Do you need a lock installed in an aluminum door? Did the fire marshall demand that a door have panic hardware installed? Maybe you’ve suffered a break-in and want a second lock installed on your door to make it harder next time? Whatever the case, Maple Leaf Locksmith is here to install your lock. It can be done.A router, an aluminum bit and some pluck is all it takes and a few hours later a new lock is installed. It is really loud, you might want to schedule this for a day when people won’t be there. These are made by many manufacturers although most well-known is Adams Rite. Most hardware I install in these doors is Adams Rite.
The cost to fresh install a deadbolt or hookbolt in an aluminum door is $700 or more depending on hardware. Total cost depends on if you want double cylinder or single cylinder with a thumbturn, or maybe a lever or panic bar on the inside. Other variables are if you need an exit indicator as required by the fire marshall in certain situations or high security lock cylinders.
There are four different mechanical lock styles for aluminum storefront doors:
- Deadlatch – this automatically locks each time the door shuts. It’s compatible with a lever or a pushbar. There is a holdback feature on deadlatches that allows them to stay unlocked making them ideal for an office setting. Open during the day, leave it locked at night. They are the least secure of locks for aluminum doors.
- Deadbolt – Also called a swingbolt, this is more secure than a deadlatch for a few reasons. The bolt extends farther into the doorframe than a deadlatch. Aluminum is more flexible than wood or steel so the extension is important. Somebody with a crowbar can bend the aluminum door far enough to clear the deadlatch but it is quite a lot of work to do this for a deadbolt. These are compatible with special types of levers and also thumbturns. Some choose to have a lock cylinder on both sides of the door for the greatest amount of control. Only those with a working key can lock or unlock the door from either side.
- Hookbolt – These are functionally the same as a deadbolt but come in the shape of a hook which makes them arguably the most secure option. They actually hook into the doorframe they extend into. If one tries to pry the door away from the frame it will catch the doorframe and resist prying where the other options won’t.
- Pushbar – There are several different panic bars for narrow stile aluminum doors. One works with deadlatches as discussed above, so it’s called a mortise exit device. Rim mount narrow stile exit devices are push bars that are bolted to the surface of the door. They can either have a pullman latch, vertical rods or a starwheel device. The pullman latch is possible to pry because of the inherent flexibility of aluminum. Vertical rods are difficult to configure correctly and require many return visits though they do offer a nice solution to double door installations. If the vertical rods don’t go into both floor and ceiling they may not be very secure. When installed on a flexible door and only going into the ceiling for example the door can be yanked open with some force.
A broad brush was used to list these categories and there are many more options than this brief outline including electronic locks like the Alarm Lock DL1300. I should probably touch on electronic options actually before closing this out; the two electronic options are panic bar trim and mortise. The electronic locks for these doors are somewhat modular in that when activated they will interact with the lock, they aren’t the lock themselves. They can be used on the exterior of the door with all of the previously mentioned options though deadlatches and panic bars are the most common because they lock each time the door shuts. Numerical codes or fobs can be used with these locks.
A deadbolt or hookbolt is much more secure than a deadlatch against forced entry. Occasionally I am asked to install these above a deadlatch. This way at night the door can be locked much more effectively to prevent the door from being pried away from the door frame. The difference is the throw, or how far the lock extends into the doorframe. A deadlatch might only extend 5/8″. A deadbolt will extend 1 and 3/8″! A hookbolt is specifically designed to hook into the doorframe in case of a prybar attack.
Prying the door away from the doorframe is a common method of breaking into aluminum storefront doors because they are by design flexible. The frames on these doors can be bent inches without breaking the glass. Sometimes deadlatches are necessary because of fire codes and the circumstances of the building. In these situations an interlocking astragal covers all space between the door and frame so there isn’t anywhere to insert a prying device.
Latch protectors don’t necessarily prevent this. Some of them do have anti-spread pins to prevent this but most aren’t designed for use with adams rite locks. They are okay for hollow steel or wood doors but they can be pried back before then prying the door open.
Another common break-in technique for narrow stile doors is to grab the lock cylinder and twist it out with a large wrench. This can be prevented with special cylinders and accessories for removable cores or with a hardened taper collar. I install these without asking, they need to be considered standard hardware in Seattle anymore.
In the event electronic access control is needed on a narrow stile door a few options are possible. An Alarm Lock narrow stile model can be installed with an Adams Rite deadlatch or deadbolt.
Let me know what your needs are and I can probably help. Adding locks, replacing locks, fixing and replacing hinges, fixing and replacing door closers both concealed and surface mount are all within my purview.