Kitchener Commercial Lock Styles

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Kitchener Commercial Lock Styles

You have two options when choosing a lock for your door – mortise and tubular. Which is the right style of hardware for you?

When choosing the right type of steel commercial door for your project, one of the hardware components you must always consider is the lock style. With doors, you have two options, either a mortise lock or a tubular lock. The only way to decide on which is the most accurate for any project is to know the difference.

Mortise style locks are by far the more secure of the two, but tubular locks are far more popular, particularly among residential settings. There are many reasons to explain this disparity, including the easy install one has over the other. However, to really know which lock is right for you, you must know what each style entails.

 

Mortise locks feature a deep cut in the door.

This cut provides ample room for a mortise to slide within the pocket. This deep pocket provides unparalleled protection. Because of this special, deep cut feature, doors need to be specially prepared to handle this style of lock. This includes using a mortise saw to cut into the door.

A mortise saw is a vital piece of door-preparation treatment, as all mortise locks possess the same dimensions.

Tubular locks are popular among residential doors, and with office doors as well. The popularity of this style of lock can be traced to its great security (though not as secure as a mortise lock), and ease of install. Also, tubular locks have proven to be easy to replace, so long as standard bore holes already exist within the door. There are two popular types of tubular style locks – single cylinder and double cylinder.

 

But which lock is proper for your project?

Certainly your project requires a handful of doors, and realistically it’ll require more than one style of door. The chances of you needing both a mortise and tubular lock are likely. More importantly is it for you to know where to apply these locks.

Your most exterior doors are your first line of defense. These doors are the ones that should feature the most secure options, from the style of steel commercial door you choose, to the type of hardware. These doors require mortise locks. It’s not worth the chance of installing a less secure tubular lock to your main access points.

That being said, there is always a place for tubular locks, particularly when you factor in the ongoing maintenance of operating a facility. The cost effectiveness of a tubular lock (namely its ease of repair and replacement) make it a worthwhile solution for a number of interior doors that serve more as partitions than as barriers of protection. Offices come to mind as a great place for this style of hardware.

In the end, a good way to decide on your lock style is to consider the purpose of the door. If the door is meant to be a secure barrier, go with mortise. If it’s serving more of a privacy and partition role, tubular is acceptable.

 

The chance of your steel commercial door serving the role of barrier of protection is high, which is why it’s likely you’ll require mortise locks. However, your project may also benefit from tubular locks as well. The best way to determine your necessary lock styles is to work with a trusted commercial door and hardware dealer who can guide you in the right direction. Kitchener Commercial Lock Styles has the expertise and inventory to provide you with the necessary knowledge and materials to move forward.