Choosing a front door lock that suits your door

Start with the door, not the lock

A thin hollow-core door, a rotted jamb or a frame with no packing behind it will fail long before a good lock does. Before choosing hardware, check the door thickness, the condition of the frame, and whether the hinges are secure.

The common types

• Deadlatch: latches automatically when the door closes. Convenient, and the most common cause of lockouts.
• Deadbolt: throws a solid bolt with a key or thumbturn. Strong, but only if you actually lock it.
• Mortice lock: fitted into the door edge, common on older Melbourne terraces. Serviceable and secure when the door suits it.
• Multi-point lock: locks at several points up the door edge, common on modern and aluminium doors.

Getting out matters as much as keeping people out

Double-cylinder deadbolts, which need a key on the inside, slow down escape in a fire and can be dangerous where children or older residents live. If you use one, keep a key permanently in a fixed, known location near the door — never hidden.

Insurance and standards

Some home insurance policies specify minimum lock types on external doors. Read your product disclosure statement rather than assuming, and ask your locksmith to note the installed hardware on the invoice as evidence.

Renting or in an apartment?

Get approval in writing before changing an external or common-property door. Owners corporations frequently specify a keying system, and changing it can mean paying to change it back.