There are many reasons you may need new door locks. You may have just purchased a new home, want to upgrade your home’s security, have faulty hardware or simply want to enhance your door’s style. Whatever the case may be, here are five tips that will help you choose the perfect door locks.

1. Interior or Exterior?

Door locks come in different levels of durability and security. Exterior doors should always have a deadbolt for the highest level of security, and these deadbolts should be the highest grade made, which is ANSI Grade 1. In addition to the deadbolt, you’ll need a quality handle set or a keyed lever or knob. 

As for the interior, the door locks and handles won’t need to be as high-tech. However, you’ll need to consider the function of them, which is discussed in just a moment.

2. Lifestyle

We previously mentioned a handle set as well as a keyed lever or knob. You’ll need to choose which one bests suits your needs. If you have arthritis or another health condition that makes it difficult to grab and twist a door knob, then a lever is going to be a much better choice for you since you won’t need to twist to open the door. 

If you have young children who are checking out everything, you’ll want to go with a door knob, as these are harder for them to open with their curious hands. If you’re prone to losing keys, you may want to think about a keyless lock solution. You can even assign each family member a different code, which helps to beef up the security.

3. Door Function

Door function is important when choosing the right door knobs and locks. For interior doors, you will need to decide whether you need locking or non-locking knobs or levers. Usually, hallways and closets don’t need a lock, but the bedroom and bathroom most definitely do.

4. Looks and Finish

Now that you know exactly what you need, you can focus on the appearance of the door hardware. There are multiple finishes available, and you’ll want to choose something that compliments the rest of your décor.

5. Climate

You also need to consider your climate. This isn’t as important when it comes to interior hardware as it is for exterior hardware. For example, a satin chrome finish or matte black finish is perfect for exterior door hardware if you live in a coastal region. More and more hardware is becoming available in tarnish-free finishes, which allows homeowners to get just about anything that they want.

Changing the locks yourself can be a challenging and time-consuming process if you aren’t sure what you’re doing. Luckily, that’s where we come in. Pop-A-Lock has a team of friendly, experienced individuals that you can depend on. Give us a call or fill out our online form to learn more about our residential locksmith services!