{"id":48748,"date":"2025-10-02T16:00:42","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T15:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ratedpeople.com\/blog\/?p=48748"},"modified":"2025-10-02T16:00:43","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T15:00:43","slug":"your-guide-to-the-types-of-door-locks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ratedpeople.com\/blog\/your-guide-to-the-types-of-door-locks","title":{"rendered":"Your guide to the types of door locks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Have you ever tried to describe a lock to a tradesperson and ended up feeling a bit lost? You\u2019re not alone. With so many different types of door locks, it\u2019s easy to get confused. But understanding the basics can make a world of difference when it comes to upgrading your home\u2019s security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;ll break down the difference between locks by explaining the three most common types found on UK doors: Mortice, Yale, and Cylinder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. Mortice locks: The lock in the door<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A mortice lock is a lock that is fitted inside a &#8220;pocket&#8221; or mortice, which is cut into the edge of a door. This makes it very secure as the main locking mechanism is completely concealed within the door itself. You&#8217;ll usually find these on older, traditional wooden doors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>How it works:<\/strong> You insert a mortice lock key (often a solid, chunky key) to turn a series of internal levers that move the locking bolt in and out of the door frame.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Common uses:<\/strong> External and internal wooden doors.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Security:<\/strong> Mortice locks are known for their high security. For an insurance-approved lock, look for one that is 5-lever and features the British Standard Kitemark (BS3621) on the faceplate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Yale locks: The lock on the door<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The term &#8220;Yale lock&#8221; is often used as a generic name for a &#8220;night latch.&#8221; While Yale is a well-known brand, many companies make this type of lock. A night latch is mounted on the inner surface of the door and automatically locks when the door closes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>How it works:<\/strong> It uses a spring-loaded latch that you can open from the outside with a key and from the inside with a knob. Some yale lock types also feature an auto-deadlocking mechanism for extra security.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Common uses:<\/strong> As a secondary lock on front doors, often alongside a mortice lock.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Security:<\/strong> A standard night latch on its own may not meet insurance requirements. Always check for a British Standard model (BS3621) if it&#8217;s the only lock on the door.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. Cylinder locks: The heart of the lock<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A cylinder lock, or Euro cylinder, is the barrel-shaped part of a lock that your key goes into. It\u2019s the component that you might replace on its own, without changing the entire locking mechanism. You can find cylinder locks used with both mortice locks and multi-point locking systems on uPVC and composite doors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>What is a cylinder lock?<\/strong> It&#8217;s a self-contained unit that houses the keyway and pin mechanism. It allows a door to be locked and unlocked from both sides.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Security:<\/strong> In recent years, cylinder locks have become the target of lock snapping. To protect your home, always choose a high-security cylinder that is anti-snap, anti-pick, and anti-drill. Look for a 3-star rating on the lock itself.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Mortice lock vs yale Lock vs cylinder: A simple comparison<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Lock type<\/strong><\/td><td>Mortice Lock<\/td><td>Yale Lock (Night Latch)<\/td><td>Cylinder Lock<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Installation<\/strong><\/td><td>Fitted inside the door<\/td><td>Mounted on the door\u2019s surface<\/td><td>Inserted into the lock body or multi-point system<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Key Type<\/strong><\/td><td>Often a solid, skeleton-like key<\/td><td>Flat, serrated key<\/td><td>Flat, serrated key<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Best For<\/strong><\/td><td>Primary lock on external doors<\/td><td>Secondary security on external doors<\/td><td>uPVC and composite doors, or as part of a mortice lock<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Security<\/strong><\/td><td>Highly secure, especially 5-lever BS3621 models<\/td><td>Convenient but often less secure on its own<\/td><td>Highly secure with an anti-snap rating<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>When to call a professional locksmith<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This quick guide is a great start, but when it comes to your home&#8217;s security, professional advice is invaluable. If you\u2019re considering an upgrade, or you\u2019re unsure if your locks meet your insurance requirements, it\u2019s always best to consult a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ratedpeople.com\/local-locksmiths\">trusted locksmith<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They can assess your home&#8217;s specific needs, recommend the best types of door locks, and ensure the installation is done correctly for maximum security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Ready to get started? With Rated People, you have the power to get it done.<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ratedpeople.com\/\"><em> <\/em><em>Find a trusted, local tradesperson today<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever tried to describe a lock to a tradesperson and ended up feeling a bit lost? You\u2019re not alone. With so many different types of door locks, it\u2019s easy to get confused. But understanding the basics can make a world of difference when it comes to upgrading your home\u2019s security. We&#8217;ll break down &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":86,"featured_media":48750,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3050],"tags":[3116,3064],"class_list":["post-48748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ask-an-expert","tag-advice-feature","tag-locksmith"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A guide to Mortice, Yale, and Cylinder locks | Rated People<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Unsure about different types of door locks? We&#039;ll explain the mortice lock vs yale lock debate and answer the age-old question: what is a cylinder lock?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ratedpeople.com\/blog\/your-guide-to-the-types-of-door-locks\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A guide to Mortice, Yale, and Cylinder locks | Rated People\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Unsure about different types of door locks? We&#039;ll explain the mortice lock vs yale lock debate and answer the age-old question: what is a cylinder lock?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ratedpeople.com\/blog\/your-guide-to-the-types-of-door-locks\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Rated People Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ratedpeople\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-02T15:00:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-02T15:00:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/content.ratedpeople.com\/assets\/2025\/10\/Gemini-Generated-Image-9jf2uw9jf2uw9jf2.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Hermione Wright\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Hermione Wright\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ratedpeople.com\\\/blog\\\/your-guide-to-the-types-of-door-locks#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ratedpeople.com\\\/blog\\\/your-guide-to-the-types-of-door-locks\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Hermione Wright\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ratedpeople.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/a03093a9fe4fea72d07157f936af1ede\"},\"headline\":\"Your guide to the types of door locks\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-02T15:00:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-02T15:00:43+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ratedpeople.com\\\/blog\\\/your-guide-to-the-types-of-door-locks\"},\"wordCount\":668,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ratedpeople.com\\\/blog\\\/your-guide-to-the-types-of-door-locks#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/content.ratedpeople.com\\\/assets\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Gemini-Generated-Image-9jf2uw9jf2uw9jf2.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Advice feature\",\"locksmith\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Ask an expert\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ratedpeople.com\\\/blog\\\/your-guide-to-the-types-of-door-locks#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ratedpeople.com\\\/blog\\\/your-guide-to-the-types-of-door-locks\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ratedpeople.com\\\/blog\\\/your-guide-to-the-types-of-door-locks\",\"name\":\"A guide to Mortice, Yale, and Cylinder locks | Rated People\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ratedpeople.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ratedpeople.com\\\/blog\\\/your-guide-to-the-types-of-door-locks#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ratedpeople.com\\\/blog\\\/your-guide-to-the-types-of-door-locks#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/content.ratedpeople.com\\\/assets\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Gemini-Generated-Image-9jf2uw9jf2uw9jf2.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-02T15:00:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-02T15:00:43+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ratedpeople.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/a03093a9fe4fea72d07157f936af1ede\"},\"description\":\"Unsure about different types of door locks? 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