What locks are they anyway?

Dilbert75

House insurance renewal time - the policy I've taken, from 123.ie (€80 cheaper than renewal with Allianz & Allianz can't find any difference in cover) specifies pretty clearly the security assumptions:

1) the premises are fitted with the following security devices:
a) All external doors are fitted with mortice deadlocks or deadlocking rim latches.
b) All French doors and/or patio doors are fitted with appropriate security locks

Now my problem is this: our house is one of tens of thousands built in recent years which has a relatively thin door (c. 50mm?) with a handle which lifts to lock and depresses to open, with a key to lock. It must be locked with the key from outside as well as from inside. Is this a mortice deadlock or a deadlocking rim latch? I can find no website to illustrate the differences between them - plenty of questionnaires to ask me if I have one but none to help me tell.

Anyone explain this to me?

smashey

Mortice deadlocks

Wishbone Ash

The easiest non-technical way to explain it is that a mortise lock cannot be slammed shut (except in very exceptional cases). It must be physically locked each time unlike a standard front door lock.

Mellor

Wishbone Ash wrote:

The easiest non-technical way to explain it is that a mortise lock cannot be slammed shut (except in very exceptional cases). It must be physically locked each time unlike a standard front door lock.

Thats a good way of putting it,
I imagine that the door locks with a latch when you lift the handle, and the key engages the mortice. Look at the lock on the door, is there a rectangular locking piece, this is the mortice.

Dilbert75

Well ours is the type that has the 4x little sliding bolts that, when you lift the handle, they slide into the recesses in the frame. I wonder does that count as mortice? There is no dead bolt that shoots from the door into the frame - in fact, with the multi-point locking system it doesn't seem that there is any possibility to install same. (Tried to upload photo but failed)

Think I'll just tell them what I have and await their reply.

delly

When I changed my insurance I had a similar problem. They wanted mortice deadlocks to which I had the same as you, pull the handle up and the 3 bolts engage and then turn the key to lock. The lock itself is a cylinder lock and I got them to send a letter out confirming that these type of locks are an equivalent to the mortice deadlocks. Its my own bit of insurance if theres any disputes.

Dilbert75

Thanks all - I've done pretty much what Delly did: sent them details of the locks and asked them for confirmation that they conform to the minimum requirements.