Find the keyhole. If your doorknob is accompanied by a lock, you should see a jagged slit on the outward-facing knob of the door. There should be a locking button on the inside part of the knob. The jagged slit is the keyhole. If you have a key for this door, it should fit perfectly into the keyhole and will allow anyone with that specific key to enter the premises.

Make sure that your key fits. Slide the key into the keyhole of the outer doorknob. If the key will not fit, flip it…

Door chains give you some protection when you need to open the door. More importantly, they give you a few vital seconds whereby you can slam the door shut should an intruder try to force their way in. For a small investment, a door chain adds an additional layer of home safety and security. It’s important, though, not to let them give you a false sense of security though. They can’t take the place of quality deadbolts and strong entrance locks.

For door security chains to work to…

Single Cylinder deadbolts, entry knobs, and handlesets are operated with a key from the outside, but do not require a key for locking or unlocking from the interior of the property. Instead, the door is locked or unlocked using a thumb-turn style lever.

Single cylinder locks are more common than double cylinder. The two main reasons for this are efficiency and economy. Single cylinder locks are usually less costly to purchase and install than double cylinders. They are also more…