Thinking about which lock to install in your door to maximize the security of your premises? Think no further. Here’s Key4Freedom’s guide to everything you need to know about euro locks.
What exactly are euro locks?
Euro profile cyclinders, or euro locks as they’re commonly known, consist of a single cylindrical mechanism that can be easily fitted into the door. Euro locks require a specially designed unique key structure to lock or unlock the door. Euro locks are appreciated due to their simple, yet effective structure.
The easy-to-install nature of the euro locks makes them ideal for UPVC doors and commercial establishments where the owners may require frequent rekeying. Euro locks allow the cylinder to be easily unscrewed and replaced without changing the boltwork hardware.
How do they function?
Euro locks commonly utilize the pin tumbler mechanism to lock or unlock the door. Inside the lock are pins of various sizes which need to align in order to unlock the door. And only the right kind of key can properly align those pins to do that.
Which doors are the euro locks suitable for?
One of the major advantages of using a euro lock is that it can be installed on many kinds of doors. Whereas other locks like the mortice locks and night latches can only be installed on wooden doors, the euro cylinder locks can be used in both the wooden and UPVC door.
If you want to ensure maximum security on external wooden doors, you need to install the euro locks in combination with a mortice case or a multi-locking system.
The single euro lock is also commonly used to secure shutters. For instance, the shutters for commercial establishments and garages rely on single euro locks for security.
Lock snapping and anti-snap locks
One of the potential weaknesses of the traditional euro lock is that they can be easily violated by snapping the cylinder into two. And this does not even require a particularly skilled person with specialist tools. Anyone can walk up to the door and grab the protruding end of the lock with a common tool to snap it. It is a common practice in burglary and one that requires your utmost attention.
Fortunately, anti-snapping euro locks are available. Even if the burglar is able to snap one half of the lock, the other half remains firmly in place and the door remains securely shut. Good quality euro locks contain a stainless steel anti-drill protection to prevent burglars from drilling a hole into the remaining lock inside.
An easier way to prevent lock snapping is to hire a professional locksmith. The lock must always be in level with the surface of the door and should not protrude out. And this can only be done by a skilled locksmith. Expert installation leaves no space for the burglar to hold on to in order to snap the lock.
Advantages of euro locks
- They are extremely easy to install and remove. The cylinder can be changed without any alteration in the bolt work hardware. All you need to do is to loosen a screw and slide the cylinder from the bolt work.
- The anti-snap varieties allow the door to be unlocked from the inside even when the other half of the lock is removed by a burglar.