I agree. I always try to explain to people that even though its a little inconvenient to have to always lock the door from the outside with a key, relying on merely the doorknob ‘lock’ is much less secure. You’re not securing the actual door at all! All you’re door is ‘locking’ the knob latch from turning. A deadbolt is like the bars in a safe’s door, they physically secure the door from being opened or kicked in. Its not just a TV cliche that a non-deadbolted door can easily be kicked in with one kick from a hefty-sized criminal. And the spring-loaded kind of deadbolt that you can close w/o the key are also the kind that can be jimmied open fairly easily with a credit card.
Of course all of this is moot if the locks aren’t installed securely in the jam to begin with!
Real security is a drop bar, floor jam, or other of that kind. For when you are home. When you are gone, it is just how hard you want to make vs the will to get in by the bad guy. If there is an unbarred window, then they can get in easy. If no close neighbors, a sawsall on the roof is quick & easy.
I like being home with weapons & the Dawg… Bawahahahaha
Among locksmiths, the most common term for a knob which stays locked all the time is storeroom function. This type of lock is more often found with commercial grade locks but they can be found with residential locks too. Kwikset, in particular, has made such knobs in the past, although I can’t say with 100% certainty that they still make them. I repaired one two weeks ago. FYI, residential manufacturers sometimes label such locks “atrium” or “vestibule” function. If you insist on buying locks from a hardware store, ask them for a “storeroom function” or “atrium” or “vestibule” knob.
However, it’s quite possible that this isn’t really what you want. The vast majority of commercial grade “entry function” knobs have a twist button on the inside which allows you to put the lock into a kind of storeroom mode and keep it that way until you undo it. The Schlage A53 knob is an example of this. If you push the button, the outside knob is locked and stays that way only until you use the key or turn the inside knob, whichever comes first. But if you twist the button, the outside knob is locked and it will stay locked even after you use the key and even after you turn the inside knob. It stays locked until you untwist the button. After that, it can be left unlocked if you wish. If this sounds like the knob you used to have, then you need to buy a commercial grade entry knob like the Schlage A53.
The Schlage F51 doesn’t have that feature. When you lock the F51 with the button and then turn the key in the outside knob, it stays unlocked.
A true storeroom function knob cannot be left in an unlocked state when the key is removed. They are useful for situations where multiple people use the same door and you don’t want to have to worry about whether all those people remembered to lock the door behind them.
Thanks for all the feedback! I’ve learned a lot. Youse guys rock.
Indeed, the lock I used to have *was *a Mortise lock (no relation), with the two buttons on the edge facing the jamb. But the A53 that **sbunny8 **mentions sounds like exactly what I want now. I’m not worried about locking myself out; I’m more worried about me or my frequent guests or my dog walker *forgetting *to lock the door and leaving the house unsecured. I do live in the wild and woolly badlands of Chicago after all.
Now that I’m schooled, time to find a good locksmith shop…
The major price difference is not the function, it’s the series they belong to: light duty, medium duty, heavy duty.
Schlage’s F-series knobs and levers are considered light duty, for residential applications, although they do meet ANSI grade 2 (barely) while most residential knobs are only ANSI grade 3. The F-series has a tubular design and uses a proprietary 5-pin cylinder (not replaceable). The tubular deadlatch can be adjusted in the field for either a 2 3/8" backset or 2 3/4". MSRP is $54, IIRC.
Schlage’s A-series knobs and levers are considered medium duty, for commercial applications, but they are sometimes used in residences. The A-series has a cylindrical design and uses a universal 6-pin cylinder. Literally dozens of different manufacturers make knob/lever cylinders which are compatible with Schlage commercial-grade locks. For example, if you want to use a Yale Y1 key in your Schlage knob, this can easily be accomplished by replacing the cylinder with an aftermarket Yale cylinder made by GMS. The cylindrical deadlatches are not adjustable; you have to order the correct size for the backset of your door. The A-series are sturdier than the F-series. They stand up to more abuse and brute force attacks, and they will last longer than the F-series under similar conditions. MSRP is around $180.
