Your door locks are a great place to start when it comes to home safety. We’ll walk you through how to change your locks, common types of door locks and how each type works to help you decide on the best lock for your needs.
There are 7 steps to completing this project:
Whether you just moved into a new home or are simply upgrading your door hardware, switching your door locks is a simple and effective way to update the look of your front door and ensure you keep your home safe and secure. There are lots of colours, finishes and styles to choose from to help you create a look you’ll love.
Choosing the best type of lock for your home is important. There are four main types of locks: deadbolt, doorknob locks, lever handle sets and smart locks, and there are benefits to these distinct types of locks. Deadbolts offer the highest level of security, entry door levers are easy to turn and smart locks offer easy, keyless entry. There are also electronic door locks that use a keypad instead of a key to gain entry. There are even locks that can be opened via your smartphone, for the ultimate in convenience.
Deadbolt locks are one of the most common styles of door lock. They work by moving a very thick metal bolt into and out of the doorframe when you turn your key to make sure that the door cannot swing open. There are also electronic keypad deadbolt locks, which work similarly, but allow you to enter without a key, using a keypad with a customized key code, or your smartphone. These locks are battery-powered.
Doorknobs with built-in locks are another common type of door lock. When you turn the knob, the mechanism inside will remove a latch from the doorframe so the door can swing open. To lock the doorknob, turn the key from the outside, or the tab from the inside and you will prevent the doorknob and latch from moving.
The lever handle functions exactly like the doorknob lock in terms of the locking mechanism, but it has a lever action instead of turning. Some people find this easier to use than the turn-style doorknob, as you only need to apply pressure downward to open the door. They are also much easier for young children or those with dexterity challenges to open.
Smart locks come in all different shapes and sizes -- and various technologies -- and allow your smart phone to become the key.
The great thing about them is you can send, or rescind, access to anyone that you want, such as cleaners or contractors who need regular access to your home. You can “re-key” your locks yourself in seconds without ever replacing your doorknob. You can even unlock your doors remotely in case someone needs access while you’re away from your home.
With smart locks, you have greater flexibility to control access to your home. Some smart lock models generate door access logs so you can see who has unlocked your door based on user codes for even greater peace of mind.
Keyless entry locks look almost identical to smart locks, but they don’t run on Wi-Fi. These allow you to set up multiple codes for entry and punch those codes into your door’s keypad – a great choice for those who regularly misplace their keys. These types of locks run on batteries, but also have a keyhole so you’ll always have access even if you run out of power.
