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Modern Doors and Locks
Most modern house and apartment doors at least adhere to a few
basic standard measurements. A decent quality exterior door should be 1-3/4" thick, and if set up for
a cylindrical / tubular lock, should be bored for a standard 2-1/8" diameter hole with a 1" bore for the latch. The
"backset" of the door (the distance between the edge of the door and the center of the 2-1/8" hole)
should be 2-3/4" or 2-3/8". This is an important measurement to understand when selecting a lock, as the better
quality locks do not come with the cheaper adjustable latches or locking bolts. Special order backsets for some locks are available in almost any size,
for a considerable price and delivery time. You will also need to
make sure that enough room exists to mount the lock, you should have at least 4" of space between the
edge of the door and any trimwork or window on the door. If you are installing a lever handle lockset
instead of a knob design, or a rim lock, you will probably need around 5" or more. If you are dealing with an older door, or
a specially built door, make sure to check the door thickness. Many locks cannot accomodate doors with
thicknesses over 1-7/8" to 2", or may need additional parts known as 'thick door kits' in order to
fit. I have seen many doors butchered to accommodate the wrong size locks, a little work with a ruler
can prevent a lot of headache, door damage and other problems.
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Cylindrical locksets, both lever and knob designs, are the
most common type of lockset found in most home, as well as many business applications. It can be
easily identified by the key cylinder placement, in the center of the knob or
lever.
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On most homes the deadbolt lock is the main source of
security preventing unwanted entry. If you live in an apartment it is probably your sole source of
security. This is where a lot of people mess up in regards to quality and the amount of money they
are willing to spend.
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Most often found in commercial, institutional, and heavy duty
applications, mortise locks are also found in many older homes, built prior to the introduction of
tubular locks, as well as some newer and higher priced homes.
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Rim locks are most often found in residential applications.
They can be identified by the rim cylinder mounted flush on the outside of the door, held in place
by 2 screws from the inside, and the "box" portion of the lock mounted on the surface of the inside
of the door, usually by 3 or 4 screws or bolts.
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High security locks and keys have been gaining in popularity and in
prevalance. The common problem of key control can render even the toughest deadbolt lock
useless. This is where high security cylinders and keys enter the picture.
Continued...
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