What kind of locks should I go for…?

Seeking Advice
1

Hey everyone,

I’m planning to change all the locks in our house and ideally want just one key for all the doors. Most of them have deadbolts, but a few have knob locks too.

Any suggestions on what kind of locks I should be looking at? I’m in Australia if that helps.

Thanks in advance!

2

Check out the Schlage Encode Plus.

3

I’d recommend reaching out to a local locksmith. They can help with vandal-resistant locks and rekey all the cylinders so you only need one key for everything.

4

Look for locks that resist common attacks. For lock bumping, get a bump-resistant cylinder. For kick-ins, you’ll need a strong strike plate with long screws. For drilling and picking, you’ll want ANSI Class 1 deadbolts. If you’ve got windows in the door or sidelight, consider a double cylinder lock or replace the glass with impact-resistant options like hurricane glass.

5

@Peter
Sorry if this is a basic question, but what’s IGU?

6

Roger said:
@Peter
Sorry if this is a basic question, but what’s IGU?

No worries, it stands for Insulated Glass Unit.

7

A regular mechanical lock can be picked in under a minute.

8

I don’t use mechanical locks because they’re so easy to break into.

9

Conrad said:
I don’t use mechanical locks because they’re so easy to break into.

Just curious, are you using digital locks instead? Do you think they’re better? If so, why?

10

Victor said:

Conrad said:
I don’t use mechanical locks because they’re so easy to break into.

Just curious, are you using digital locks instead? Do you think they’re better? If so, why?

I work in IT and honestly don’t trust digital locks either.

11

Victor said:

Conrad said:
I don’t use mechanical locks because they’re so easy to break into.

Just curious, are you using digital locks instead? Do you think they’re better? If so, why?

It’s true that locks can be picked or bumped really easily.

12

@Conrad
So what would you recommend instead?

13

Victor said:
@Conrad
So what would you recommend instead?

I prefer digital locks that don’t use keys. They work with systems like Z-wave, and you can monitor and control them remotely. Plus, they automatically lock at night. The only hassle is changing the batteries from time to time.

14

@Conrad
But aren’t you just adding more points of failure with both mechanical and digital parts? None of them are foolproof.

15

@Conrad
You’re right, they can be bypassed too. I’ve seen it done (legitimately, of course).