If you own a business and your doors feature traditional mechanical locks, you may be wondering if the locks you have are the right type for your property.
Commercial lock standards
You should know that there are standards set for commercial locks. This is done by two organizations, the Builders Home Manufacturers Association and the American National Standards Institute.
Because your locks need to meet higher security standards than those of residential properties, both organizations test lock products according to the:
- Number of cycles it lasts before it needs to be changed
- Strength of its various parts
- Tension loading
- Security
- Durability
- Material evaluation
Once they’ve completed testing, they award the lock a grade based on a three-tiered system: Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grade 3.
Grade 1
Grade 1 locks are considered top-of-the-line. They are used in high-traffic, high-use situations where security needs to be at its tightest.
To give you an idea of some of the criteria locks in this category needed to meet, they need to withstand 800,000 lock/unlock cycles. The lock needs to withstand 6 direct strikes from a hammer as well as a 360-pound weight test.
The best places to use these locks are the exterior of large complexes, like schools, hospitals, retail outlets, and factories.
Grade 2
Locks in this category are at the middle of the scale. While they’re not as secure as Grade 1 locks, they are a step up from Grade 3.
They are best used in the building’s interior to secure valuable or dangerous items.
The testing criteria they need to pass are not as stringent as Grade 1 locks. They must be able to withstand 400,000 open/close cycles, five direct strikes from a hammer, and a 250-pound weight test.
Grade 3
These locks are closest to residential standards and their use should be confined to light traffic, and light use areas since they are the easiest to circumvent.
These locks must pass a 200,000 lock/unlock cycle test, two direct strikes from a hammer, and a 150-pound weight test.
Now you know what type of lock will keep your commercial property safe and secure. We also advise on other aspects of your residential and business security. To find out more, call us at 1 305 692 0234 or check out our website at https://southbeachlocksmiths.com/about-us/.
