How to choose and install patch locks for wooden doors?

The decision to put a padlock on the wooden front door is a good choice. And although overhead locking devices are considered less reliable in terms of protection against unauthorized entry into a dwelling than their “relatives” mortise, nevertheless, among them there are also high-quality models with a fairly high level of protection (3 or 4 classes).

Overhead locks are good because their installation does not require something to cut into the canvas, thereby violating the integrity of the door leaf - this is a major plus. To do this work, it is quite possible to do it on your own with a minimum of tools - this is the second plus. And the third advantage is the peculiarity that the locks of this type are quite easy to use, repair and replace.

True, there are some serious flaws that “sin” such devices.

• Unfortunately, such a lock does not fit the entrance doors that open into the room. Rather, for honest people who usually do not have the habit of kicking other people's doors with the lock into the apartment, such constipation is quite a worthy argument, but there are other subjects. Therefore, on these doors it is recommended to put two constipations - both the invoice and mortise.
• Almost all types of overhead locking devices are focused on one of the sides of the door - left or right. If it suddenly occurs to me to change the door that opens in the other direction, then the lock cannot be used from the old canvas.

With the features of such devices, everything became clear. It remains only to understand the differences in the types of such locks in order to acquire and install the best for themselves.

Among the variety of overhead locking devices you can select only those that have proven themselves only on the good side.

• Locks with cylinder mechanism. They have many advantages over other structures of their type: low cost, high reliability, variety of models, good maintainability.That is why the representatives of this type of overhead locks are the most sought after by consumers. They have in their larva fixing cylinders, the number of which determines its resistance to cracking. The more such elements in the bot, the higher the security of the device. Modern cylinder locks are made with additional protection, equipped with keys with lateral perforation, and their larvae can not be drilled.

• Level locking designs. They are highly reliable, but more often used for metal doors, gates, safes. They are massive and therefore it is completely absurd to use them for wooden products.

• Pin mechanisms. Structurally, it consists of several spring-loaded pins, which are locking bodies (bolts), which are located on different sides with respect to the unlocking device of the lock. The opening is a special key that you just need to insert all the way into the keyhole, without turning anything. Closing occurs by the same action. On the inside there is a rotating handle for opening / closing the lock.

• Electromechanical system. In these devices, the latch is actuated either by a key from the outside, or by a button from the inside by means of a magnet powered by an electric current with a voltage of 12 V. In order to open the door from the inside with a key, you need to turn the button into the lock mode. In cases when you need to keep the door open, the button is placed in the permanent opening mode.

• Electronic variant. Constipation opens and closes the key fob, and the whole system is powered by autonomous power. She is not afraid of interruptions in the power supply at home, the lock itself is not visible from the outside of the door. The door will only need to cut down, if someone other than the owners want to get into the apartment. But such a device has a very high cost, which is decided not by any owner of the apartment.

• Locks brand "Barrier". They have the highest degree of protection (fourth). It is almost impossible to open the lock (volumetric coding of the mechanism), break it (body made of steel over 5 mm), turn out (very large area of ​​the locking plate).

When choosing and buying the right padlock for a wooden door Attention should be paid to a few points as they are significant.

• Reliability class. For interior doors, this figure most likely does not matter, but for the front door it is the main one. The best option would be a level 3 protection. It should be noted that only for door locks according to GOST, there are 4 protection classes. The lower the class, the less reliable the locking system is considered. Some models of modern overhead locks have class 3 protection, characterized by the impossibility of drilling their larvae. This also includes electromechanical and pin types of locking devices.
• The design of the locking mechanism. Here, you definitely need to choose the device where the locking element has a tongue. For wooden doors, it is a more suitable option. You can choose either cylindrical models, or electromechanical.
• The principle of the mechanism. The most popular type is mechanical. It is more reliable and fairly simple.If there is a desire to put the lock with increased convenience, then electromechanical locking devices are quite suitable.
• Grade additional elements (latches, locks, switches and similar options).

To install a top-mounted locking device with a cylindrical mechanism on the entrance wooden door need to prepare a tool such as:

• electric drill or manual analogue with drills for wood;
• feather drill;
• chisel;
• hammer;
• ruler and tape measure for marking;
• simple pencil;
• screwdriver.

If the lock is new, then it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the instructions and the device installation diagram. Installation is made from the inside of the door. The action algorithm is as follows:

• determine the height of the lock - they are usually installed at a height of 1 to 1.5 metersfrom the floor; this is influenced by the following fact: whether there are small children in the family or disabled people in a wheelchair, if there is, then you need to choose the height that will be available to them;
• attach the lock case to the canvas at the selected height and make notes for the mounting holes and the channel for the larva;
• drill mounting holes for screws, taking a drill of a smaller thickness than the thickness of screws, in this case, the fasteners will be more reliable;
• Drill out the through hole for the larvae first with a conventional small-diameter drill and then with a drill to modify it to the desired size - the central through-hole drilled with a conventional drill will be a guide; first, half the door thickness is drilled from the inside and the second half of the hole is outside; so there is less risk of making a mistake or chipping off the surface of the wood when the drill goes outside;
• install the larva and the lock; secure the housing with self-tapping screws;
• after that you need to bring the latch tongue to the open position, shut the door down and mark the place of fastening of the striker plate on the door frame;
• mark the fastener holes of the striker;
• drill holes for the self-tapping screws securing the bar and put it in place;
• check the operation of the lock.

For information on what are the overhead locks and how to choose them correctly, see the following video.