Door Locks Explained

Not sure what kind of lock is on your door or what the difference is between a deadbolt and a deadlatch? This guide covers common door locks in Warrnambool homes, their functions, and best uses, helping you understand your options before buying or upgrading.

Lock Types

The Main Types of Door Locks

There are more kinds of door lock than most people realise, and the names get thrown around like everyone already knows them. Here are the ones you are most likely to come across, along with what sets each apart. Get the type right, and everything else, from security to how easy the door is to live with, tends to fall into place.

Deadbolts
Deadlatches
Mortice Locks

Euro Cylinders
Knob & Lever Sets
Smart Locks

The Basics of Door Locks

Before you compare brands or prices, it helps to understand what a lock is actually doing. Get these three things right, and the rest of your decision gets a lot easier.

Latch vs Deadlock

Before you compare brands or prices, it helps to understand what a lock is actually doing. Get these three things right, and the rest of your decision gets a lot easier.

Insurance Matters

A latch just holds the door shut and can be forced. A deadlock throws a solid bolt into the frame that cannot be pushed back without the key. That bolt is the part actually keeping an intruder out.

The Door Counts Too

Most home insurers expect key-operated deadlocks on all external doors before they will cover you for theft. It’s worth checking your policy wording before assuming you are covered.

How to Tell What You Already Have

The easiest way to identify your lock is to watch how it behaves. If the door locks itself the moment it shuts, you most likely have a deadlatch, the spring-loaded type you see on so many Warrnambool front doors. If you have to turn a key or a thumbturn to throw the bolt, that is a deadbolt. A lock built into the edge of the door rather than bolted to the surface is a mortise.

Knowing which you have tells you a lot about your options. A worn cylinder can often be rekeyed or swapped without replacing the whole lock, and adding a deadbolt alongside an existing deadlatch is a simple upgrade. If you are not sure what you are looking at, send us a photo or give us a call, and we will identify it and talk you through what suits your door.

Email

info@locksmithwarrnambool.com.au

Address

Warrnambool, VIC

Phone

03 4422 4558

Lock FAQs

Frequently Asked Lock Questions

Locks come with a fair bit of jargon. Here are clear answers to the questions we hear most often. If yours is not covered, call us and we will happily talk it through.

A deadbolt has a solid bolt you throw with a key or a thumbturn, and it stays put until you unlock it, so it cannot be pushed back. A deadlatch has a spring-loaded bolt that locks the moment the door shuts, with a small plunger that stops it from being slipped with a card or tool.

The Lockwood 001 you see on so many Warrnambool front doors is a deadlatch. Plenty of people run both: a deadlatch for everyday convenience and a deadbolt for extra security at night or when they are away.

A mortice lock sits inside a pocket cut into the edge of the door rather than being bolted onto the surface. You will find them on older solid timber doors and many commercial doors.

They are sturdy and neat-looking, though fitting or replacing one is more involved than a surface-mounted lock because of the cutout it needs.

They can be very secure, but quality matters more here than with most locks. Euro cylinders are common on aluminium and uPVC doors, and cheaper ones can be vulnerable to a technique called lock snapping.

A good anti-snap cylinder puts a stop to that. The handy part is that the cylinder can be swapped, so rekeying or upgrading is usually quick and affordable.

There is no law forcing it, but most Australian home and contents insurers list key-operated deadlocks on external doors as a condition of theft cover.

If your locks do not meet that condition, a claim can be knocked back, so it is worth reading your policy wording. Adding deadlocks is a straightforward job and one of the cheaper ways to lift both your security and your standing with your insurer.

Look at how it works. If the door locks itself the moment it shuts, you most likely have a deadlatch. If you have to turn a key or knob to throw the bolt, that is a deadbolt.

A lock built into the edge of the door is a mortise. If you are still not sure, send us a photo or give us a call, and we will identify it and run you through your options.

Get in Touch With Locksmith Warrnambool

Have a question or need a locksmith? Fill out the form and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. For urgent lockouts, call us directly for the fastest response.

Hand inserting a key into a euro cylinder door lock