What is a Mortise Lock?

Mortise locks are locks that are installed with a hollowed-out section of the door edge, instead of being installed directly in a doorknob or through the door itself. This unique method of installation and operation grants mortise locks a distinct set of advantages and drawbacks. Understanding what mortise locks have to offer your home can help you decide if they are the right fit for your home.

Advantages of Mortise Locks.

Security: Mortise locks are harder to force open when compared to traditional cylindrical locks, as they are fitted into the door itself. This makes the amount of force required to break open the door much higher, even with a crowbar, helping to keep your home safe. Additionally, mortise locks in dual cylinder variants, which means that you can lock the door from the outside and keys must be used on both the interior and exterior of the lock in order to open the door, effectively making it impossible to pick the lock.

Sizing: Mortise locks also come in a wide variety of different sizes, which means that they can easily be customized to fit into smaller or larger doors. Cylindrical locks which are installed directly into the doorknob come in a standard size, which means that they can look odd on doors that are not also a standardized size. Furthermore, this variation in sizing allows for a greater degree of aesthetic customization when compared to traditional locks, allowing for larger faceplates to be installed on your doors.

Aesthetic Appeal: One of the main draws of mortise locks, though also a subjective advantage, is the aesthetic appeal that they give to the door they are installed in, and come in a wider variety of designs than traditional cylindrical locks do.

Disadvantages of Mortise Locks.

Installation: Because part of the door in which mortise locks must be hollowed out for their installation, the installation process itself is somewhat more involved and thus more expensive and time-consuming. This can drive up the initial cost of the lock. Furthermore, this installation requires a certain door thickness, which means that mortise locks cannot be installed in every door.

Replacement: In the event that your lock becomes damaged or needs to be replaced entirely, the process is more expensive as the old lock needs to be removed entirely.