Everything You Need To Know About Door Hardware: Part 1

This article briefly explains door locks, grades, and functions. Code excerpts will be referenced where applicable.

ANSI grading test; a hammer and lockset are about to meet.

Grades

Door locks are graded based on the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) lock grading system.  This is a standardized testing procedure to gauge the durability and strength of a lock.  The system ranges in ascending levels 3, 2, and 1.  Where 3 is the lowest and 1 is the highest.  Note that this only applies to locks that use a mechanical key; it would not apply to electromagnetic locks or other door hardware. Grading makes no determination to commercial or residential applications.

• Grade 3

  • The lock must be tested and able to handle 200,000 lock cycles, 2 door strikes, and a 150-pound weight test. Deadbolts in this category need to be able to handle 100,000 cycles and a 2-door-strike hammer test.

• Grade 2

  • The doorknobs must handle 400,000 cycles, 4 door strikes, and a 250-pound weight test. Grade 2 deadbolts must handle 150,000 cycles and a 5-door-strike hammer test.

• Grade 1

  • The doorknobs units need to withstand 800,000 cycles, 6 door strikes, and a 360-pound weight test. Grade 1 deadbolts need to withstand 250,000 cycles and a 10-door-strike hammer test.

It is recommended that higher-grade locks be used on more public doors or where security is a concern.  Obviously, the higher the grade, the higher the quality, the higher the cost.  Additionally, not all finishes or styles of handles or roses are available in every grade of lock.  Security, cost, and aesthetics needs to be balanced by the designer.

A locket diagram found in product specification documents by Schlage.

Functions

Note that all locksets provide free egress at all times.

Passage: Active latch with no locking mechanism.  The grip is always unlocked.

Privacy: Active latch with a locking mechanism. Toggle provides locking through the rose or long plate.  Can be opened from outside with a release key.

Storeroom: The latch bolt is retracted by the inside grip or outside the key.  The outside grip is optional, but when provided it is always rigid.

Entry/Office: The latch bolt is retracted by the grip on either side unless the outside grip is locked by the toggle or outside the key.  Operating the inside grip does not unlock the outside grip.

Classroom: The latch bolt is retracted by the grip on either side unless the outside grip is locked by the outside key.

Classroom security: The latch bolt is retracted by the grip on either side unless the outside grip is locked by either the inside key or the outside key.  Operating the inside grip always retracts the latch bolt.

Fail-Safe: The latch bolt continuously locked by electrical power.  Latchbolt is retracted by key outside or by grip inside.  A switch release or power failure retracts the latch bolt.

Fail-Secure: The latch bolt continuously locked by electrical power.  Latchbolt is retracted by key outside or by grip inside.  The switch release retracts the latch bolt.  Loss of power does not retract the latch bolt.