Harrington's Locksmith

Tips for selecting hardware.

When selecting hardware there are several criteria to consider, for most consumers appearance and cost weigh heaviest in their decision making but is this an oversight of the real objective when securing your property?

These are questions we ask to evaluate how to best serve your needs.


1. What is your commitment to the property?


Do you own or reside at the property or are you a landlord only concerned with bringing your doors up to code?

For those who plan to sell or rent the property to be secured it may only be an issue of installing hardware that meets and operates as outlined in current building codes. Commercial grade 2 locks and hardware are the minimum required by code and come in various functions and finishes. Like everything else you get what you pay for. There is a huge selection and various levels of quality, while any UL listed grade 2 product will meet the minimum requirements some hardware is designed and manufactured to higher standards and will offer a longer service life and better protection.

If you own or occupy the property to be secured, this is the time to consider what kind of investment your security is worth. Alarm systems are a great deterrent to those who might be recognized by your neighbors and are the best warning that someone has entered unlawfully but a professional thief knows he will be long gone before anyone responds on site. If you aim to keep them out only High security deadbolts like Medeco offer the best protection against forced entry, Picking, Bumping, Drilling, and unauthorized key duplication, Properties where firearms, jewels, cash or valuables are kept should never be secured with anything less. While many of these products carry a grade 2 rating the durability of these products surpass all requirements for residential and commercial hardware, and with simple maintenance will last a lifetime.


2. How solid are your doors and frames?


In many cases the frame surrounding your door is made from soft wood less than ¾" of an inch thick and shimmed out away from the actual structural framing of the wall. Once drilled for a bolt or latch the material left can be as little as 3/8" of an inch wide. Installing the simple strike plate with its ¾" #8 screws that comes with most builders grade hardware does little to nothing stop the door from being forced open. Likewise most softwood doors will give out long before the hardware with a few good kicks. Most heavy duty Grade 2 locks and all High security locks like Medeco come with a heavy duty strikes that secure through the frame and into the existing structure to offer greater security. In addition there are several security strikes that offer even greater reinforcement in this area that can be purchase separately and will withstand even greater forces. Several plates are also available to repair doors after break-ins or reinforce your door before!


3.How many potential points of entry are there?


While securing several doors can be as simple as installing locks keyed alike to operate with one key, other points of entry should be considered as well. Do you have basement widows or sliding glass patio doors that could be compromised? Installing window bars on basement windows is an easy and effective deterrent to this type of breach in your security. Some of these bars are also removable from the inside in case of fire to allow emergency exit. For patio doors there are several products available too prevent entry even if the simple latch is pried open. In addition plates can be installed to prevent this type of door from being lifted out of their tracks.

4. Doors with glass!

Many residential doors with glass or side lights (window panels beside the door) offer potential thieves an opportunity to reach in and open your lock. In many of these cases consumers and handy men install double cylinder locks, or locks with keyed cylinders inside and out. In addition to being incredibly dangerous this is a serious violation of fire and life safety codes. In the event of a fire these locks turn your home into a death trap! There is a solution however. Captive deadbolts like those offered by Medeco and Mul-t-lock offer double sided locks with removable thumb turns that lock in place while you are home and can be removed while you are away. These are the only kind of locks that offer this type of protection and still meet fire and life safety codes.


There are many other aspects to consider when installing hardware on your doors but these are the basic considerations regarding safety and security. If you have any further questions please feel free to call or e-mail me for more information!


Patrick D. Harrington


HARRINGTON'S LOCKSMITHS
(416) 467-LOCK (416) 467-5625
OR
HARRINGTONSLOCKSMITH@ROGERS.COM