Three Tips for Choosing Locks

Is your door hardware starting to seize or maybe the latch doesn’t retract as smooth or as far as it used to? If it’s time to purchase new door hardware, there are some things to consider first. When determining what hardware you should buy, you should first consider the grade, finish, and where the door is located. A grade 1 deadbolt is great, but it might be overkill for your security needs.

One - Grade

Door hardware comes in three grades. Grade 3 being residential, Grade 2 Residential / Commercial, and Grade 1 commercial / industrial. We recommend using at least a Grade 2 in any situation if your budget will allow it. The overall quality between a Grade 3 and a Grade 2 is a substantial jump. Grade 1 while amazing, is overkill in most scenarios.

Two - Finish

Often overlooked, the finish of your hardware is vitally important. Consider what your hardware will look like as it ages. Brass is wonderful, but lower grades are plated, and tarnishes in an awful way. Satin Nickel on the other hand wears out in a less noticeable way.

Another major thing to consider is if you live in a Strata. Sometimes, but not always, strata’s can be really particular about the finish of your lock hardware. It’s best to double check with your strata first, before you waste your money. And no one wants a Karen on their back!

Three - Application

I cannot stress this enough, your security is not perfect. There is no such thing as keeping people completely out of somewhere unless you’re the government, and even then…

Now that doesn’t mean we should abandon all hope. Just don’t go out there buying a Grade 1 deadbolt for your apartment thinking no one is ever going to get in. Do you have windows within arms reach of the interior side of the lock? Then there is not much point in buying a $400CAD lock. Unless you really like the look of that lost wax iron casted Emtek deadbolt. Then you do you boo. This goes both ways though, you can’t buy a grade 3 deadbolt for an industrial plant and expect it to withstand the level of disrespect it’s going to be given.

Conclusion

Buying new door hardware can be daunting, but you don’t have to break the bank for decent security. Just don’t buy SmartKey. Literally anything but SmartKey. But that’s a topic for another post… If you stick to a Grade 2 level of quality, and in the middle of the pack for pricing, you’ll do just fine. If you’re still uncertain, contact your local locksmith!

DOM Twinstar Pocket Picker