What type of high security locks are there?

Traits of High-Security Door Locks

It is time to look into everything you need for the best high-security door locks.

When you are looking at the variety of products that claim to be high-security door locks, it is important to be able to know the difference in protection between them all. This is more complicated than choosing the best lock at home depot. You will be looking at high-security locks and trying to figure out which has the characteristics you cannot live without.

You do not need a lock that has everything listed below, but the more traits they have, the better security they are going to offer. You can also use this information to find lock models that excel even though they might be from an otherwise mid-tier company. Just be sure that your high-security door locks have some of the following aspects:

1. Lock Cylinder Complexity
mortise_cylinder
thumbturn cylinder
When you are looking at the complexity of a door lock cylinder, you are trying to figure out how difficult it would be for a criminal to understand. The more difficult the internal makeup of the lock, the less chance you have of a criminal being able to make a bump key type device, impression the lock, or even pick it open.

The more complex the lock cylinder is, the fewer people will even try to overcome your security covertly or surreptitiously. If you are looking for something that is strictly a keypad door lock, you will not need to worry about the lock cylinder of your high-security door locks.
2. Metal Content

How hardy a lock is, relies heavily on the amount of metal it uses in its composition.
Because a part of the door needs to be removed so that the door lock can installed. This requires holes to be bored and cross-bored, leaving the door vulnerable around the lock hardware. There are products detailed in the best ways to secure a door that can add metal content, but you most likely want high-security door locks that come with some basic level of protection.

You can often tell the metal content of a lock by holding it in your hand. A heavy lock is a lock that does not use wide gaps or plastic components to reduce cost.

High-security door locks should have strong and heavy metal.

3. Bolt Strength

Besides the metal content of the lock, you also need the bolt of your deadbolt to be able to withstand as much force as possible.

High-security door locks will have hardened steel bolts that withstand bludgeoning attacks (kicks, battering rams, sledge hammers, shoulder strikes, etc.) used against the door. Without strength, these attacks would bend or snap a bolt severely enough that it fails.

High-security door locks with strong bolts will also be resistant to cutting attacks. Criminals will not be able to use a hacksaw or reciprocating saw to damage the bolt enough to open the door.

4. Drill Protection
lock drill protection
door hardware protection

Unlike a locksmith, who only drill locks out of necessity, many unscrupulous characters learn how to drill locks open because it is fast, and seems to work universally. But a criminal who encounters high-security door locks with anti-drill precautions will find their tried and true method of entry does not get them past these locks.

There are two main points that you want your high-security door locks to protect from drills. These are the set screws and the shear line. Both of these areas can be protected with hardened steel ball-bearings. Sometimes there will be anti-drill plates that rotate to protect from someone drilling the shear line, but these are the points that need to be addressed.

5. Key Control

You do not want anyone with limited access to your property to be able to copy a key without your knowledge. The best you can do is invest in high-security door locks that have patented keyways. 

Of course, you will still need to know the proper way to hide your spare keys, so that you do not lose control of your keys.