The door made of plastic is quite popular. And it is used not only as a balcony, but can also be an entrance or interior. Therefore, a castle is necessary. But before you buy a locking mechanism, you need to know what types of locks are and whether they should be mounted on a particular PVC door.
Features of locks for plastic doors
First of all, it is worth noting that the lock for the entrance plastic door is different from the lock installed on the balcony or interior door made of PVC. And these differences are quite significant. In addition, the lock, which is embedded in metal or wooden doors, is in no way suitable for PVC sheets.
The whole nuance is the design of the plastic web. The basis of such a door is a double-glazed window and a sandwich panel. In fact, the structure is similar to the usual plastic windows, only less glazed (although this option is also present) and more massive.
The lock on the plastic door has certain dimensions that correspond to the width of the profile. Usually, mortise locking mechanisms are used. But if necessary, you can install and invoices.
Lock classification
As mentioned earlier, locks can be:
- overhead, that is mounted on the surface of the door;
- mortise, respectively, are installed inside the door leaf.
According to the material, the mechanisms are:
By the number of locking points the door lock for a plastic door can be:
- Single locking It has only one locking point in the middle. As a result, the door does not fit snugly and does not provide reliable protection.
- A multi-latch lock on a plastic door has two or more points of contact with the box. Such a mechanism is more reliable.
Locks are also divided into the following types:
- leverage;
- cylinder;
- electronic;
- electromagnetic;
- electromechanical.
Consider the types of locking mechanisms in more detail.
Level castle
This type of lock is rarely installed on a plastic door. It is more suitable for wooden or metal doors. The locking mechanism itself is opened with a key.
The level lock is a plate with rectangular teeth. They allow the plates to line up in the right order, which is unique to each product.
The main advantages of such a castle are its low price and prevalence. The main disadvantage is low resistance to hacking. It is also worth noting that if the key is lost, only part of the lock will not be replaced. That is, the whole mechanism will have to be completely changed.
Cylinder lock
This type of mortise lock for a plastic door is also used infrequently. First of all, it is intended for installation on metal and wooden doors.
The base is a lock cylinder for a plastic door and cylindrical pins. You can open such a lock using a key with slots on the working part. When the key is rotated, the pins are in the desired combination, and the lock opens.
If the key to such a lock is lost, then the entire mechanism does not need to be changed. Only the larva changes.
Electronic lock type
A new type of castle that has appeared on the market relatively recently. To open such a lock, use a remote control, key fob, electronic card or chip.
Such a lock is usually installed on a plastic door when designing a private house.
The main advantage of this mechanism is its ease of use. It is believed that such locking devices are quite reliable. But at the time of a power outage, the door will become an insurmountable barrier.
A distinctive moment is the ability to transfer information to the computer about the number of visits. Such systems are still used in large companies and factories, which makes it possible to find out which employee came and went what time.
Electromechanical lock
This type of lock has several types of protection. Most often it is electronic protection and a latch. The lock device provides for crossbars. But you can open it with the help of a key or by using an electronic device (key fob, card, etc.).
An electromechanical lock on a plastic door is quite expensive. And yet, it is much more reliable than conventional electronic or mechanical locks. Such locks are often used in banks and various vaults.
Electromagnetic lock
The difference between electromagnetic and electromechanical locks is not large. Instead of crossbars, the mechanism is equipped with special magnets. Such a lock will only work if there is power.
The mechanism tightly fixes the door in the closed state, the holding force can be up to 1 ton. An important advantage should be called the fact that, having no mechanical parts, the lock almost does not wear out. It is most convenient to open the locking device using a keychain.
Lock on the balcony door
The balcony door is different in design from other plastic canvases. Such a door is multifunctional: ventilation mode, opening, fixing the position. Accordingly, the lock on the balcony plastic door should be equipped with a handle.
In fact, the balcony door does not perform the security function. Therefore, most often use a latch handle. The price of a lock on a plastic door with a handle is not large, but the degree of reliability is also low.
Latch handles can also be equipped with additional electronic or magnetic devices.
How to choose a lock, what to look for when buying?
The choice of a plastic door lock depends on several factors. First of all, this is the size of the castle. It depends on the type of door, and where it will be installed. The next factor - a single-locking or multi-locking mechanism is needed.
The first is installed when the doors are placed indoors. That is, there are no temperature differences and protection from hacking is not needed. If the closer is not installed, it is better to give preference to a door with a halyard latch with an additional pushing device.
If there is a closer, a latch with a roller mechanism is selected. In this case, the push handle is not needed, it is quite ordinary. That is, the door is fixed thanks to the closer, and not the roller.
If a plastic door is located between a warm room and a cold street (that is, it performs the functions of an external one), then it is better to use a multi-lock. He will press the door leaf at several points, which will avoid drafts and freezing of ice in the winter.
In general, when buying locks, you need to pay attention not only to the appearance, but also to other qualities. When choosing lever locks, you need to consider the material, the number of levers and the burglary resistance class. In cylindrical mechanisms, protection, material and tamper resistance as well as functionality are also important.
When choosing an electromechanical lock, its features are taken into account. For example, are there hidden elements and their location. They help protect the device from hacking. Appearance, reliability and material of manufacture are also important. When buying electromagnetic locks, you need to pay attention to the build quality of the mechanism and its materials.
If the choice fell on a multi-locking lock, pay attention to the number of elements, quality and material. For the latch handles, the appearance and the absence of any inconvenience when pressing the handle is important.
Installing a lock on a plastic door
It is worth noting that installing an ordinary lock or latch is not difficult. In addition to multi-locking locks. It is better to entrust their installation to a specialist, otherwise there is a risk of simply ruining the door.
The installation process will be described using an electromagnetic lock as an example.
- Markup. Careful marking of all positions of the mechanism and the necessary holes is carried out.
- Holes Depending on the type of lock you need to drill holes. Their depth depends on the selected fixing screws.
- Installation of parts of the castle. The electromagnetic lock has two parts. One of them is mounted in the opening, and the other - directly on the door leaf. It is at this step that both parts are mounted in place.
- Electronics. It is not possible to describe the connection in more detail, since each electromagnetic mechanism is connected in its own way. That is, in each specific situation, you need to follow the instructions that came with the device.
- Power connection. According to the instructions, the lock is connected to the power supply.
- Health Check. This is the final stage, but it is extremely important. With proper installation and connection, the door in the closed position should be securely locked, and the opening should be easy, without any hitches.
Anyway, if there are doubts about the possibility of self-installation, it is better to contact a specialist. Of course, the service of installing a lock on a plastic door costs money. But on the other hand, a damaged door leaf can be much more expensive.
Finally
Plastic doors are used not only on balconies, but also as interior and exterior doors. Therefore, the choice of the castle is a responsible task. It is worth considering not only the type of mechanism, but also a number of other nuances such as the installation location, material, quality and so on. The process of installing a lock on a plastic door is not complicated, but it is better to entrust the installation of some types of locking devices to specialists.