Whether you are a homeowner, a landlord or a business owner, the chances are that you will secure your properties with Mortice locks and keys. Mortice locks are very different to Yale-type locks as they tend to be a great deal chunkier in size and shape for both the locks as well as the keys.
Lock Types:
Quite often, Mortice locks are referred to as Chubb locks, after the name of one of the main manufacturers of Mortice locks, who have been in business for over 180 years.
Typically, Mortice locks come in two variations, either lever or cylinder locks which differ predominantly in style and mechanism.
Lever Locks are the most popular form of Mortice especially for homeowners, and involve a key being inserted to create movement within the lock in order to open a door, such as a front door, garage door, storage room door etc. If you are claiming on your home insurance for a burglary, you should check the type of lock that you have, as most Insurance companies require that the policyholder has a 1 BS3621 lock at the least to protect their home. You should be able to check this on the actual lock.
Commercial properties, on the other hand, are more likely to use Cylinder-based Locks and involve a smaller-sized key being inserted to push out a bolt that locks - or unlocks - the door for added security.
Most Mortice locks can be operated from both sides of the door.
Types of Keys:
The type of Mortice Key that you will require will ultimately depend on what you need the lock for and the kind of door that it will be attached to.
Gauged Mortice Keys are designed for use on both cabinet-type locks as well as padlocks and gate keys.
Malleable Iron Keys tend to be very heavy-duty keys made, as you might imagine, out of iron. Quite archaic in design, keys like this tend to fit archaic old-style doors, like old halls or churches.
Flat Steel keys are used in smaller Mortice Locks such as lockers or garages. These keys are generally smaller than most other Mortice Keys and have a flatter body, rather than the usual round style.
Union Pre Cut Mortice Keys are suitable for two-lever Mortice Locks which are typically used for front doors of homes.
Many Mortice Keys are specially “coded” in the way that they are designed and shaped, which means that they will only fit specific locks, for example a 3G110 Mortice Key will only be able to unlock a 3G110, 3G220, 3K70, 3M50 and 3M51 type of Mortice Lock.
A 3G114 Mortice Key will only open 3G114, 3U114, 3G115, 3K74, 3U74 and 3U75 Mortice Locks.
1K42 and 1K57 Ava Locks require an Ava Key in order to open them up.
Era 150-32 Mortice Keys are only able to open 150-32 locks.
Era 605-56LH Mortice Keys only unlock 605-56LH Mortice Locks, however these locks can be either a two-lever lock or a three-lever lock. This is the same for 605-56RH, 610AB-56LH and Era 606-56LH keys and their matching locks.