability of such a scheme is somewhat overshadowed by its drawback - it is much more difficult to put a lock into a steel door than into a wooden door. It is even recommended to choose doors already equipped with such locks.

The choice of varieties of the secret mechanism in the mortise lock is practically unlimited. The overhead locking mechanism is installed, as its name implies, on the surface of the door leaf from the inside. On the other hand, there is only a hole where the key is inserted. The security category of the patch device can be any, but you need to understand that it will open freely from the inside. As for padlocks, there are no secret parts in them, and therefore their installation is permissible only in utility rooms.

The wide variety of door lock types is not only an advantage, but also creates an additional challenge. Finding the best solutions for each specific case is quite difficult if you do not know the basic principles and basic requirements. There are some nuances when choosing constipation for fire doors. It is imperative to check the presence of labels with the required marking. On fake designs, the nameplates are missing or contain incorrect information.

Fire doors should only be fitted with the locks supplied. According to GOST standards, these locks must have a special latch. It allows you to guarantee a secure closure. You should also check if there are 3 required keys included in the package. In most cases, mortise cylinder locks are mounted on a fire-rated door, all parts of which are very firmly connected.

It is recommended to give preference to fire locks, the resistance of which is the same as that of the canvas. It is also useful to assess the burglary resistance. In rooms where many people gather, it is advisable to use anti-panic type fire locks.They open very easily and quickly, just push the door or press the handle. As a result, it will be easy to get out in the event of an emergency.

The selection of locks for PVC doors also has its own characteristics. It is impossible to insert a mechanism into it that is suitable for a metal or wooden door, this will inevitably end in the destruction of the canvas. It is not difficult to recognize a suitable design, it always has a size corresponding to the width of standard profiles. Therefore, the mechanism will not rest against a double-glazed window or door filler. If the protection of the plastic door with mortise locks is insufficient, you will have to supplement them with overhead devices.

One or more locking points can be used. In the first case, it is impossible to guarantee full protection and tight pressing of the door to the frame. The fact is that pressing occurs only in the place where the lock is cut. If there are two or more locking points, each block is made autonomous; they can be set in motion with a special movable tire. The advantage of this solution is also excellent heat and noise retention.

Despite the widespread use of plastic and metal structures, it is still quite often necessary to install locks on a wooden door. The best choice in this case is the increased secrecy lever type of constipation. Good results are also obtained when cylinder and code devices are used. If you need to put a lock on a balcony door, you will have to limit yourself to cylinder options. They have a smaller size than lever products, and therefore their installation is much easier.

A lock placed on a balcony door will not fulfill its task without a latch-type lock. It is she who provides a tight pressing of the canvas to the frame. The effectiveness of protection against intruders is zero, but at the same time the optimal climate regime in the room is maintained. Spring and magnetic latches are the best options. It is worth remembering that even the best cylinder locks will not cope with their task without installing a good security alarm and other systems.

A wide variety of types of locks can be used for Finnish doors. It is allowed to use systems without secret mechanisms. Differences may be related to:

• the shape of the crossbar;
• the largest departure;
• the size of the latch;
• by removing the key hole.

Just buying even the best lock and installing it correctly is not enough. He definitely needs adjustment from time to time. Whatever the mechanism, the gradual shrinkage of the door and wear of the parts make themselves felt. The adjustment begins with removing the steel linings, then unscrewing the handles and getting to the internal parts. At this moment, it is required to unlock and lock the lock several times. This will help you figure out exactly what the problem is. If the reason is rubbing parts, they are lubricated. After that, the mechanism is turned again several times. Only when it starts to work smoothly, and the failures stop, everything is returned to its original place.

When the length of the tongue becomes insufficient:

• remove the mechanism;
• insert the gasket;
• put the lock in place, pushing it to the side of the lining.

For information on how to install a lock on the front door, see the next video.