How To Choose The Right Lock At Home Depot?

Whether you need one new lock or a few new locks, you are probably going to stop at some place like Home Depot. It’s a wonderful store, but you can be sure that you are going to need to pay attention in order to make sure that you don’t get the wrong lock. In this article, we hope to help you get a better idea of what to look for and what to look out for. Some Home Depots are different depending on where you live so we hope to give you some general info that will help clear up some basic confusion.

You want a good lock for your home, but sometimes reading the fine print and all those little tags filled with info that more often than not goes over your head can make the decision harder than it needs to be. Instead, just pay attention to some of these basic things we go over in this article.

Like most things, you get what you pay for. Now, does this mean you need to go buying a smart lock that is going to make the next mortgage payment a tough one? No. The fact is, you need to determine what exactly it is you are paying for. If you get a smart lock, you are paying for the electronic elements but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is better than your standard high security lock.

Just because you have seen a commercial for it and it is said to be “The most trusted brand on the market” that doesn’t mean that it actually is. A brand may be everywhere you look, but it could be one of the worst locks on the market. The best thing to do is just get a lock that fits your needs, not just because you saw the commercial for that specific one.

You know these locks, right? They are the ones that you find on your front door usually. Getting a deadbolt is good for extra security. You can get a single sided or double sided deadbolt. If you have any glass or windows on your door, then it is a great idea to get a double sided one. However, you need to be aware that if you do get a double sided deadbolt it is time consuming to get out of the door and it won’t be a quick escape in an emergency situation.

I mean, you obviously don’t want your lock to be installed wrong, right? You can either install the lock yourself or enlist the help of a locksmith. If you decide that this is a task you can take on yourself, be sure to take all of the necessary measurements and understand the situation that you are about to undertake. If you are switching from one lock type to another, make sure you know everything you have to do in order to make the installation successful.

Like I mentioned earlier, shelling out loads of cash doesn’t always mean quality. It is important to do research on whatever lock you are deciding on. This helps you to have a better understanding of the product. Also, make sure that you aren’t buying more than you need. If only one portion of your lock is messed up and it can be replaced, purchase that instead rather than a whole new lock situation. Doing it yourself is also a great way to save capital; that is, if you know what you are doing!

Please make sure that you have a lock that is secure. If you have a lock so easy to pick that a spider can stick its leg in and open your door, you shopped wrong. The heaviness of a lock is a great indicator of its strength; the heavier the better.

This is one of the most important parts of any shopping. You need to make sure that you know about your lock and watching videos is a great idea. If the person in the video takes apart the lock and explains it, that’s even better! You can look up the name of the lock you want with the word gutted of gutting. This is a term used for taking apart locks and it can give you an idea about the quality of your lock. It is also a good idea to watch someone installing the lock to see if it is something you can do.

While you don’t have to pay an arm and a leg for a good lock, make sure that you also aren’t buying a dirt cheap lock either. It is important to spend a little for a good lock as that is going to be your security.

Don’t get a lock to practice picking and then put it on your door. You will only weaken the lock and put yourself in a tight spot.

Don’t buy a lock just because you saw an advertisement about it; of course they aren’t going to tell you the flaws of their own product! If you ask an employee at the store about the lock and they have to read the box to tell you about the lock, chances are you need to find a different lock or someone that knows a bit more about the one you want to go with.

We all know what a padlock is and if you don’t… Well, I’ll explain it simply. If you can open the lock and take it with you anywhere, like what you use to lock a suitcase, then you have a padlock. These are great padlocks locks but like with all of them, there are things you want to see and things you want to look out for.

If you are getting a padlock for your tool shed out back, don’t get a suitcase sized padlock. Make sure that you get all of your proper measurement before purchasing your pad lock

If your pad lock is super strong but your chain is old and rusty, chances are that padlock is going to do absolutely nothing for you. It is important that whatever you are securing your padlock to is just as strong as the lock itself.

If you are getting a padlock for your teenage daughter’s diary, it really doesn’t need to cost as much as you would need to keep you motorcycle secure. The prices for padlocks depend, but just know that the higher the price, the higher the quality… sometimes.

These can be recognized if you open the lock and look for circular grooves. The package that the lock comes in may also indicate if there are ball bearings. This is important because it helps to prevent shimming which can be used to bypass a padlock.

Hardened steel is also good for protecting against cutting your lock. It should be used not only in the lock body but the shackle as well.

Hardened steel is the bare minimum protection that you can get against drills. The idea is that this material will be harder than the drill bits and will ruin the drill rather than the lock.

When purchasing multiple padlocks, make sure that each and every one of them is different. If someone is able to find a weakness in one of your locks, they will be able to unlock everything and you will be left in a bad situation. Make sure that you get different padlocks for everything you need to lock.

Padlocks that are cheap are often a big indication that it isn’t a very good lock. Remember this when purchasing your padlock.

 You need to make sure you get a lock that fits the exact thing you want to secure. If you get one that can be used for anything, you are asking for trouble. You want to make sure that the lock fits securely and is neither too big nor too small.

Home Depot is a huge store and trying to find the locks that you need can be difficult as there can be multiple aisles for different locks. It might be a good idea to ask for help if you are looking for a specific brand or if you just want to know where the locks are to begin with.

We can’t help but stress that you do not get a Kwikset lock with a SmartKey cylinder as these locks are pretty easy to break into. Some good locks to choose from are Schlage, Baldwin, Mul-T-Lock, Evva, or Medeco. Medeco, Evva, and Mul-T-Lock are the better options but Shalage and Baldwin are more affordable.

Padlocks give you even less options for quality than door locks and the ones you will find at your local Home Depot are the problem. To get a padlock that will really help you, you need to get one that is between $75 and $100 and the ‘best ones’ at home depot are under $30.

If you purchased your lock from Home Depot, then they can cut the key for you too. They have different key styles or should I say images that they put on the keys. You can get M&M’s or something Else… see what I did there?

Some Home Depots have miscellaneous lock gear, but it isn’t that great as those things don’t really offer all that much extra protection. Save your money and your time by walking right past this section

Finding Answers

It can be rather difficult to find answers to your questions in Home Depot as you are more often than not more informed than the person working there. You should be very prepared in knowing what you want and if they know what you are talking about, you are in luck. If not… Well, good luck.

While the Home Depot can be a great spot for getting some things, it can prove to be a bad spot for picking up locks. It could be different depending on where you live, but if all else fails, just use the internet.