Door
LocksBefore we consider the various types of locks, let's start with the strike plate. That's the piece of metal on the doorframe that the bolt from your lock goes into. Before you even think about locks, be sure the strike plate for whatever lock you choose is a heavy-duty, reinforced strike plate, and use the same 3- to 4-inch screws for the strike plate as you did for the hinges. Again, it affords much more protection by going into the wall studs and not just the doorjamb. As to locks, the only type of lock you want on your door is a deadbolt lock; and the only kind of deadbolt lock is a heavy-duty deadbolt. I would recommend only two such locks: Schlage makes a decent heavy-duty deadbolt lock, which you can reinforce with the heavy-duty strike plate and also a lock cylinder. BUT, if you want real security, the only lock I recommend is Medeco. Keys cannot be duplicated, except for by the registered owner; the lock cannot be picked and it is simply THE best lock on the market. It isn't cheap. But neither is your home, its contents, or your personal safety.
Now that you have chosen a deadbolt lock, call a locksmith to have him or her install it. This is not a job for the average handyperson. The second tip, and a decision you must make, is whether to have a single- or double-cylinder deadbolt lock installed on your doors. A single-cylinder deadbolt lock requires a key to open from the outside (obviously), but does not require a key from the inside. Instead, it has a turn screw. You've seen them. Back to my house... My new side door has a very small window at the very top of the door to allow in light. Because I have a fenced-in yard with a locked gate, no one can access that door, so it is not important for me to see who's there, since no one would be there. I have a single-cylinder deadbolt on that door so it is easily opened from the inside.
But front doors often have windows in them so you can look out (as did my old side door). Any bad guy can simply put his hand through the glass, open the lock from inside and walk into your house. Not a good idea. This is where you need a double-cylinder deadbolt lock, which requires a key to open from both sides. Even though I don't need one on my front door, I have one. It was there, so I just left it there. When I'm home and the door is locked, I just leave my keys in the front door lock (since there's no glass in the door). This is NOT acceptable if you have windows in your doors, since the bad guy still could break the glass and use the key to turn the lock. So you must decide precisely where you can leave your keys so that no one can access them from outside yet YOU can find them easily and quickly in an emergency, e.g., a fire, and get out. That is incredibly important, especially if you have children, who must be taught where the keys are, why and how to use them. Double-cylinder deadbolt locks sometimes present problems with your insurance company also, so be sure to check with them. You may get a discount for safety, or they may tell you they are unacceptable. I don't buy that argument, but favor using them whenever needed and just finding a safe place (near the door) to keep your keys for emergencies.
Keys
The one thing you don't want is so many keys on your key ring it won't fit in your pocket. This is very easily solved, and is especially helpful if you install Medeco locks. Have every lock keyed to open with the same key. I didn't do this in my situation, and thus have three keys: one for my front door, one for the double lock on my side door and a third key that locks my garage door & the heavy-duty padlock on my fence gate. Medeco also makes padlocks, so if you have a need for such a lock, it too can be keyed to match. If I wanted to go through the trouble, I could have one key open every door and my padlock. It doesn't get much easier. And remember, if it's Medeco, those keys can only be duplicated by you.
Conclusion
We have looked at types of doors, locks and hardware, and discussed keys. I don't think there's anything left, but as always, if you have questions, feel free to e-mail me at info@blackdogsecurity.org.
