A rim lock or night-latch, is a lock which is attached to the surface of the door, and is normally fitted at shoulder height as this is the most convenient height for reaching out and turning, twisting or pulling the handle, lever or knob to open the door from the inside and inserting the key from the outside.
It’s primary function is to keep the door closed and stop anybody without a key from just walking through your door into your home.
In the UK there are traditionally two sizes of rim lock, commonly known as the backset of the rim lock. This is the distance between the edge of the door and the centre of the key way, where the key goes into the cylinder, and is either 40mm or 60mm, but some manufactures over the years have tried to be awkward and brought out a different backset to their rim lock.
The quality and security of rim locks varies considerable, from the standard budget rim lock to the all singing all dancing auto-deadlocking British Standard BS3621:2007 rim lock.
An auto-deadlocking rim lock is one where when you close the door the latch or bolt, which locks into the strike plate (or keep) in the frame, automatically deadlocks preventing the lock from being slipped open from the outside, and most auto-deadlocking rim locks have a key hole in the handle on the inside which works with the same key that operates the cylinder on the outside.
This security feature is supposed to be used when your leaving your home or office and there is no one else inside. With the door open, insert the key into to keyway turn one full rotation and remove the key, the handle is now locked, giving you peace of mind that when you shut your door, any intruder managing to gain entry to your house via a back or side door or window, can’t open the front door and limits what they can carry, making them leave the property the way they got in.
Some of the top of the range auto-deadlocking rim locks have other security features which include, a protective shroud over the cylinder which is bolted through the door from the inside, a slightly rotating hardened disc in front of the cylinder which protects the cylinder from being drilled open with a standard drill bit. Some rim locks have a bolt which locks into the frame instead of a latch, a 6 pin cylinder instead of the traditional 5 pin giving you more protection against the lock being picked open and giving you more key differs and lastly some come with a restricted key giving you control of key duplication/copying.
Alexandra Locksmiths fit locks, grilles, intercom systems, safes and all other security devices and we cover North London, East London, West London and Central London.
Alexandra Locksmiths proud to be serving London for two decades. An approved company of The Master Locksmith Association.
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