Double-Sided Deadbolts - A love story

            

Double-sided locks (locks that need a key to operate both inside and out) are often installed near doors with glass windows, or nearby glass panels. 

Laws in Ontario regarding double-sided locks in commercial or public structures are unambiguous.  They simply aren’t allowed by the Ontario Building and Fire code. 

Residential codes on the other hand, are rather more loosely interpreted by different insurance companies. 

Some insurance companies, after a home inspection of a recently purchased house, will stipulate that all double-cylinder deadbolts be removed and replaced with single-cylinder deadbolts only.  Other adjusters don’t seem to care, and seem more concerned with having spring-locking, night-latch, style rim locks removed and deadbolt style rim locks, or cylinder deadbolts installed in their place.

High Park Lock carries these bolt-style, non-spring actuated rim locks, or you can get them from your local hardware store.  In most cases, this will require a special order.  They differ from a night latch, by having a rectangular block shaped bolt, instead of a wedge shaped, spring latch.  This is often a relatively simple do-it-yourself retrofit project, or we can do it for you.

The theoretical advantages of double-sided locks for the homeowner, is that if a small pane of glass is broken, cut, or otherwise removed, the burglar can simply reach within the opening and unlock the thumb-turn from the outside.

Additionally, if the burglar happened to enter the premises from, lets say, a basement window, and then encounters doors locked from the inside with double-sided locks, he will be forced to exit the premises the same way he came in.  He may then be forced to leave certain valuables, large screen televisions, for example, behind.

The disadvantages come under the heading of Life Safety.  If a key is required to exit a structure in a fire or other emergency, valuable seconds may be lost if the key is not readily at hand. 

For some insurers, this is a no-brainer.  The potential payout on a fire claim that includes a fatalities or serious injuries will be vastly more expensive than any potential savings from any theoretical burglary deterrence.

My vote, is for single sided locks, that can be opened by all family members, quickly and easily at all times.