Types of Lock Replacements Available On The Market Today

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RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL LOCKSMITH FOR ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO

Types of Lock Replacements Available On The Market Today

February 18, 2020 4pm

Types of Residential Locks Available Today

Locks are the backbone of your home security. A professionally installed, modern lock system is one of the primary deterrents against intrusion. If a thief has a choice between a home with a modern lock system and one that’s older and clearly easier to break, it’s an easy choice to make.

Moreover, a top-notch professionally installed lock system will give you peace of mind as you put your family to bed for the night. That alone is worth it.

Here are some of the most commonly available locks for residential homes. Talk to the Albuquerque locksmith pros at Bill’s Lock and Key to learn what system works best for your needs and budget.

Electronic Door Locks

One of the most popular types of door locks we install in Albuquerque homes are electronic door locks. These locks have a keypad and touchscreen that allow you to enter a code to unlock your door. You can get this system with a traditional key lock or go completely keyless. These are a secure, modern option that eliminates the all too common problem of losing keys.

At Bill’s Lock and Key we install Schlage brand touch deadbolts, which are perfect for families with “latch-key” kids or for anyone who doesn’t want to have to keep up with keys. These systems are surprisingly affordable, and can easily pay for themselves if you’re the type of person who tends to misplace keys.

We’ll come out and install your electronic door locks so they’ll be secure for years to come. You may not see us again since you won’t have to call because you lost your keys and got locked out of your house!

Lever Handlesets

These feature a deadbolt thumbturn, and come as either full-plated or two-piece options. We mainly use lever handlesets for residential exterior front entry doors.

Entry Door Knobs

This is the most common type of residential lock. They are affordable and quick to install. If you’re moving into a new place in the Albuquerque area and need new locks put in quickly and at a low cost, standard entry door knobs are a good option.

Entry Door Levers

Entry door levers are easy to use because they need less force to rotate. We often recommend these for seniors or other individuals who may have trouble turning a regular, round door handle. Some entry door levers are even ADA compliant.

Deadbolts

The classic deadbolt is still the standard-bearer for affordable home security. Tried and true, these systems get the job done affordably. Most residential external doors are already drilled for deadbolts, so the installation is easy. Available in single or double-cylinder functions.

Sliding Door Locks

These are installed on sliding/patio doors and have a lever lock instead of a key. They’re generally easy to install if you can match the handle to the brand of door you have. Cheaper ones are known to break so in our experience it’s worth it to spend more on higher quality.

Commercial Locks

Today’s commercial locks are a combination of tried and true systems that are often integrated with electronic entry and security technology.

With modern-day security concerns, many businesses today use keycard for access control systems. So in a sense, these businesses’ doors are always locked because anyone opening the doors at any time must have an entry code or keycard/fob they swipe to unlock the door.

Keycard for access control systems have a lot of advantages. Of course, they secure the premises against unwanted intruders 24/7. They are also useful for tracking employee access. If someone loses their card, it’s a minor security breach, but much less of one than if they lose a physical key. Keycard systems can easily be updated to deny a lost card, so they don’t require any physical changes to the lock itself, which would be the case if a key is lost.

Here are some other types of commercial locks to be aware of for commercial businesses.

Cylindrical Lever Locks

Cylindrical lever locks are common for commercial applications mainly because they’re built for heavier usage than similar residential lock designs. They can be operated with a key or combination push button.

Mortise Locks

Mortise locks are one of the most robust, heavy-duty types of locks available and are used in commercial environments with very heavy use. The deadbolt of these locks is housed within the lock body, which makes it less accessible and more resistant to forced entry.

Panic Bars

This sounds like an odd name for a lock, but panic bars (aka crash bars) are actually very common on commercial properties.

The panic bar is the bar you push to open the door when exiting a building. Pushing the bar automatically unlocks the door, but of course this only works from the inside. When the door closes on the outside it remains locked.

Panic bars are used in places like stores, restaurants, or theaters where there may be a large number of people inside the building. If there is an emergency, people can exit the building without having to engage a rotary door handle.

In fact, this type of lock was invented in response to an event in London in 1883 in which there was a fire and many people died because they couldn’t open the door to the exit. Thus, the name “panic” bar.

Electric Strike Locks

Electric strike locks are the actual physical mechanism used with keycard and keypad systems. These have an electric strike plate that is engaged when the circuit is broken, which is what happens when you swipe your keycard or input the correct keycode.

Electric strike locks are more technologically advanced, but with that comes an added level of complexity. If you’re not trained to work on this type of lock, you don’t want to mess with it.

Instead, contact the pros at Bill’s Lock and Key for all your commercial lock needs in Albuquerque. The safety and security of your business depend on locks, and you can depend on us to make sure your locks are working perfectly.