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Recently I was working in a 50 year old home. In south Florida I do not see many old homes and I often appreciate how things were built years ago compared to today\u2019s construction practices.<\/p>\n
While working at the old home I was asked to look at the original door and locks to see if they were up to today\u2019s standards. The old wooden door exceeded today\u2019s standards but the deadbolt lock from 50 years ago would not stop any hack with a claw hammer from ripping the lock right off the door.<\/p>\n
I replaced the old Schlage lock with the\u00a0new Schlage B560 deadbolt lock. You will not find this model of Schlage deadbolt at the mass-merchandiser stores. You will only find Schlage\u2019s best grade of locks at a locksmith shop or specialty hardware store.<\/p>\n
When purchasing a deadbolt lock of any brand you should always consider how the lock is made to withstand abuse from a thief. Every lock today has a 1 inch bolt, but how much of the deadbolt remains in the door. In other words how deep is the root of the deadbolt after the bolt is extended. If you are shopping for a deadbolt lock and there are sample locks mounted try this test. Extend the deadbolt all the way. Now grab the end of the bolt and wiggle it back and forth up and down. Does the bolt feel solid or does it have a lot of movement? You are looking for a lock where the bolt feels solid when extended.<\/p>\n
Look through the package to see if the deadbolt lock has solid collars. The collar is the round piece of metal which protects the key-cylinder. The collar should be a dense material made of either die cast metal or cast steel. The collar is designed to rotate if someone tries to wrench your lock off the door.<\/p>\n
Another part of the lock to check out is the locks mounting screws. The better locks usually have \u00bc inch steel machine screws for holding the lock on the door.<\/p>\n
Other things to consider is \u201cbump-resistance,\u201d pick resistance and key control. Kwikset offers great bump-resistance and pick resistance with their Smart-Key Technology. Kwikset also makes very nice deadbolt locks. Look for their 780 model deadbolt.<\/p>\n
Consider how old your home is. Does your home use the original locks as the main security of the door? It may be time to have a professional locksmith visit your home and recommend upgrading your homes security with better deadbolt locks.<\/p>\n
Recently I was working in a 50 year old home. In south Florida I do not see many old homes and I often appreciate how things were built years ago compared to today\u2019s construction practices. While working at the old … Continue reading <\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"