A door lock should be chosen based on the level of security needed. To this end, you need to take your time to research on the various home door lock options available. Some of the lock options are explained below with help of some good information provided by the pro locksmith services in Burbank, CA.
Padlock
Padlocks are cheap. It is the only one among the home door lock options that is not permanently attached to the door or the door frame. They come in many sizes, they are free standing and portable and are easily recognizable. You can choose between keyed and combination padlocks. The combination padlock has number dials and all you need to do is enter the combination and it opens. Some padlocks are key-retaining (these do retain the key when they are open) while others are non-retaining. You can also choose padlocks with a shrouded shackle which is like a shoulder extension to make it hard for bolt cutters to cut your padlock.
Deadbolts
Deadbolts are more diverse than padlocks. They are usually installed on exterior doors. You can choose between lockable thumbturn, single and double deadbolts. The single cylinder option comes with a key cylinder on the outside and a thumbturn on the inside to open the door. The double comes with a key cylinder on both sides of the door. The lockable thumbturn option is a hybrid of the single and the double cylinder. Here, you can lock the thumbturn with a key and lender it useless in opening or closing the door. If you open it, the lock acts like a single cylinder deadbolt.
Knob Locks
These are mostly used in addition to deadbolts. They should never be used on external doors for security for the simple fact that their lock cylinder is on the knob and not the door as on a deadbolt. They can be easily broken off the door using something like a hammer or any metallic object.
Lever Handle Locks
These have a large handle that opens the down when pushed down. They are commonly used for inner doors and are easier to open than knob locks. They come handy when handicap accessibility becomes important in your home. When buying lever handle locks, consider backset and handedness.
Jimmy Proof Deadbolts
These are surface mounted locks that are common in apartments and especially on double doors. It is among the home door lock options that require little modifications on the door. Jimmy proof deadbolts have the advantage of not being easy to pull apart from the outside seeing that the deadbolts and the jamb jacket interlock. A surface mount lock screws from the inside. With this lock option, all is required is a hole drilled through the door for the passage of the rim cylinder.
Rim Latch Lock
This is a simple lock with a surface mount latch on one side of the door and a rim cylinder (standard or custom) on the other side. The beauty about rim latch locks is that they can auto lock. They are commonly used in apartment complexes. If you are to use these locks on an external door, be sure to pair them with other locks. They are not designed to withstand a large amount of force.
Euro Profile Cylinders
These are sometimes called DIN cylinders. They are common in Europe but they have spread to other parts of the world and are becoming popular in North America. They are used mostly on sliding glass doors and on doors dividing rooms at home. They come in three varieties; single cylinder with a locking cylinder on one side, double cylinder with locking cylinder on both sides of the door and a single cylinder with a thumbturn. They are held to the door by a single screw. To this end, they can easily be snapped off the door if they are not properly reinforced.
Rim and Mortise Cylinder Locks
They are common in apartment doors. Though rim and mortise locks are similar, they are used on different hardware. The rim cylinder lock is used on rim latch mounted on the interior of the door. On the other hand, the mortise cylinder locks are attached to the mortise hardware which is mounted within the door. Rim cylinders are held by two screws from the interior while mortise cylinders are held by a set screw which has a cam to accentuate the securing hardware.
Other Locks
The home door lock options available on the market today can be overwhelming. Some are used for commercial buildings but can be used in homes that need high security measures. They include cam locks, interchangeable core cylinders, T-handle locks, switch locks and European locks among others.