3 Things To Consider When Shopping For Security Door Hardware

As a homeowner, your decisions on home security, door hardware in particular, could prove to be a huge factor in your family’s safety. When shopping for exterior doors, you have several security door hardware options.

Security Door Hardware – Your Exterior Door

Before you select all sorts of security door hardware to go on your exterior door, you must select the right kind of door first. Remember that burglars trying to get into your home will care little for the kind of damage they cause.

The right kind of door should create an adequate barrier to intruders, as well as rain, wind, and extremes of temperature. For this purpose, most exterior doors of wood or composite material are available as solid core. This means that the door is as thick as the material itself.

Aside from wood you also have a choice of metal and fiberglass doors. It used to be that such doors were rather limited in design. But due to the requirements of modern architecture, you can probably find a contractor today that specializes in adapting almost any kind of door to your home design. Metal-faced doors are also available.

Security Door Hardware – Your Handle Sets, Knobs, Levers

The typical handle set opens with a key from the exterior and locks with a thumb or button turn mechanism from inside the home. This is the most popular type of external security door hardware as it is the easiest to operate and lock. An alternative to a handle set is a keyed knob.

Many door designs, double entrance doors in particular, use stylish levers instead of knobs. These levers can be keyed or they can work like a handle set (i.e., a keyed exterior and button turn interior locking mechanism.)

These types of security door hardware are often used in combination with deadbolts.

Security Door Hardware – Your Deadbolts

Deadbolts can lock onto the doorframe, wall, floor, and/or ceiling. This type of security door hardware falls into two categories:

1. Single-cylinder. This deadbolt locks with a turn from inside and with a key from outside the home. A sliding night bolt can lock into the ceiling or floor in the interior.
2. Double-cylinder. Opened and locked with a key from both inside and outside the home.

Hint: If you have a door next to a window, go for a double-cylinder deadbolt every time. The keyed interior will stop a burglar from opening the door by reaching through your window.

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