The cylinder lock, also known as the lock body is the component of a door where the key is inserted. When the key is placed into the cylinder, the internal spring-loaded pins are engaged aligning with the shear line allowing the cylinder to turn and rotate the cam which drives the lock, usually a deadbolt.
Cylinders are easy to install and only require basic household tools. A new cylinder can be fitted to your door in a matter of minutes keeping your house safe & secure from wannabe thieves.
Cylinder locks add a layer of protection to a door which is crucial to keeping both domestic and commercial buildings secure. There is a number of different types of cylinder locks with a variety of features that increase the security of the cylinder.
A euro profile cylinder is shaped similarly to a scaled up key hole. They are used with a mortice lock case with a hole of the same shape and size. The euro cylinder is the most commonly found shape. You will also need to take note of this when purchasing door handles.
As the name suggests an oval cylinder is shaped like an oval and can be used with a mortice lock case with an oval hole. As with Euro cylinders you will need to ensure the cylinder will fit into your door handle.
Anti-drill cylinders prevent a thief from gaining access to a door by drilling into the keyhole and drilling through the internal mechanism allowing the lock to be turned with a flat tool.
To prevent this some cylinders contain ceramic plates, steel pins and a steel cylinder to defend against drilling.
Lock picking is something that most people will be familiar with due to television and film. It is one of the most effective and quietest ways to gain entry to a locked door.
An experienced thief can gain entry to a locked door within seconds by manipulating the pins within the lock barrel.
Anti-pick cylinders are manufactured in a way that makes it next to impossible to be picked. One method is where the top half of the pin stack can be ridged which makes it harder to guess when the pin is at the correct place. Alternatively, the top section of a pin can be shaped like a mushroom, or have an indent that makes contact when it’s being picked. This gives the thief the impression that the pin is in the correct position.
Lock snapping is a technique that thieves use to gain entry to your home by applying pressure to the cylinder and pushing down on it breaking the lock and exposing the internal mechanism.
Anti-snap cylinders have break or snap lines which prevents the crucial components of a locking cylinder being exposed when a thief attempts to break the lock.
The snap lines mean that the cylinder will not break where the cam opening is, ensuring that the cam cannot be operated after the attack.
Bumping a cylinder is the process where a thief uses a special key made up of numerous ridges of the short length and then bumps it, forcing the pins to jump above the shear line allowing the cylinder to be turned and the lock to open.
Anti-bump cylinders have more pins and keys that are made specially. The cylinder will have shallower pin stacks which prevents the pins from jumping up.
Euro & oval cylinders come in a variety of sizes meaning there will be on for your door. To ensure you have the best cylinder lock you need to ensure you take the correct measurements. Then you’ll need to know if you will need extra features such as anti-drill, anti-pick, anti-snap and anti-bump.
You might also want a cylinder with a turn on the inside, this is known as a key and turn cylinder, this means that you won’t need to use the key on that side of the door. This can be a really handy feature on the entrance door of a home. It allows the user to open the door quickly without the need to locate the cylinder key in an emergency.
Some of the best cylinders on the market are:
ASEC Vital 6 Pin Double Euro Cylinder
ERA 6-Pin Euro Double Cylinder
CISA Astral Euro Double Cylinder
EVVA A5 Snap Resistant Euro Double Cylinder
ASEC Kite Elite 3 Star Snap Resistant Euro Key & Turn Cylinder
A single cylinder is used on doors that only require locking from one side. They’re suited to cupboards or storage rooms where the door only needs to be locked externally.
On the other hand double cylinders are used when a door requires locking from both sides, for example in an entrance UPVC door to a home. This allows the user to lock them from both the outside when they leave and from the inside when they’re inside.
