VARIOUS KINDS OF LOCKS
Locks are as varied as the uses for them are. You can find locks securing valuables in homes, businesses, cars, government offices, schools, and hundreds of other applications. If you do an online image search for locks you'll find an array of items from diary locks to biometric entry systems and hundreds of others in between.
Always choose quality!
The best quality lock brands don't have to be expensive or out of reach of most buyers. Just use the right lock and key shop and you'll get affordable access to best names in the lock industry, including Master, Baldwin, Ace, Schlage, Dexter, ASSA, Primus, Medeco, Abloy, Sentry, Kwikset, Llco, Yale, Falcon, Sentex, Mul-T-Lock, and many others. Keep in mind that even the best quality locks will do little good if they are not installed properly and if they are not used! Anyway, here are some of the most common and useful locks in use today:
Padlocks
Padlocks are very common and very useful! You see them everywhere on storage rooms, bicycles, lockers, yard gates, and backyard sheds. One reason that they are so popular is that they are portable and not built-in. As such, they are easy to transport and re-use to secure other items. Padlocks use a dial with a number sequence or sometimes a key to open. Overall, they are secure and do the job needed though they can be opened with a lock cutter or pried open with a crowbar.
High security locks
These amazing locks are better made and offer greater protection as they are not able to be smashed, picked, pried or cut open! You'd think that they would be super expensive but in fact, they are quite affordable. Some high security locks are also bump proof and this desirable combination can give you lasting security and peace of mind when used to secure your home, business or recreational property.
Ordinary locks are usually made of tin and are hollow. Not high security locks! Solid brass rules the day, here! They also have steel inserts placed inside the lock that prevents them from being drilled open, too. How's that for sturdy construction?
Deadbolt locks
Deadbolts are simple, easy to install, affordable and when used; effective. You can use deadbolt locks at home, at your business or anywhere else that needs an added layer of security. We recommend getting a high quality deadbolt and making double-sure that it is installed right.
Here's where the magic of deadbolt locks comes into play. They are small, unassuming and offer a much needed second line of security wherever they are installed. A burglar wants to get in and out of your property as fast as possible. They want the "goods," not to linger and say hello! The longer a burglary takes, the greater the chance of discovery and that can lead to arrest, confrontation with the homeowner, and even death. Once the crook bypasses your main door lock, they are now faced with having to deal with your deadbolt. This takes additional time and effort. It's so much easier to simply move on the next property or just give up and call it a day!
Keyless locks
How on earth can you have locks with no keys? It's easy; just use keyless locks and you can forget having to lug around burdensome keys that can become lost, broken or damaged. Consumers have been using keyless locks for years on automobiles and in banks. Now, these special locks are virtually everywhere including jewelry stores, museums, hospitals, high rise condos, nursing homes, restaurants, office rentals, storage facilities, retail stores and hundreds more. We are now also starting to see keyless entry in residential homes in all price ranges.
Keyless locks can be operated by key codes, number sequences, remote devices, thumbprints, badges, magnetic strips, swipe cards and in some cases, even retina scanners! As keyless lock technology advances, you'll see more and more use of it in day to day life.
Mortise locks
The word mortise means recessed and that's what these locks are; recessed into the door as opposed to being installed on the door's surface. This method of installation provides the lock with added stability and security. These locks are very common on residential front doors. These are the ones where you turn the handle from the inside to open it, and where you use your key and then push down on the handle to unlock from the outside.
Cam locks
Right off the bat you may not know what a cam lock is, but you sure would recognize one if you saw it! They are distinguishable by the "cam" or tail that rotates 90 to 180 degrees when you lock it. You see cam locks installed on mailboxes, file cabinets, vending machines, small appliances and other similar low level security items.