Commercial and residential locks today have become quite advanced to ensure full security of property. There are a number of options available which often confuse the layman and it makes sense to take the advice of professional locksmiths to decide upon the most appropriate locking system for your home or office.

Among the various residential locks are deadbolt locks which may be single cylinder or double cylinder, fingerprint locks that requires a matching fingerprint to unlock instead of keys, privacy locks for bedrooms and bathrooms, passage doorknobs that do not lock and are normally used on closet doors, panic bars that are used on fire exits and so on. Commercial locking systems are even more complex to ensure safety at night or to protect not only cash and belongings but also privileged information. On the flip side the more secure your property is the more difficult it will be for you to access your place in case of lost keys. It is better to call in professional locksmiths who can open your locks without damaging them. New locks are expensive and replacing them is difficult yet it becomes necessary to secure your place especially if you have lost the keys. In such a case it is advisable to have your locks rekeyed so that they cannot be opened by the previous key. This ensures safety of your property even if the lost keys have fallen into wrong hands.

Panic bars are often installed on fire exits and emergency doors which can be opened easily from inside. They normally consist of a horizontal metal bar across the door which is spring loaded and can be opened by pushing on it. This allows quick exiting in times of emergency such as fire yet keeps the door secure from outside. Panic bars are also called crash bars as they can be opened by crashing on to it or applying pressure. These bars are also installed on doors that need to be opened from inside only such as back doors of offices and stores. But panic bars should be strong enough to prevent intruders from opening the door from outside. One also has the option of using electric strikes that are connected to a fire alarm which will open the door automatically in case of fire. On the other hand some panic bars trip the alarm system when the door is opened . However these two kinds are used in buildings that have high occupancy in which a large number of people need to get out quickly. Normally such doors can not be opened from outside but if one feels the need then trims can be installed on the outside to allow access. Some people opt to use latches which one may lock at night.

Other than commercial buildings panic bars can also be installed in homes. Several things are taken into consideration when choosing a panic bar for homes such as type of door and the material used. Firstly if it is a single door then a rim type panic bar will be needed while a vertical bar will be needed for a double door. Panic bars can also be installed on gates but these should be made of such material that it does not get spoilt by natural elements. Nevertheless care should be taken when installing panic bars at home so that doors are not left open inadvertently by children.