Mortise lock VS Cylinder lock

Keeping your home or business safe against intruders is a top priority for most people. The idea that a stranger can just come into your home when they feel like it scares most people into trying to find the best lock. There are different types of locks with benefits and detriments that can keep your family safe.

What is a Mortise Lock?

A mortise lock is an ancient way of locking a door. In the past, the doors were large, crude versions of the doors of today, made of wood with large bolts that turned with oversized keys. The modern-day door is more elegant in design and completely updated with a pin-tumbler lock that is strong as well as reliable for home protection.

The lock has always been very heavy. The lock is a lot heavier than the cylinder version because of the pin-tumbler mechanism inside. The mechanisms of the mortise can be different between brands, but they are largely the same in design. The mechanism has solid metal parts with springs to shift each moving component as a key turns.

When purchasing a mortise, the lock comes disassembled for a complete installation into the door. The mortise lock assembles each component of the lock into the door individually. The lock fits into the door and the door frame, which makes the lock far more secure than other types of locks.

The lock has four moving parts within the lock itself. The body of the lock fits the door, with the controls of the lock sliding in and out of the door when the key turns. The body has a frame with an elegant trim or sturdy metal frame to hold the entire lock in place in the door. The plate that surrounds the body of the lock prevents the wood around the lock from damage and helping to resist entry to an establishment.

What is a Cylinder Lock?

A cylinder lock is another type of pin-tumbler lock. The lock is smaller and fits more tightly into a door and has multiple advantages of the mortise in form and function. The cylinder is extremely easy to rekey, which makes them a popular choice for a building that frequently changes personnel or tenants.

The cylinder is easy to remove from a door without damaging the door itself, and a skilled locksmith can change out a cylinder in a matter of minutes. The lock also comes in multiple different types of lock styles, including disc tumblers and wafer tumbler. The beauty of both locks is that they can be accessed using the same key, which is a benefit to a person carrying multiple keys.

Many types of cylinder locks come with a master key to operate all the locks in a single establishment, which is a benefit to a security guard doing their rounds. It saves them time and allows them to access multiple areas quickly in case of an emergency.

The cylinder is a versatile lock that has multiple applications outside of basic security. A cylinder is the most common lock used to start vehicles. Their slender, compact form allows for them to fit into tight places or places that cannot have a large lock, such as right beneath the steering column of a car.

Which type of lock is better?

The right type of lock is the one that works best for what needs securing. The giant mortise security lock would not work well in a car or truck unless the frontend of the vehicle changes. The right type of lock should be one that fits the door. There are also other ways to secure a room or home against intrusions, such as having smart locks and cameras installed.

How are the locks vulnerable?

Lock picking

Picking a lock sounds like something off out of a movie, but is very real. There are YouTube videos available to show you how to pick multiple kinds of locks. People looking to pick a lock mostly use their skills to manipulate the basic pin-tumbler locks.

They use snap guns and lock bumping to move the tumblers the right sequence to open a basic lock. Security pins help to prevent this basic method of forced entry. They help to stop the snap gun or lock bumping tool and lock the lock. Security pins are in the cylinder locks primarily.

Lock snapping

Unfortunately, the cylinder lock can snap in half with the right kind of tools. Lock snapping is a common way to gain entrance into a home or business quickly as the lock becomes completely useless once it breaks.

Anti-snap cylinders can help prevent the criminal(s) from gaining entry into your home by not allowing the lock to open. Anti-snap cylinders will break, but keep the pins in place in the door preventing entry into your home.

Final Thoughts

A lock should keep your valuables secure and keep your family safe. The tight type of lock is one that holds your doors closed despite forced entry or is too hard to break. Multiple levels of security are a recommendation for high-crime areas or if you think you need the added level of security.