Locks for metal cabinets, features, as well as pros and cons

If the house has convenient, practical and functional metal cabinets, they can be used to store personal wardrobe, documentation, jewelry, antiques. But can you be sure of the safety of your values if such furniture does not have locks? In order to limit the access of persons to the contents of furniture, it is worth choosing reliable locks for metal cabinets, which may differ in some characteristics.

The need for a lock on the cabinet

Metal cabinets are characterized by high operational parameters, so in recent years there has been an increased demand among them for owners of suburban cottages and city studio apartments. This is a very durable furniture, which is characterized by a high level of functionality. But maximally reveal all the charms of such products will help correctly selected locks, with which you can close the cabinet if necessary.

Such products are made of high strength metal, which provides them with excellent performance. It is resistant to mechanical stress, high humidity and other negative environmental factors.

Locks for metal cabinets are highly reliable, practical, durable. Such a product will reliably protect the contents of the cabinet from dust, sunlight, prying eyes, because access to the internal contents of the furniture will be limited only to those who own the key or know the code.

Features of locking devices

Locks for metal cabinets are highly secreted. With their help, you can close the closet and restrict the access of other people to its contents. Today, such products are used in safes, mailboxes, weapons cabinets and even cabinets for clothes and accessories. All of them are divided into four classes according to the degree of resistance to breaking.

Reliability class	Reliability level	Relevance of the installation
The first	Low	To limit the access of children to the contents of the closet, to protect things from dust, insects, pets.
Second	Average	Suitable for cabinets with documents that are worth removing from prying eyes.
Third	Tall	The most common form, as it combines affordable cost and a high degree of reliability. Relevant for furniture, inside which contains valuable things.
Fourth	Highest	Actual locks for a cabinet with securities or things, jewelry, money, weapons.

The first and second classes are considered to be low reliable, since an experienced cracker can easily find a way to get into a cabinet with such a lock. The third and fourth class of products indicates that it will be much more difficult to break into a cabinet with such a locking device. Such locks are reliable, so you can be sure 99 percent that no one outsider will take possession of the contents of the cabinet in the absence of its owner. For greater confidence in the preservation of personal belongings, you can install two locks with a different reliability class on the cabinet at once.

Varieties

Locking devices for metal cabinets today are diverse in their design, the principle of operation. The use of the latest technologies in the creation of such products significantly increases its resistance to cracking and, as a result, the price. Let's look at the main categories of locks that can be selected in the domestic market.

Mortise

Mortise locks on metal cabinets look very concise, have the highest level of reliability, security. They are installed by tapping into the door leaf, therefore they are almost invisible to the eye and do not spoil the appearance of the door. This allows you to create an additional obstacle for the cracker, but also requires additional costs for installing the product. If there is little or no experience in such matters, it is better to entrust this issue to professionals, then you can be sure of the correct installation and the reliability of the locking mechanism. Often stores with similar products can offer the service of their installation at an affordable cost or at a discount.

Mounted

A padlock on metal cabinets will help protect the contents of the furniture from the attention of an outsider. It does not require complicated installation, as in the case of mortise products, and is suitable for furniture with large eyes, into which the lock loop is inserted. Such designs are good in a house where little children grow up, because access to their mother’s wardrobe will be closed for them.

However, many users find such products not very attractive, bulky. Yes, and to remove such a castle is quite simple. It is enough to use the mount to knock down the eyes of the door. But if there is no particularly valuable things in the closet, a padlock is quite suitable for him.

Code

Combination locks for a metal cabinet are complex mechanisms that can be opened with a code. All of them are divided into two types, based on the specifics of the design:

discrete are used for cabinets with the first level of resistance to breaking. Typing the code and changing it in such products does not cause difficulties, which is considered a great advantage. The handle of the cabinet is not connected in any way with the lock;
disk used for furniture with a high level of resistance to breaking, therefore, have a complex structure. Hacking such a product is extremely difficult, therefore, disk products are very common in the domestic market. However, not all of them are equipped with the ability to change the code. And if such an opportunity is present, the operation may be somewhat difficult. Experts recommend contacting professionals if such a need arises.

Electronic locks are highly respected. The key and the compartment for it do not have such a lock; instead, it has a series of buttons with which the unlock code is entered. Learning to handle such a product is very simple.

You can pick up an electronic locking device with a fingerprint sensor, which significantly limits the access of strangers to the contents of the cabinet. Only one person can open the cabinet and get its contents, and a locking mechanism will be programmed on the fingerprints of which. The cost of such products is very high, but their reliability is even higher.

Selection rules

Note that different types of metal cabinets for storing things require the installation of a certain type of lock. This is important to consider in the process of selecting such products.

The following expert advice will help you choose the right type of special lockable device for metal cabinets:

carefully study the specific characteristics of the cabinet door. If its thickness is less than the thickness of the locking device, it will not work to install a mortise lock on such a surface;
Do not choose too cheap a product. In most cases, a cheap product will not provide a cabinet with a high level of reliability, because it can break quickly, thereby providing anyone with access to the contents of the furniture. Always ask the seller for a quality certificate for the selected model. If it is absent, doubts will arise as a product;
An important parameter in the selection of a locking device of a crossbar type is the length of the crossbar. Recall that such a mechanism is closed not by rotation, but by linear movement, so it is important to determine the actual length of this part in advance. Consult the seller in this regard to find the best lock.

The main thing is not to pass the key or code from the lock to unauthorized persons in order to prevent them from entering your house for the purpose of profit. This will protect the contents of the cabinet from theft, and the owners of the house from nervous shocks.