Making your “Home Sweet Secure Home” Safe Before the School Year
The new school year is approaching, so it’s time to make sure your home is a safe haven for your family – especially if kids are coming home alone. One of the most effective ways to enhance your home’s security is to invest in a new lockset. But before doing so, you must test and measure your current one.
Testing and Measuring Your Current Lockset
Before you head out to buy a new lockset, it’s important to test and measure your current lockset.
- Inspecting your current lockset for typical wear and tear. Examine for rust, corrosion, or damage.
- Test the locking mechanism itself. Insert the key to ensure it operates smoothly without sticking or jamming. A key that is difficult to turn may indicate misalignment or internal damage.
- Check your deadbolt. Make sure it fully extends and retracts into the frame and that there are no gaps between the strike plate and the door frame either.
- Finally, if it is determined you need a new lockset, it is important to measure it correctly using the following steps:
- Measure the inside and outside of your door completely; this includes the thickness and width of the door.
- Measure the backset, or the distance between the edge of the door and the center where the latch and deadbolt fit.
- Measure the width of the strike plate.
- Use these measurements to properly select a lockset.
Tip: During Installation, when aligning your strike plate and deadbolt, rub lipstick onto the deadbolt, turn the knob to retract the latch and close the door. Then release the knob just enough for the latch to lightly touch the jamb. The color left over will show you exactly where you will reach alignment.
Investing in a Certified Lockset
Certified locksets are not just any lockset. They are specifically designed and tested for high quality use. For BHMA Certification, these locksets are tested for security, durability, and finish. Meaning each lock has been tested for simulated intrusions, excess use, and protection from weathering.
To find the lockset that caters to your family’s needs, whether you prioritize security, durability, finish or all three – look for the BHMA Certified® Label. Where security, durability, and finish will be rated using BHMA’s Good (C), Better (B), and Best (A) product ratings.
Enjoying a Home Sweet Secure Home
Once your new lockset is installed, you can enjoy the transition into the school year with solace. For more information on choosing the right lockset for you and your family, check out our security page and our other Home Sweet Secure Home Blogs.