Schlage’s D-series knobs and levers are considered heavy duty, for high traffic commercial applications or places where greater physical security is needed. The D-series uses a cylindrical design with universal 6-pin cylinders. The cylindrical deadlatches are not adjustable; you have to order the correct size for the backset of your door. These locks are very tough and will take lots of abuse. In some situations, life safety codes don’t permit a deadbolt and then it makes sense to use the sturdiest knob or lever you can get. MSRP is around $400.
All three series, F, A, and D, are available in both entry function and storeroom function. However, the A53 and D53 entry function have the “push or twist” button which allows the user to temporarily put the lock into storeroom mode whereas the F51 doesn’t. Within a given series, there are variations in price due to the function and the style and the color, mostly because the popular ones are cheaper and the rare ones are more expensive. For example, the Schlage A80 storeroom knob might cost $5 more than the Schlage A53 entry knob but the A53 might be $9 more if you want antique brass finish instead of the standard satin chrome.
If you want the commercial entry function, similar to the Schlage A53, just look for an off-brand commercial entry knob, such as General Lock, US Lock, USCan, or LSDA. We sell the USCan US53 for $50 and it’s comparable to the Schlage A53 which costs more than 3x the money. The storeroom version is the US80 for $55. Standard color is stainless steel. If you want bright brass, it’s $55.
If your old door had a mortise lock, that’s a completely different shape. We’re basically talking about putting a round peg in a square hole. Mortise locks fit into a rectangular pocket chiseled out from the edge of the door. The vast majority of modern door knobs, levers, and deadbolts, all use a 2 1/8" round cross bore drilled through the door. I hope you’re not trying to put a standard door knob onto the same door which used to have a mortise lock in it.
It can be done, but it’s a lot more work. You have to fill in the pocket with a wood block and epoxy, and probably put a reinforcer plate around it, which a lot of people think is hideous (I kinda like the look of it myself).
If I were still an active locksmith I’d steer the OP toward another mortise lock.
Actually, now that you are schooled, go do some Googling. I just built an entry door for my house and made it 2 1/4" thick. That is a standard door thickness, but not a common one. It took a while, and the good folks at both big box hardware retailers in my area were pretty useless, but once I figured out the industry jargon I was able to find what I needed on line, reasonably priced. The kicker was that it was on one of the big box hardware retailers sites where I found it, as an on line only item.
Yes, this is exactly what I did (well, I paid a locksmith to do) a few years ago. And yes, at this point I kinda wish I’d replaced the mortise with a newer mortise.
The vast majority of hotel rooms use mortise locks because they want the doors to have single motion egress. (When you turn the lever to retract the latch, it automatically retracts the bolt at the same time.) All the hotel mortise locks I’ve ever seen appear to be heavy duty, presumably ANSI grade 1 but I can’t be sure unless I could look at the packaging that came with the lock when it was new in the box. Another concern is that the vast majority of hotel room mortise locks use mag stripe cards which carry instructions to the lock from a programming unit. If you’re planning to buy a lock with a programmer, it won’t be very useful.
I thought some of you might be interested in the happy ending to this sordid tale.
Before I had a chance to visit a locksmith shop, I happened to find myself walking past a True Value hardware store on Halsted Street. I thought, what the hell, let’s see what they’ve got.
I explained to them what I was looking for, and their lock guy went to a cabinet. Instead of a slick, blister-pack, consumer friendly product, he pulled out an unsealed cardboard box. The lock/knob set inside was perfect. I can’t explain it better than **sbunny8 **already did:
It isn’t a Schlage, although it does use a Schlage key. The overall device is branded S. Parker Hardware, Entrance Lockset. It weighs a ton, and is clearly commercial grade. It also cost $60, about three times what the previous lockset cost. It installed in moments, and now I’m a happy camper.
