Door latches

dander

Hi there,

Could someone talk me through door latches please. I need to get new "insides" for an interior door and I'm utterly bamboozled by all the vocab that I'm finding on the Screwfix website :eek:.

Mortice locks, sash locks, 3 lever, 5 lever etc etc. I don't understand a word of it. Can anyone tell me what I actually need, please? And they all come in different sizes - which bit of the door do I need to measure to figure out which size I need?

I need it for the kitchen door with a normal door knob and a keyhole, so, I want the lock and the key to be there for appearances, but it doesn't actually serve any security purpose.

Thanks!

Ebe_Scrooge

Difficult to say without seeing your particular door, but in general .....

1. I suspect a mortice lock is what you need - this is the most common sort of lock, where you have a "bolt" that shoots into a "hole" ( for want of a better explanation ! )
2. The "levers" refer to the complexity of the lock - a 5-lever lock is harder to pick, and therefore more secure, than a 3-lever lock. An important consideration on external doors, particularly with regards to insurance ( most companies prefer or insist on a 5-lever lock ).
3. Size - usually something like 2 or 3 inches, this is the length from the spindle ( where the handle goes through ) to the edge of the door ( where you can see the latch ). Not important as such, just make sure you buy the same size as you've already got to save cutting any more holes.

Do you really need a lock, or will just a latch be OK ?

Places like B&Q may be easier to buy from, rather than online - for standard fittings, they have quite a large range, and you can take your old one in to compare against what you're buying.

Not a very precise answer, I'm afraid, but hopefully it will be of some help :-)

leveller2911

dander wrote: »

Hi there,

Could someone talk me through door latches please. I need to get new "insides" for an interior door and I'm utterly bamboozled by all the vocab that I'm finding on the Screwfix website :eek:.

Mortice locks, sash locks, 3 lever, 5 lever etc etc. I don't understand a word of it. Can anyone tell me what I actually need, please? And they all come in different sizes - which bit of the door do I need to measure to figure out which size I need?

I need it for the kitchen door with a normal door knob and a keyhole, so, I want the lock and the key to be there for appearances, but it doesn't actually serve any security purpose.

Thanks!

Hi OP, If the Kitchen door is an interior (between kitchen and hall)door you don't need a 5 lever lock but if its an exterior door you do need a BS 5 lever lock.

Mortice lock:http://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/Products/Locks_Latches_and_Security/Mortice_Locks_and_Latches/1268/Legge_Economy_5_Lever_Sashlock_BS36212007

If its an interior door does the lock fix on one side of the door rather than morticed(housed) into the edge of the door? is its fixed on one side of the door its called a Rim lock these always have knobs rather than lever handles.

Rim Lock :http://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/Products/Locks_Latches_and_Security/Rim_Locks_and_Latches

If its morticed into the edge of the door then then its a mortice lock/latch set. Given that you want door knobs you must get a lock which has a 56 mm backset , this is the distance from the edge of the door to the centre of the key hole /handle hole. You will need at least 56 mm backset lock because if you get the 44 mm backset lock you will hit your knuckles on the door stops everytime you open/close the door.


A mortice latch is :http://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/Products/Locks_Latches_and_Security/Mortice_Locks_and_Latches/877/Heavy_Duty_Architectural_Tubular_Latch_Brass_and_Satin_Chrome/469983


Mortice latches just has handles/Knobs....


As stated previously 5 lever locks are more secure but some are not British Standard so be careful to get a BS3621 approved lock, if indeed thats what your looking for...

ormus

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/46145/Security/Mortice-Locks/Bathroom-Locks/Sterling-65mm-Bathroom-Mortice-Lock-Brass-2-?cm_mmc=GoogleBase-_-Datafeed-_-Security-_-Sterling%2065mm%20Bathroom%20Mortice%20Lock%20Brass%202%22

for an interior door (with a lock) you probably need one of these or similar.
they come in different sizes.

dander

Thanks ever so much - those are both really useful posts. Looks like what I'm going to need is about the most expensive latch that site sells! Typical. Looks like it's the horizontal latch I'm after. It's just the door between my hall and my kitchen and one of the bedrooms, so I think I can safely ignore how many levers are involved:beer:

Rounds of the DIY shops this weekend for me then, clutching an old rusty lock