Sunday, August 28, 2016

DEADBOLTS ARE THE BEST LOCKS FOR YOUR HOME

When you’re shopping for the right locks for your home, there seems to be an almost endless selection of various kinds of locks. The truth is, however, that overall, locksmith experts agree that deadbolts are your best bet.

Deadbolts are indeed typically viewed by most professional locksmiths as one of the safest and most secure ways to protect your place of residence. The reason they are called “dead” is because they lack springs to operate the bolt; in other words, a deadbolt is operated manually ~ with a thumbturn or a key.

Professional locksmiths recommend that you install deadbolts on all of your external doors. There are many types to choose from. The most common are jimmy-proof, single-cylinder, double-cylinder, and lockable thumbturn.

Home Lockouts

  • A jimmy-proof deadbolt is a surface-mount lock, most frequently found on double doors and at apartments. A surface-mount lock means that the lock screws into the inside of the door, rather than with a complex drill pattern, the way a regular deadbolt does. A jimmy-proof deadbolt is very popular, because of the minimal door modifications required. In this unique type of deadbolt lock, the deadbolt interlocks with the jamb bracket, which prevents it from being pulled apart easily or from being forced from the outside.

  • A single-cylinder deadbolt lock is what we usually imagine when we think of a deadbolt. It has a key cylinder on the outside, with a thumbturn on the inside to open or close it. These deadbolt locks are normally used on wooden or solid metal doors. The one disadvantage to this type of deadbolt is that if there’s any possible access to the inside (such as through a window nearby, or even through your peephole, which a professional thief can do using simple tools), then the door can be opened with the thumbturn.

  • A remedy for this challenge is to choose a double-cylinder deadbolt. This type has a key cylinder both on the inside of the door and on the outside. As a result, if it is locked, the double-cylinder always requires a key to open the door from the inside. It’s ideal if your door has any glass, or if your door has a window nearby, since it prevents an intruder from breaking the glass and reaching in to unlock the door. Its drawback is that it is a bad idea in case of fire. Therefore, if you choose to install this type of deadbolt at your home, you ought to always make sure that you leave a key on the inside whenever people are there, so that you’ll always be able to get out safely in an emergency.

  • The lockable thumbturn deadbolt lock is basically a blending of the single-cylinder and the double-cylinder deadbolt. It has a thumbturn on the inside, which works like a regular single-cylinder deadbolt, but it can be locked with a key, so that it cannot lock or unlock the door. This means that the thumbturn can be left in an unlocked position while people are inside your house, but it will operate exactly like a standard single-cylinder deadbolt. When you all go out, especially if it’s for an extended length of time, the thumbturn can be easily locked, so even if a burglar manages access to your door from the inside, the deadbolt cannot be unlocked. This is a kind of deadbolt that will definitely provide you with maximum flexibility and security.

In addition to these solid choices, there are also five more types of deadbolt locks that are often recommended by the experts: rim, vertical, mortise, keyless, and digital.

  • A rim deadbolt is a deadbolt lock that’s bolted to the inside face of the door. The good thing about this type of deadbolt is that it locks automatically behind you every time you shut the door. This way, you won’t ever forget to lock up.

  • A vertical deadbolt lock is bolted to the inside face of the door as well, but this kind is placed on top of the door, which makes it impossible for a potential robber to pry it open by placing a bar between the door and the frame, which someone can do in the case of some horizontal deadbolts. The vertical and rim deadbolt are both very easy to install. A minor drawback to both the rim deadbolt and the vertical deadbolt is that they are more bulky, and therefore not as attractive as conventional deadbolts.

  • A mortise deadbolt lock is an old-fashioned-style lock that you can install in a mortise or recess pocket, cut in the edge of the door, so that it cannot be easily tampered with. This kind of lock is tough; but one thing to keep in mind is that because you have to penetrate the door frame to make a rather large hole, it can slightly weaken the structure of the door itself.

  • A keyless deadbolt lock is also mounted on the inside of the door, but it has a keypad instead of a keyhole. Instead of using a key, you type in your own secret code. The advantage of this type of deadbolt is, of course, that you won’t need a key at all, so you won’t ever have to worry about losing your key or having it stolen. And, for optimized security, you can change your code every few months, or as often as you wish.

  • A digital deadbolt is much like a keyless deadbolt, because you have a keypad instead of a keyhole. What’s different here is that it requires batteries or electricity. Be sure to always keep the batteries charged in case of a power outage!

Before you can decide upon exactly the right deadbolt locks for your home’s needs, you ought to bring all your questions and concerns to a local professional trustworthy locksmith in Fort Lauderdale. If you live anywhere in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, you may want to meet with a reliable mobile staff locksmith expert at Optimal Locksmith Pro, where free consultations are available.




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