Locksets and what they do
Commercial locksets include cylindrical and mortise locks, deadbolts, exit devices with locking trim, and electrified locks controlled by a card or keypad. Functions vary: some doors lock from both sides, some only from the inside, and some are always unlocked from the inside for safe exit.
Lock function matters for safety. A door that must be exit-ready for occupants cannot require a key to leave. Classroom, storeroom, office and entrance functions each have their own use.
Keying systems
A keying system decides who can open what. A simple building may have one key per tenant. A larger facility may use a master key system, where each door has its own key, groups of doors share a group key and a master key opens everything. Higher levels add a grand master.
Planning a key system takes thought. A key schedule maps each door to a key group, and the number of keys, who holds them and how they are tracked should all be decided. Restricted keyways prevent copying, and good records make it possible to rekey doors when staff leave.
Where doors use electronic access, our low voltage team, led by Adam Mason, sets up readers and controllers, and our door installers fit the locks. A mixed system, with keys on some doors and cards on others, is common, and it works best when planned as a whole.
- Cylindrical, mortise and exit device locksets
- Master key and restricted keyway systems
- Rekeying and key control
- Electrified locks and card readers
- Key schedules and records
What to plan for
Decide on keying early. Cylinders are cut and pinned to the key schedule, and changing it after delivery costs time and money.
Think about change. Staff turnover, tenant changes and lost keys happen, so build in an easy way to rekey. Interchangeable core systems make this simple.
Keep control of keys. Construction keys used during the build should be removed from service when the final system is handed over, and we manage that change-over.
Finally, align with the fire and life-safety rules. Locks on exit routes must work as required, and our team checks that every lock function meets the design.