Entry door knob question

Re: Entry door knob question

Barry Irby

Look at Schlage locks. On some of theirs if you just push the interior button in it will pop out when you open the door, leaving it unlocked. If you push it in and turn it, it will remain locked, leaving you in the yard in your skivvies after check the mail. Some versions have a button that either does not turn or is difficult to turn. They are also quality locks and should last as long as you do.

Having had that experience, I always buy the kind you are looking for.

Re: Entry door knob question

E Phillip Smith

Have you tried graphite powder in the lock mechanism? Ours gets sticky on occasion and graphite does the trick.

Re: Entry door knob question

Lee Schierer in McKean, PA

Schlage Locksets for exterior doors automatically unlock when you turn the handle on the inside. If you wish to lock the door and leave you can turn the small knob in the center of the inside handle to the lock position and then close the door. Anyone turning the handle inside will unlock the door. We have their locksets on both our exterior doors. Of course you can also unlock them with a key from outside.

Lee

Re: Entry door knob question

Kneale Brownson

Not ALL Schlage doorknob locks unlock when opened from inside. I've had lots of them. That's why I put a key (all our doors are keyed alike) in a lockbox on the porch.

Schlage keypad locks

John K Jordan

I use nothing but Schlage locksets.

For external doors I like the keypad deadbolts with lever handles so I can open the door with my elbow. I don't even install lockable handles/knobs but use passthrough levers. I have four at the house and two at the shop.

A huge bonus of using the keypad locks is when I'm out around the farm I never have to carry a key to get into the shop.

I've probably bought 10 of these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0026SZNW4

And these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007PNP2I

My experience with Schlage customer support has been positive. I had a minor infant mortality problem with one lock I had in storage. They sent a new one immediately, over night, no charge, and didn't even want the other one returned. Never asked about serial numbers, warranty, or sales receipt.

BTW, the mechanism is very clever. A 9V battery powers a tiny motor which rotates a spring which acts sort of like as a rack gear to engage/disengage a linkage between the locking knob and the deadbolt. The spring is flexible so that part of the mechanism doesn't need precision components or lubrication. The 9V battery on the lock on the shop used multiple times a day lasted over four years.

JKJ

Deadbolt only...

Jason Roehl in Lafayette, IN

...is quite common around here, and what we have as well. No lock on the handle, it's only a passage.

One I've seen a bit of, and am not a fan of, is double-cylinder deadbolts--they require a key on the inside to lock or unlock them. They look to me like an entrapment during a fire just waiting to happen.

Jason

Re: Deadbolt only...

Barry Irby

Jason, you are right, that is an entrapment situation, so much so that it now a Code violation. No longer permitted to have double keyed deadbolts. When I saw it on inspections I flagged it and told them to change them. If they refused I told them to hang a key on a nail at floor level so they could crawl up to the door in a fire.

Re: Deadbolt only...

John K Jordan

One I've seen a bit of, and am not a fan of, is double-cylinder deadbolts--they require a key on the inside to lock or unlock them. They look to me like an entrapment during a fire just waiting to happen.

Our house had those whem we moved in. The idea is to keep someone from breaking the glass to reach inside and unlock the door. I kept keys in them all the time. Plus dogs and shotguns and someone here all the time.

Re: Schlage keypad locks

AZ in Colorado Springs

"minor infant mortality problem" -- can you elaborate?

depends on how they are managed

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

When we leave for an extended period we lock the double keyed deadbolt. The extra security, and inconvenience to burglar is obvious. When we go to the store we lock the door knob. Double keyed dead bolts are only an extremely unlikely fire risk risk if not managed safely.

"Infant mortality"

Mike Farinella

Somewhat of an engineering term denoting mechanical things that prematurely break or "die" before they're supposed to.

Re: "Infant mortality"

John K Jordan

Somewhat of an engineering term denoting mechanical things that prematurely break or "die" before they're supposed to.

Yes. These days well-designed electrical and mechanical things these days seem to last forever but the most critical period is the initial power-on and use.

The Schlage locks have worked flawlessly for me over the last 6 years or so - that was the only problem I've seen in one.

JKJ

Schlage can be either way

Tim Greif - West of Chicago

schlage locksets can be either way, depending on model and age. I have 30 year old Schlage locks on my home with the turn-tab lock on the inside. You turn the tab horizontal to lock. These open from the inside and do not unlock the turn-tab. So you can get locked out if you close it without turning the lock tab from horizontal to vertical.

My river cottage has newer Schlage and Dexter (Schlage's less expensive line). The Schlage has a turn tab lock that automatically unlocks when opened from the inside. The Dexter won't even let you open the lockset from the inside until you unlock it. And the turn-tab is backward from the Schlage, even though it's made by Schlage (or at least owned by them). Schlage = horizontal tab = locked. Dexter = vertical tab = locked. I'm going to switch out the Dexter to a Schlage to avoid confusion and get them keyed alike.

Point being, you need to check the locks you intend to buy to confirm how they operate.

Re: depends on how they are managed

Barry Irby

Having the interior keyed lock locked is only important when its really important. When you wake up in a fire and the door is locked, curse the management.

Put a nail in the back edge of the door jamb and hang a key there just in case some absent minded manager fails to manage.

Re: "Infant mortality"

AZ in Colorado Springs

U hadn't heard of that usage, and was wondering how those three words could be used in sequence (except maybe by Steve Martin or George Carlin)

Re: Deadbolt only...

David Yoho

They look to me like an entrapment during a fire just waiting to happen.

While true, we use double cylinder locks for security because 3 out of the 5 entry doors here have glass. The only time they get locked is when we go away for an extended period where nobody is in the house. All 5 are keyed alike. At our river house I installed single cylinder dead bolts because on one door the dead bolt is the only locking lock.

Yes, they are a danger if locked while people are inside but common sense should suggest that. Unfortunately that trait seems lacking these days.

As you know.....

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

any modern house has every window large enough to be an exit unless you weigh 400 pounds. I don't weigh 400 pounds, and I don't lock the deadbolts unless we are leaving the house for an extended period. Hence, I remain confident that my double keyed deadbolts are only a realistic problem for thieves. A single key deadbolt next to an entry door window is useless as tits on a boar hog.

Re: As you know.....

Larry Clinton At Frankfort, (Central) Indiana

Had to smile, I have noticed homes with "security" storm doors with fairly heavy bars and less than 10' away (and in a more concealed location) is a 3' wide window! To me a reasonable lock that requires something visible to be damaged is as effective as any unless you have steel shutters locked and covering every window.

Much like locking your car, it deters the common thief, obviously any determined thief can break the windows of the car, but many just try the car doors to see whats inside. If locked they pass your vehicle, as a broken window may draw attention and have the police investigate.