Door Locks and Handles

Every door in the house needs one of four jobs done: lock from the outside, lock from the inside, just latch, or just pull. Get that job right for each door and the rest is picking a style and finish you like. WBC carries Kwikset and Schlage knobs, levers, deadbolts and combo packs in every one of those jobs, plus touchscreen deadbolts, door pulls and a lock box for spare keys.

Pick the function first

Function	What it does	Where it goes
Entry	Locks with a key outside, turn button inside	Front, back and garage entry doors, paired with a deadbolt
Privacy	Locks from the inside with a button or turn, no key	Bedrooms and bathrooms
Passage	Latches but never locks	Closets, hallways, laundry, any door that just needs to stay shut
Dummy	A fixed handle that doesn’t turn, no latch	Pantry and closet doors held by a catch, the inactive side of French doors

Most styles come in all four, so the bathroom, the hall closet and the front door can all match. WBC carries Schlage’s Accent levers and Georgian knobs in aged bronze in every function, dummies included, and Kwikset’s Tustin levers in entry, privacy and passage.

The front door: entry set plus deadbolt

A knob or lever lock alone isn’t much security on an outside door. Put a deadbolt above it. A deadbolt has no spring: the bolt only moves when you turn the key or thumbturn, so it can’t be slipped like a spring latch.

• Single-cylinder deadbolt: key outside, thumbturn inside. The right choice for most doors, because you can get out fast without hunting for a key. WBC carries Kwikset 660 and 980 single-cylinder deadbolts and Schlage deadbolts, including matte black.
• Double-cylinder deadbolt: a key on both sides. It’s chosen for doors with glass near the lock, so nobody can break the glass and reach in to turn it. The tradeoff is serious: in a fire, nobody gets out that door without the key, so for most homes the single-cylinder is the better choice. WBC carries the Kwikset 665 double-cylinder deadbolt.

Combo packs put an entry knob or lever and a matching deadbolt in one box. That’s the easy buy when you’re replacing the whole front door set. WBC carries Kwikset combos (Tylo, Tustin and Cove styles) and Schlage combos (Georgian, Accent and Plymouth styles). Many combo packs come keyed alike, one key for both locks; check the package.

Handlesets put a pull handle and deadbolt on the outside, with a knob or lever inside. WBC carries a Kwikset handleset in Venetian bronze and a Schlage Accent handleset in aged bronze. Measure first: the new handleset has to cover the holes the old one left.

Kwikset SmartKey locks let you rekey them yourself in seconds with the SmartKey tool, using a working key and the new key. That’s handy when you buy a house, a spare key goes missing, or you want every outside door on the same key. Many WBC Kwikset deadbolts and combos carry SmartKey.

Keyless: touchscreen deadbolts

A touchscreen or keypad deadbolt lets you in with a code instead of a key. No more hiding a key under the mat, and you can give the dog walker or a contractor their own code. WBC carries touchscreen deadbolts in satin nickel and aged bronze, and a keyless deadbolt in matte black.

Check the box for how the lock is set up. A standalone electronic lock is programmed at the lock and doesn’t connect to your phone; a smart lock adds phone control and remote access. Electronic locks run on batteries, so they keep working when the power goes out. A Montana front door takes the full brunt of winter, so check the lock’s operating temperature range on the box, and change the batteries before they run down.

The keypad is about convenience, not strength. How well the door stands up to being kicked in comes down to the bolt, the strike and the door itself.

Make the lock count

A good deadbolt in a weak frame still fails. Two cheap upgrades make any lock stronger:

• Use 3-inch screws in the strike (the plate on the frame the bolt goes into), so they reach the framing behind the door jamb, not just the trim. A box strike with 3-inch screws made most locks Consumer Reports tested much harder to kick in.
• Put 3-inch screws in the hinges too.

Locks are also graded 1 to 3 for security and durability. Grade 1 is the toughest, Grade 2 is common for homes and light commercial, and Grade 3 is the basic residential grade. Check the package for the grade.

Measure before you buy

• Backset: from the edge of the door to the center of the big hole. The two common sizes are 2-3/8 and 2-3/4 inches; check the box for which one the new lock fits.
• Door thickness: many interior doors are 1-3/8 inches; most modern front doors are 1-3/4 inches. Measure yours.
• Handing: levers and dummies that only work one way come left- or right-handed. WBC’s Accent dummy levers come in both. Use the handing guide on the package to tell which your door needs.

If a new latch won’t catch, the strike’s probably out of line with the latch, or the door has sagged. Fix the strike or tighten the hinges; don’t force it.

Door pulls, lock boxes and rim cylinders

• Door pulls: for a gate, shed, barn or cabinet door that needs a handle but no latch. WBC carries National Hardware pulls in black and zinc, from 4-3/4 to 6-3/4 inches, a Prime-Line satin nickel pull, and a small oil-rubbed bronze finger pull.
• Master Lock wall-mount lock box: holds a key behind a combination, for a renter, a contractor or family who need to get in when you’re not home.
• Rim cylinder lock: a replacement cylinder for a surface-mounted rim lock.

The Pick

For the front door, a Kwikset or Schlage combo pack with a single-cylinder deadbolt, or a touchscreen deadbolt if you’re done with keys, with 3-inch screws in the strike. For bedrooms and baths, privacy levers or knobs; for closets and halls, passage sets in the same style. For French doors and catch-held closets, the matching dummies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between passage, privacy and entry locks?

Passage latches but never locks, for closets and halls. Privacy locks from inside without a key, for bedrooms and baths. Entry locks with a key from outside, for exterior doors.

What lock should I put on my front door?

An entry knob or lever plus a single-cylinder deadbolt. A combo pack gets you both in a matching style, often on one key.

Should I get a single- or double-cylinder deadbolt?

Single-cylinder for most doors: key outside, thumbturn inside, so you can get out fast. Double-cylinder is sometimes chosen where glass near the lock lets someone reach in, but it means nobody gets out that door without the key.

Are keyless door locks secure?

The keypad adds convenience, not strength. Security comes from the deadbolt, a solid door and a strike set with 3-inch screws.

Can I rekey my lock instead of replacing it?

Many locks can be rekeyed. Kwikset SmartKey locks let you do it yourself in seconds, as long as you have a working key.

How do I measure for a new door lock?

Measure the backset (door edge to the center of the big hole, usually 2-3/8 or 2-3/4 inches) and the door thickness, and for levers, which way the door swings.