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This article discussing whether you should always need a key to open a front door is written by Lock Guy, a professional locksmith based in Essex.
Having seen all types of front door lock set ups, you can broadly categorise them into two types:
1. Front doors that can only be opened with a key.
2. Front doors that can simply be opened with a handle if the door is not double locked.
This article explores which set-up is correct along with the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.
Wooden doors tend to be fitted with a nightlatch. Most of these automatically lock when the door is closed meaning that the key is needed to open it again.
The exception is the Rollerbolt nightlatch that does require a key to lock the door otherwise it can just be pushed open.
However, uPVC and composite doors tend to have multi-point locking mechanisms. There are many different types with different operations. Some are of the ‘slam-shut’ variety and work in a similar way to the traditional nightlatch in that when the door closes it is automatically locked. Others have a design whereby when the door closes, the latch keeps the door closed and the external handle does not operate the latch, so this keeps the door shut unless you have a key to retract the latch. Or the other option is that the internal and external handle work simultaneously meaning that if the door is not locked, then it can just be opened via the handle (like a normal internal door).
Put simply, this is a more secure door.
Whether you are in the home, or out of the home, if you forget to lock the door, then no one can simply pull down the handle and walk in off the street and enter your home.
You do not need to remember to lock your door (although of course it is a good idea to always double-lock your door).
The problem with this arrangement is that if you forget your key and you close your door then you might well end up getting locked out of your property. In which case you will need to contact a locksmith to gain entry which costs money not to mention the inconvenience of being locked out.
The gearbox locking mechanism fitted in your door will dictate the locking operation. If there is a single solid metal bar (spindle) going through the external handle, through the door and through the internal handle, then this means that you will not need a key to enter an unlocked door.
To have the set-up whereby you need a key to open the door from the outside, then you would either need to have a gearbox that accepts a split spindle or twin spindles.
If there is only one follower in the gearbox and it is made out of a solid one-piece component, then you will not be able to have a door that only open with a key from the outside. In this situation, you would need to change the gearbox/mechanism.
So there are three ways to change the operation of the set-up to enable or disable the capability to open the door from the outside only with a key:
1. Change the spindle
2. Change the handles
3. Change the gearbox
For further information about multi-point mechanisms, read my article on Multi-point locking mechanisms.
In the end there is no right or wrong answer as to whether you should always need a key to open your front door – it is down to the preference of the individual.
As a professional locksmith, Lock Guy’s advice would be to always have the most secure set-up which means needing a key to open the front door.
Although, interestingly, on new build developments, homes nowadays always seem to have a set-up whereby the door can be opened from the outside without a key meaning that you always have to remember to lock the door to secure it.
For further information or if you want to change the set-up of your handle configuration in Witham, Maldon or across Essex, then contact Lock Guy.
Got a question about a lock issue you may have? Why not have a look at the FAQ page or one of the helpful advice videos on the Media page.