Adams Rite Hookbolts won’t work if there’s nothing to hook into. – Seattle's Maple Leaf Locksmith LLC – (206)335-4559

Adams Rite Hookbolts won’t work if there’s nothing to hook into.

Here is a picture of a lock that was bypassed by levering the door away from the frame far enough that the hookbolt was no longer engaged. This is due to faulty installation.
Here is a picture of a lock that was bypassed by levering the door away from the frame far enough that the hookbolt was no longer engaged. This is due to faulty installation.

I just got paid $1800 to rekey a building in the University District because their master key was compromised. There are a few lessons to learn from this.

  1. exercise appropriate key control. Lock keys up in a really secure location that can’t be accessed by brute strength, and maybe don’t leave master keys on site.
  2.  make sure that your locks are installed correctly.
    The thieves in this instance pried the front door away from the frame until the adams rite hookbolt was no longer holding the door shut. Aluminum is a soft metal and can be flexed fairly easily. This wouldn’t have happened if whoever installed this lock had read the instructions first. If they had, the lock would have hooked into the doorframe and would’ve required far more strength to pry open. To prevent this happening on an aluminum and glass door, one of the following should be done:
  • Install an astragal that covers the gap so that it can’t be pried
  • Install a latch protector with a anti-spreader pin or two. This pin goes into a hole in the door frame and prevents the door from being pried away from the frame
  • Install a hookbolt that hooks into the frame

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Bjørn Madsen

I am the Seattle locksmith you've been looking for. High Quality work at a reasonable price delivered in a timely fashion.