In a typical residential residence, these are usually the three basic types of door locks: : double cylinder, chain pull, and combination locks. Exterior doors:
Single cylinder (or single knob): The standard double cylinder lock is usually an obvious choice for exterior door security. Double cylinder: This choice is not only attractive to look at, but also can be quite difficult to use. A lot of people have problems with using two small cylinders when trying to open a door or window. Handlesets (a type of front door set) are usually used on exterior entry doors and don’t lock onto the handle itself, but rather are attached to the “handle” part of the door and have a fixed screw that fits into a slot in the door frame.
Combination Lock: These are normally used in conjunction with a cylinder. In some cases they also come with a lock. Combination locks are designed to be used in conjunction with a key which is either already present in the lock or has to be supplied to the installer. Keyless entry systems are becoming more popular because of their ease of use and safety. They are similar to car locks, with the added ability to remotely activate them without a key.
Manual Locks: These can either be attached to the outside of the door, or to the interior doors themselves. A number of them include keys that fit into the interior door to lock the doors. Most of these keys can be locked and unlocked from either the inside or from the outside of the house. Most people use this type of lock because of the difficulty of picking the correct code to open them from the inside. There is also a lock that locks into the top of the door frame, and prevents entry by simply pulling the knob up or down.
Deadbolt Lock: Most homes use these as the primary type of lock, although some prefer a combination lock or a deadbolt lock. A deadbolt lock is much less likely to be picked by a criminal than a combination lock, and is therefore often used by those who want the maximum level of security. A deadbolt does not lock onto the inside of the door, but locks into the top of the door frame. and prevents access from either the inside or the outside of the house. These can also be used to secure garage doors, closets, and many older houses may still have them in place.
Once you’ve decided on the right door lock, you can pick out your lock. There are a few things you’ll need to consider before doing this. One: make sure the door has a knob that matches the knob on the lock. Another: make sure that the lock you choose will work with the existing locks on your door. You can ask your home improvement store if they have the lock you’re looking for.