Inside Of A Door Lock
Door locks come in many different shapes and sizes, and they all serve one purpose, to prevent unauthorized access. But just how secure is your standard door lock, and what is the best type of lock to have for optimum security?
Most are crimes of opportunity which mean an intruder will choose the path of least resistance. If a burglar cannot find an open window or an unlocked door, they will seek entry through a door which has a lock that can be easily broken or picked.
In the first instance, an intruder may try to physically force the door by kicking or barging against it. This is most likely to occur if the burglar is sure they won’t raise the alarm by making too much noise.
If the property is in a residential area, they are more likely to try a silent approach by attempting to pick the lock or use tools to bypass the locking mechanism. This can be as elaborate and skilled as a full lock picking set, or as the basic and brute force as a power drill.
Most modern inside of a door lock dwelling are wafer tumbler locks. This consists of a single, thin piece of metal (the wafer) held down into the tumbler (the section which can be turned to lock or unlock the door) by a series of springs. When the wafer is in the tumbler, it prevents the lock from being turned. A door key is cut in such a way that when it is inserted into the lock, the grooves correspond with the wafer design and push the wafer into housing above the tumbler thereby freeing up the rotational movement of the lock. The design and operation of this type of inside of a door lock are simple yet effective. However, it can be bypassed quite easily using little more than a hairpin and a flat headed screwdriver by a skilled burglar.
This will prevent the most ardent burglar from gaining entry, as even if they manage to bypass the wafer tumbler lock, the inner deadbolt will keep the door locked and it will not be possible for them to gain entry without breaking a window. Given the fact that burglars do not want to be detected, it is very likely they would give up trying to gain entry to a house with deadbolts on the doors.