How Many Door Locks Should I Have At Home?

With the advent of widespread smart digital door locks, many are now asking “how many door locks should I have at home? And, it’s certainly a fair point. You want to get the most out of these new avenues for home security, but how many door locks is the ideal amount? Don’t worry, this article is here to answer that question for you.

How Many Door Locks Do I Need?

The answer to that is actually really simple. It involves the following steps:

Note all of the doors in your house
Group each of them into one of three categories:

Doors that don’t need to be locked. For example, you probably don’t need to lock your laundry door or your kitchen.
Doors that need to be locked for privacy, so we’re talking bedrooms, bathrooms – that kind of thing.
Doors that need to be locked for security, think of any entry doors into your home from the outside like your front door.

Plan your locks accordingly. For a privacy lock, you’d only need something small like a classic deadbolt or a non-handle door lock. For a security lock, you’d want something a bit more elaborate, like a PIN code lock with a fingerprint scanner.

That’s it. Once you’ve completed these steps, you’ll know how many door locks you need to have at home.

What Kinds of Door Locks are There (and Where Should They Go)?

Of course, you have digital door locks – sophisticated, elaborate works of technology that provide enhanced security. But, you’ve also got good old fashioned analog locks, and they still have their own benefits to go with them.

So, let’s talk about the kinds of locks you can get for your home, so you can see what options you have.

Analog

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. That’s the old saying, right? Just because digital door locks are a thing of the past, doesn’t mean we have to say goodbye to old locks made of nothing but metal and good ol’ ingenuity. If you’re looking to secure your home, consider incorporating a couple of these into some of your less critical doors.

Passage Lockset

This is a basic kind of lockset ideal for use inside the home in areas such as hallways or closets between rooms where privacy is not important. It consists of two, non-locking knobs, one on each side of the door, although some models use levers instead of knobs.

Privacy Lockset

This is an interior lockset that’s ideal for maintaining privacy as opposed to full on security. It has a locking button on the inside knob but no key device on the outside knob. It’s the kind of lock you’ll typically see on a bathroom door.

In an emergency, the lock can be opened from the outside by inserting a narrow object through the small hole in the outside knob and either depressing or turning the locking mechanism inside, depending on the type of lock.

Entry Lockset

This is a pair of doorknobs that can be locked from both inside and outside using a deadlatch. As the name suggests, this lock is ideal for the entrance to your home. These locks come in multiple types:

One type locks from the inside by turning or depressing a small button, while a key must unlock the outside knob
Both types lock with a key
Only the inside can lock or unlock both sides

Deadbolt Lock

The deadbolt is the most tried and true analog lock, being used to lock the vast majority of front doors. It gets its name from its mechanism containing no springs to operate the lock, meaning it can only be turned manually with a key.

The key controls a bolt which locks the door and obstructs anybody trying to get inside. A single-cylinder deadbolt is operated with a key from the outside and with a turn button on the inside. It is used mostly with solid metal or wood doors.

Double cylinder deadbolts can only be opened with a key, making them potentially dangerous, and best left avoided.

Surface Mounted Deadbolt

This lock is typically square in shape, and mounted on the surface of the inside of the door, where it can be opened with a key or a latch. Instead of sliding into the door frame like a , the bolt slides into a surface-mounted strike.

Mortise Lock

A mortise lock consists of a flat, rectangular box that fits into a recess in the door from its edge. Additionally, it includes two faceplates that include the knobs and keyholes. It’s an update of sorts to the traditional deadbolt lock design.

Night Latch

A night latch is for light security, and is usually used in combination with another lock. It has an automatic locking feature in which the large, spring loaded latch automatically locks whenever the door is closed.

Digital

But, if you really want to secure your home, you can’t go wrong with a digital door lock. These digital door locks take the tried and true mechanism of the analog door lock, and update them with sophisticated digital technology for added features. The end result means more control over your home security.

Deadbolt Door Locks

Deadbolts are a tried and tested method of keeping doors locked, so we understand if you’re not ready to part ways with your deadbolt lock. Deadbolt door locks combine the enhanced control and sophisticated technology of a smart lock with the classic deadbolt mechanism to provide you with effective home security.

Examples of deadbolt door locks include:

Digital door lock SHP-DS510
Digital door lock SHS-3321
Samsung SHP-A30

Fingerprint Door Locks

The future is now! Who knew that the advanced biometrics of fingerprint scanning would become so accessible? Fingerprint door locks allow you to use the unique identifier of your thumbprint as the key to unlock your door, providing you with convenience on top of security.

Examples of fingerprint door locks include:

Digital door lock SHP-DH538
Samsung SHP-DP609
Samsung SHP-DR708
Samsung SHP-A30
Samsung SHS-P718

Mortise Door Locks

As we mentioned previously, the mortise door lock functions similarly to a deadbolt door lock. However, the major difference is the combination between the lock and its latch. While a typical deadbolt door lock keeps the deadbolt separate from the latch, a mortise lock combines the deadbolt and the latch, which is installed into a rectangular hole (called the mortise).

Examples of mortise door locks include:

Digital door lock SHP-DH538
Digital door lock SHP-DH537
Samsung SHP-DP609
Samsung SHP-DR708
Digital Door Lock SHS-P717
Samsung SHS-P718

Non-Handle Door Locks

Are door handles a thing of the past? Not really. They still work like a charm. Sometimes though, you don’t need a handle with your door lock. Maybe you are content with the handle that your door already has. Maybe you are looking for a more hygienic lock solution that doesn’t require you to touch a handle in the first place. That’s where non-handle door locks come in.

Examples of non-handle door locks include:

Digital door lock SHP-DS510
Digital door lock SHS-3321
Samsung SHP-A30
Samsung SHP-DS705

PIN Code Door Locks

You know the way in which safes work by allowing you to set a PIN code that you can then use to keep your things safe while having a convenient method of accessing them that only requires you to remember a PIN as opposed to having to carry a key?

Well, PIN code door locks operate on the same kind of logic. You devise a numerical PIN code that you can then use to unlock your door at your discretion and convenience.

Push-Pull Handle Door Locks

Push-pull handle door locks are smart locks that work with a simple locking/unlocking mechanism that involves pushing or pulling a handle. With this design, security and simplicity come together to keep your home secure while ensuring convenience and ease of access for you.

Examples of push-pull handle door locks include:

Samsung SHP-DP609
Samsung SHP-DR708
Digital door lock SHS-P717
Samsung SHS-P718

Where Can I Get High Quality Digital Door Locks?

You can get high quality smart locks from Digital Door Locks, a premier business partner with Samsung Group. We supply Samsung’s premium keyless door locks over three states, 400 retailers and over 100,000 happy customers. Our high quality services have resulted in a wealth of five star reviews from satisfied customers.