Composite door locking mechanism.

Daniel86

Hi, we've just had a new composite door fitted and are quite disappointed with the locking mechanism, in order to lock the door so someone on the outside can't just open it with the handle, you need to lock it with the key. So the door basically needs to be locked with the key all the time even when you're indoors, unless you want it left open.
This seem's very strange to me, every other front door I've ever had locked by just closing it, with an extra latch or something for a stronger lock, then to open it from the inside you would just use the latch or handle(could also use the deadbolt if you wanted), but outside you couldn't do that.
We could just leave a key in it permanently, but then you can't open it from the outside if one of you is in and the other is out.
Worst case scenario, you have a fire in the house and you have to go around looking for your keys to open the front door... seem's like a terrible design to me.
Is this normal?
Surely it would be much better if just lifting the handle from the inside was enough to lock it on the outside.

onomatopoeia99

There are lots of options these days. The most common is for it to work like what I always called a Yale lock, where when closed where it latches shut and from the inside you can operate a lever (on the traditional locks on wooden doors) or the handle or a thumb turn on new doors to open it and the outside needs a key, then from either the inside or the outside you can turn the key a full rotation to extend the extra locks into the frame.

That's not the only way though doors can be set up though. Mine is set so when you shut the door it does not lock, so you always need the key to lock it. I specifically ordered it like that, I don't want to lock myself outside with the key inside (always seemed barking mad to have a door configured to do that). I had to specifically ask for that though, I didn't get it by default and talking to a colleague who got a composite door a couple of years ago, his works in the way you want yours to.

When I'm inside, I leave the key in the lock, so in the event of a fire I always know exactly where it is. However, all my ground floor windows open sufficiently to allow a person to escape, so I have multiple escape routes (some actual foresight by the previous owners who bodged everything else in the entire house!) If you're concerned about fires, put a key hook adjacent to the door with a spare key on it that always lives there so it doesn't matter where you put yours when you get home.

I'm extremely surprised all this wasn't discussed with you when you ordered, normally door companies want to upsell as many options as they possibly can and the locking mechanism presents them with a big opportunity to do just that.

cbsexec

We had a door fitted and I thought that I had to lock it with the key from the inside (and thought what a stupid idea!) Then I discovered that I could lock it from the inside by lifting the door handle twice so it clicked (iyswim)


I did feel stupid !! Dont know if that applies to your door tho.

Daniel86

Unfortunately this wasn't explained to us before fitting, the salesmen basically said all the doors in the brochure are the same price, and there are some that don't have a handle on the outside, so probably would have suited us a lot better.
@cbsexec I just ran downstairs excitedly to try that but unfortunately doesn't work on my door.

Oxid8uk

Daniel86 wrote: »

Hi, we've just had a new composite door fitted and are quite disappointed with the locking mechanism, in order to lock the door so someone on the outside can't just open it with the handle, you need to lock it with the key. So the door basically needs to be locked with the key all the time even when you're indoors, unless you want it left open.
This seem's very strange to me, every other front door I've ever had locked by just closing it, with an extra latch or something for a stronger lock, then to open it from the inside you would just use the latch or handle(could also use the deadbolt if you wanted), but outside you couldn't do that.
We could just leave a key in it permanently, but then you can't open it from the outside if one of you is in and the other is out.
Worst case scenario, you have a fire in the house and you have to go around looking for your keys to open the front door... seem's like a terrible design to me.
Is this normal?
Surely it would be much better if just lifting the handle from the inside was enough to lock it on the outside.

Sounds pretty common to me. All doors I've had you need to lock with a key to stop someone from just opening it from the outside.

Hang on - I tell a lie. I once had a door that would lock when you closed the door so someone from the outside couldn't get in but you didn't need to lock it from the inside. I hated it as I wasn't used to it and a number times very nearly got locked out. Wasn't long until I had the door changed and got a door that would always need locking with a key.

If only one of us is home we just lock the door and take the key out so the other can still get in, and keep the key near the door in case we need to get out in an emergency.

Rodders53

In my experience, the handles come with two mechanisms on the spindles and they are easily swapped by the installers. Go back to them to ask for this (or at least the parts to do so yourself).

One allows the door to be shut and only the internal handle is operative. From outside the key is needed to open again. Easy to lock yourself out though!

It's called a 'split spindle' iirc. (Google or Bing will tell you more).

The other allows both handles to open.

Additionally the multipoint mechanism (lift handle) locks the door properly.

For fire safety a thumb turn lock inside is sometimes recommended.