We have an exterior security door that has (1) a deadbolt and (2) a lever. The lever has no locking mechanism. I'm trying to find a lever that locks (push and turn, etc) from the inside, but cannot be opened from the outside (unlike bedroom/bath locks that can be opened with a paper clip).
According to Consumer Reports, most deadbolt locks can easily be defeated with a drill, so I'm trying to find a second lock that can't be accessed with a drill. Any suggestions are appreciated.
?? You want a lever door mechanism that locks from the inside but CANNOT be unlocked from the outside?
Question that a GOOD deadbolt lock can be EASILY defeated but assuming that's true, I suspect that an internally locked lever doorset without external cylinder will drill out even easier.
Since it cannot be locked when you leave, you're no safer than with the deadbolt you have now. If you're only worried about somebody gaining access when you're home and they will drill out the deadbolt, you should just buy a shotgun and a box of buckshot.
?? You want a lever door mechanism that locks from the inside but CANNOT be unlocked from the outside?
Question that a GOOD deadbolt lock can be EASILY defeated but assuming that's true, I suspect that an internally locked lever doorset without external cylinder will drill out even easier.
Since it cannot be locked when you leave, you're no safer than with the deadbolt you have now. If you're only worried about somebody gaining access when you're home and they will drill out the deadbolt, you should just buy a shotgun and a box of buckshot. ________________________________
I already have a shotgun. Question that a GOOD door lock with no external access is easy to drill out.
If you will Google "exterior lever locksets" you'll find many, just about all manufacturers make numerous variations,
Don't install a doorknob or lock corresponding to the deadbolt, and you won't have that problem. Dont' install anything on the outside, and dont' drill any holes into the door to reach the deadbolt mechanism from the outside.
What do you mean a "lever"? I have no idea. What do you mean "push and turn"? The deadbolts I know lock by someone twisting a knob on the inside, that moves the bolt into position.
Aren't they talking about deadbolts with an outside keyhole, like I have? You drill out the part where the key goes and use a screwdriver to turn what's at the bottom of the hole. If you dont' want the deadbolt to be unbolted from the outside, don't install the keyhole either, any more than a doorbnob.
If there already is an outside keyhole or knob, install an additional deadbolt. Maybe 2 feet off the floor this time, to balance the current bolt or latch which is about 4 feet off the floor.
Make sure you get the longest deadbolt they sell. (of course it can't be that long because it has to retract fully when you turn the knob.) The first year I was here, I went out for dinner Sunday, 6 to 8, and someone kicked my door in, breaking the deadbolt bolt partly through the wood door and partly through the wood doorframe. I bought U-shaped brass metal plates, with holes already in them for the locks, that hid the damage and reinforced the door where that lock was and where the doorknob was. And I got the longest deadbolt they had that fit with the rest of the hardware. It wasnt that much longer, but no one has tried this method of entry the last 30 years. I also added some wood in the door jamb.
And if your slam lock (as opposed to dead bolt) is very old, it may not be jimmy-proof. If it only has a simple triangular shaped bolt, someone can slide a sheet of plastic in and get it to open. If there is an extra piece that moves separately but is right next to the trianular bolt, it's probably jimmy-proof**, unless the hole the whole thing goes into is too big. If you dont' understand, ask more questions.
**But not force-proof.?? And what do you mean by lever!
Either it's only for when you're home, or you leave through another door, after locking this one.
So why didn't you ask that question first? Would have saved me some time.
For someone who knows locks, yes, can be done.
Lever handle lock, like that, has half inch throw bolt. Kicks in pretty easy.
Since you're looking to lock the door while you're home, I'd be thinking barrel bolt:
. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus
Wow, there realy is such a category! But of course it's just another kind of doorknob.
Thanks,
Add another deadbolt with no exterior key.
Yeah. They make much bigger versions of that too, with a rectangular cross section** to the bolt, instead of the round one in this example. And iirc a spring to hold it in place (although the round one will stay in place if you put the handle down. )
**Over 1/2 inch wide, over an eighth thick.
Do what this guy did...
Serious, at least look at the pole lock.
Do what this guy did...
Serious, at least look at the pole lock. _______________________
Reminds me of the movie The Big Lebowski, when The Dude props a chair under a doorknob and then drives nails into the floor in front of the legs so the chair can't be pushed away. Seconds later, someone easily opens the door because it opened out, not in. Our security screen door opens out.
The door has two pre-drilled holes. I might just switch out the included Kwikset deadbolt with a Medeco deadbolt. That would be the easiest solution.
A bit pricey, but nice quality.
. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus
no lock is more secure than a glass window........
people get their panties in a wad, over a strong lock, while a burglar can just break a window.....
Well then put the chair on the other side of the door.
The bars that go into a hole in the floor should really be in the middle of the door, not the side with the other locks. The other locks if any good are enough to keep that side closed. But many doors need help against someone going right through the middle.
Not if it's an apartment building with an indoor secondary stairs, or if the fire escape is inaccessible.
How do you come up with this stuff?
If the door is so weak that someone could go through the middle, then the bar will just punch through the door when force is applied from the opposite side. You'd have to construct a brace that spanned the width of the door to support the bar so the holding force is transferred to the stiles. Oh, but wait...they could still crash through the center of the door above or below the brace, so you'd have to completely cover the interior face of the door with a stronger material.
If a door is so weak that someone could crash through the middle of it, you don't need a better lock, you need a better door.
In this case from seeing how people use the bar in real life.
I've called it to readers' attention. If any decide to get this kind of lock, they can think about it then and decide what seems best.
If they're going to bother breaking the door, wouldn't a window be a better choice? Better go for bars over the windows, too. If you're going to live like a prisoner, might just as well have the look.
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