When it comes to door locks for commercial establishments, there are a number of factors and security features to consider before making a final decision. Ideally, if you’re thinking about installing new locks for your business, you’ll need to understand what types of locks are best equipped to provide the kind of security you need. This way, you can choose the best types of locks from the top brand name products on the market.A traditional lock and key set might come at a low price, but being cheap might cost you in terms of easy access to your property even when it’s properly locked. Instead, to ensure your business premises are as secure as possible, it might be worth investing a bit more in high quality, reliable, commercial door locks. You can therefore enjoy more peace of mind, knowing your property is safe from any potential threat.
How Can I Choose A Good Door Lock To Secure My Business?
There is certainly an overwhelming amount of options to choose from when looking at purchasing door locks for your shops or business. When choosing new commercial locks, it is helpful to look at the most popular choices and their features in order to make the best decision. Although there are many types of locks, the most common are mortise locks, padlocks, keypad door locks, and cylindrical lever locks.
Mortise Locks
Mortise locks are great for commercial security because of their general strength and also their ability to withstand constant and consistent use. Mortise locks contain different key elements that work together to provide highly secure door locks. The main features of these locks include the handle, strike plate, lock cylinder, spindle and lock body. The durability of the mortise lockset makes it well suited to the pressures of commercial use. Their strong internal components provide them with higher cycle counts, which means that you can expect to use the lock for a long time. Mortise locks are ideal for locations with a lot of foot traffic, where the lock will be put to a lot of use. High security mortise locks are also made to meet different British Standards like the BS3621 or BS8621.
Padlocks
Padlocks are free standing and portable locks, available in a range of sizes. They are one of the most easily recognisable types of locks. Also, they are the only type of lock that is movable, and not permanently attached. The best place to use padlocks is for gates. They can also be used with a chain to secure equipment or with a staple hasp to secure different types of doors.
There are two major categories of padlocks: combination and keyed.
Combination Padlocks
are designed with one or more number dials that open the lock when the right combination code is entered. These locks are sometimes easy to decode or force open.
Keyed Padlocks
come in a range of different options, including key-retaining and non-key-retaining padlocks. When a key-retaining padlock is open, it is impossible to remove the key. Padlocks can be rekeyable and non-rekeyable. If you want to make a padlock use the same key as your house, you can only do so with a rekeyable padlock. With a non-rekeyable padlock, the key that opens the lock cannot be changed.
In addition, padlocks can also feature a shrouded shackle. This is an extension of the body of the padlock, where the sides of the shackle are raised to prevent the padlock from being cut with a bolt cutter.
Keypad Door Locks
Although keypad door locks can be used for homes and apartment buildings, they are mainly used commercially, because of their unique set of features. As a result of their special features, keypad door locks can cater to a number of employees without compromising on security. For instance, multiple users can gain access to the lock, without any of them having a key. What this means for you as a business owner, is that you have better key control with your business and that the chances of unauthorised access to your property are slim to none. Some keypad door locks are totally keyless, so that the lock cannot be bypassed using traditional methods (i.e. bumped or picked).
In addition, many of such keyless keypad door locks make use of biometric lock features. It is therefore important to take your shop or business into account before choosing a keypad door lock. This is to ensure that the lock you choose won’t be limiting you in any way.
Cylindrical Lever Locks
Cylindrical lever locks are used frequently in commercial settings for inner doors. They are designed to cater to increased usage. Since commercial doors are more prone to high volume traffic than many residential doors, they make a better fit. Cylindrical lever locks can be operated by means of a key or the combined use of a key and push button. With these locks, the keyed end is placed on the exterior to determine who has access to the door, while the push button is located on the interior.
There are different parts which make up cylindrical lever locks, and some can be found on other commercial door locks. The latch, cylinder, rose and levers for both inside and outside, as well as the chassis, make up the main components of cylindrical lever locks. Similar to pin tumbler locks, conventional bored cylindrical locks are used on a lot of the lock cylinders that come with cylindrical lever locks. One of the ways to identify this feature is that the lock can usually be found resting within the lever.
As many business owners know, keeping your commercial property safe and secure is an essential part of ensuring the success of your operations. Your employees and customers alike need to feel safe. A key aspect of ensuring this is determining the right kinds of door locks to use. The type of security required for business protection can differ from that used in a residential property. So make sure you read all about how to keep your commercial property secured and before choosing a lock type, consult with your local locksmith about the options to you. This is how you get the right door lock for your business and ensure your business is secured.