The Different Kinds of Locks You Need to Know About
Locks were made as a way for people to protect their possessions, and have since evolved long ago from simple rope knots to complicated mechanisms. Nowadays, locks are everywhere – from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep, you rely on locks to keep you safe, and at the same time, can be inconvenienced by them from time to time.
There are many different kinds of locks, and each design has its own pros and cons. Even if you’re not a locksmith in Singapore or that you don’t need to call a locksmith Singapore service, it’s important that you know what they are as you encounter them every day. Here are some of the most commonly-used ones for your consideration:
Padlocks
Padlocks are the only kind of lock that isn’t attached permanently to anything, and comes in a wide variety of sizes.
Padlocks often come in two types, which are key and combination locks. Key locks are the more standard ones that you see almost everywhere, while combination locks are usually reserved for luggage, with the latter being really easy to crack or break open even if you’re not a locksmith (of course, given time).
Knob/Lever Locks
These are some of the most common and recognizable locks you will see anywhere in the world, especially in Singapore, as they are most often seen attached to doors, whether they are attached on external or internal ones.
Knob and lever locks are often used as the primary security measure for many residences, and can often be broken off easily with a hammer, or manipulating the locking cylinder using a good pair of pliers.
Deadbolts
Deadbolts are often installed for external doors and come either as single, double, or lockable thumb-turns.
Most homes will often have a single cylinder deadbolt, which uses a key cylinder and a thumb-turn as a way to control the lock. Double-cylinders use key cylinders both on the inside and outside of the lock, and the lockable thumb-turn is a hybrid combination of both the single and the double-cylinder deadbolt.
Rim Latch Locks
Rim-latch locks are popular in certain apartment complexes as they effectively auto-lock the door behind you. While this can be really convenient, this can also sometimes be a problem if you accidentally forget your key, which is why you either always need to carry one or have someone on the other side who can open the door for you.
Mortise Locks
Rim and mortise locks are similar in appearance, but are quite different. Mortise cylinders are threaded and are screwed into a mechanism that is installed inside the door itself. The lock is held in place with a set screw and a cam.
You usually see these kinds of locks on commercial establishments that use glass doors, as well as some apartment doors.
Euro Cylinders
European Cylinder locks, also called DIN locks, are often used for room dividers or as locks for sliding glass doors. The Euro cylinder is a standardized lock that comes either in single-cylinder (a cylinder on one side only), double-cylinder (which has a cylinder that locks on either side), and cylinder with thumb-turn (a cylinder on one side, but with a thumb-turn on the other).
Furniture Locks
Furniture locks are often found in furniture, such as desks, filing cabinets, and sliding glass doors, and come in two types: bolt style and push style. The former is used in most desk drawers and cabinets, which uses a flat piece of metal extending to either the side or the top in order to secure the lock.
The latter, meanwhile, are used for filing locks and sliding glass doors. Push-style locks have a rod that goes out to the back of the lock that retracts into the body when unlocked.
When it comes to losing your key and you need to access to whatever is on the other side of that lock, there’s no need to be frustrated yourself and potentially destroy that said lock as well as the wall or door that houses whatever you need.
Be sure to contact your local locksmith Singapore service today for a certified locksmith in Singapore who will not only pick open your lock for you safely without dismantling or destroying it, but also to install and repair your existing locks.
*This list is compiled in no particular order.*
