Locking someone out of the house is abuse when it is used to control a person who legally lives there. Here is when a lockout is illegal, what South Carolina law says about landlords, spouses and squatters, and when you can lawfully change the locks.
A deadbolt lock uses a solid bolt with no spring behind it. Here are the four common types, what ANSI/BHMA grades mean, whether deadbolts are universal in size, and when to replace one.
Most keypad door locks take four AA alkaline batteries behind the interior cover. Step by step battery replacement for Schlage, Kwikset and Yale, plus what to do when the lock is already dead.
A master key system lets one key open many doors. How master keying works, the four levels, real cost ranges, and when to skip it.
A physical access control system replaces keys with credentials and electronic locks. Here is how an access control system works, part by part.
A transponder key is a car key with a chip that answers your immobilizer. Learn what the transponder chip in a car key does and how to spot one.
A jamming lock usually comes down to a misaligned strike plate, grit in the cylinder, corrosion, or a worn key. Here is how to tell which one you have.
Step by step method for installing a deadbolt lock in a metal, steel clad, or hollow metal door, including bit selection, drill speed, and strike plate alignment.
A jammed door lock means a bound latch or a seized cylinder. How to open a jammed door lock from the outside, and how to fix a lock that sticks.
A panic bar on a door lets people exit fast in an emergency. How panic bars on doors work, which types fit which doors, code triggers, and installed cost.
