What are the Different Door Lock & Knob Parts?

Everyone has at some point seen a door, at the very least, a traditional door, hence we probably know the parts of a door, from the hinges, to the handles, and the lock itself. However, many individuals do not really understand the inner workings of a door lock, except for the DIY junkies within our midst.  Hence this article on the parts of a door lock. 

You’ve probably not given much thought as to why we use doors, their importance or even the parts that make up this apparently indispensable piece of equipment or furniture as the case may be. Doors are an integral part of any structure. They are installed neither for their aesthetic value, nor for the general outlook which they project only. They are there primarily because no one would feel safe without them. 

Security of life and property is of utmost importance to most individuals, thus, it is important that we take conscious steps to learn more about these doors, their types, features and the kinds that are best suited for our peculiar situations. 

Importance of Doors

Doors are a necessity in any building for so many reasons, some of such reasons include:

• Security:  With an upsurge of insecurity in our society, any type of door isn’t enough. To beef up security, you need to purchase doors that are specially built for that purpose, and leave out the aesthetically based doors for those who can afford to leave their doors open while heading out. Note that this doesn’t necessarily mean that a beautiful door, cannot be fit for security. 
• Privacy:  It’s unimaginable how our lives would be without doors, think about it. Imagine neighbors just walking into your house unannounced and emptying your Nutella jar.  Doors help you achieve a privacy whenever you want it.
• Others: Like clothes, doors help to protect us from the harsh effects of extreme weather and even wild animals. Imagine ling up north alongside polar bears and having to share your bed with them. 

Doors as mentioned earlier add aesthetic value to your house, giving it an alluring look, after all, it’s a house and yours for that matter.

Types of Doors

The types of doors you should purchase depends largely on your budget, priorities, purpose and the type of building you’re looking to have it in. Remember we said earlier that you shouldn’t just purchase any type of door. Consult with an expert first before you finally decide, they’d help choose the best for you with regards to your utmost security and satisfaction. We have compiled a list of door categories below to help you in your decision-making process:

• Traditional Doors: These are the conventional doors we see every day, installed especially in our homes. Their designs are simple and are aimed towards homeowners largely because these doors are easy to work with. Mostly made of wood, (but can be made of other materials like glass) these traditional doors can also be used by anyone including children, since the mode of operation is quite straightforward. These doors are manually operated with keys.
• Automatic Doors: These types of doors are usually found in big organizations and establishments. They may also be seen in homes these days thanks to the innovation of home automated systems. 

These doors are the opposite of traditional doors in terms of their modes of operation as automated doors open and close based on certain programmed parameters being met. 

Traditional doors are usually found at private houses while automated doors are mostly seen in public buildings. They are usually made of glass or transparent material (some are made of wood). Automatic doors as the name implies offers ease-of-use to its users, hence, the need for manual keys is eliminated. 

High-Security Doors: These doors are best suited for financial organizations and places where a lot of valuables are kept. If you live in an environment that is crime-prone, or you have any reason to beef up security where you stay, these doors are for you. High – security doors come in different categories depending on your requirements. They can be bulletproof, fireproof, or anti-break-in. Some may have all these features in one. 

Doors may also be classified based on the materials used, the mode of operation (e.g. rotating, sliding doors), etc.

Knowing the Parts of a Door Lock

Knowledge about the parts of a door and their functions is very important and can be a life-saving skill in emergency situations. Such knowledge about the parts of a door can also help you in understanding how best to maintain them, thus mitigating issues associated with durability, cost efficiency, and damage control. Moreover, no knowledge is wasted, right? So let’s get started

• The Lock: This is an important part of any door, as it constitutes what makes any door secure. It enables you to shut the door in a way that only authorized persons can open it. In other words, it represents a certain form of access control. 

There are levels to the kind of security a lock can give you depending on its type. Traditional locks are the easiest to break into, while high-security locks are almost impossible to break into and would require a great deal of expertise and practice, if at all. Below are the parts of a door lock:

For a traditional lock, there is the cylinder. 

The cylinder is the part of the door where you insert the key. It’s cylindrical in shape and is inserted into the door with the ends popping out at the opposite ends of the door. 

There is the bolt. There are 2 main types of bolts, the spring bolt, and the deadbolt (the spring bolt has a spring, the deadbolt doesn’t). The deadbolt is generally believed to be more secure because it prevents the lock from being picked based on specialized added features such as the deadbolt plunger. The bolt is what locks and opens the door when you operate the key. It extends from the lock into the door frame which houses the strike plate that helps keep the bolt fastened in the door frame.

Electronic Door Locks: With the help of improved technology, some doors no longer need manual keys to open them. Thus, they can be operated from a central system which allows you to make automated adaptations to it as you like. As the name suggests, these locks are operated electronically by codes, sensors, etc. but the general principle of the locking mechanism remain pretty much the same. Except that the Electronic locks electronic involve the use of higher technology and operate slightly differently. Instead of keys, they make use of automated methods of access such as remotes, programmable cards, biometric data, etc. Plus, their various parts are adapted to suit specifications and only authorized persons can gain access to them.

High-Security Locks: High-security locks provide maximum security as a priority. These locks are installed to fight against any antics which criminal or unwanted personnel may employ to break into a building or room. In high-security locks, all the features of a normal door lock are present but are highly complex and fortified. Sometimes, the concepts differ drastically from the commonly known concepts.

• Knobs: A knob is simply a type of door handle that is rounded at the ends. It’s what you hold and rotate slightly to the left or right to open and close a door. Doorknobs can either be interior or exterior depending on the purposes for its production.

Other door parts include the panel, threshold, astragal, etc.