Types of Sliding Door Locks

Sliding doors are a great way to provide a multi-functional access point to a building, as they are generally aesthetically pleasing and let in a lot of natural light. However, they can be a security weak point if not secured correctly. In order to make your customer’s property as secure as possible, we’ve gathered the most popular types of sliding door locks, and their pros and cons.

Mortice Locks

Mortice locks are some of the most popular types of lock available. This type of lock requires a pocket to be cut into the edge of the door frame. Mortice locks generally come with a handle too, which makes them easy to use.

You can get Mortice locks in both keyless and key-required models, the key-required model is more expensive, but it does increase how secure the lock is.

Double Bolt Locks

As their name suggests, double bolt locks are incredibly secure. They are also pretty easy to install on the majority of sliding doors. These locks work by preventing the door from being removed from the track. You can only open these types of locks from the inside, which also adds into the level of security it provides.

Smart Locks

Smart locks are becoming rapidly more popular, as smart devices such as voice assistant devices and smartphones are becoming more connected. These types of locks can be opened with a phone app or other smart devices. However, they are more complicated to install and repair than a normal ‘dumb’ lock. They can also misbehave if the internet connection is spotty. These locks are generally a lot more expensive too.

Doors without Integrated Locks

Many sliding doors nowadays do not come with locking systems which are integrated into the door. This obviously increases the security risk, however there are interim solutions that can be implemented. Your customer could invest in a security bar, which can be used to stop the door from sliding open. Security bars often are adjustable, so they can fit your customer’s door frame correctly.

Buy from Häfele

At Häfele, we have a wide range of locking systems for folding and sliding doors. We also offer our Sliding Door Specification Service to our customers, which can help you specify the best solution for your project.