Commercial Locks – Making theGrade
All locks regardless of their intended purpose or application undergo rigorous testing and receive a certification grade from two different organizations.
The Builders hardware manufactures association(BHMA) and the American National Standards institute(ANSI). All major lock manufacturers submit their brand for testing. Locks are given a final grade resulting in Grade 1, Grade 2 or Grade 3 Certification.
When replacing commercial locks, Grade 1 is recommended for exterior door applications on commercial buildings. The installation is usually on a points that are main entrances and exits that receive the most traffic.
Grade 1 locks significantly out-perform Grade 2 locks in several main category tests.
Grade 1
Torque – Knobs 300 lbf-in
Torque – Levers 700 lbf-in
Latch-bolt Protection – 3/4 inch
Impact Test – 10 Blows
Cycles -1,000,000
ADA ( accessibility code) Compliant
Compare this to Grade 2 locks:
Torque – Knobs 150lbf-in
Torque – Levers 300 lbf-in
Latch-bolt Protection – 1/2 inch
Impact Test – 5 Blows
Cycles -800,000
All Commercial locks offer a 6 pin keying system, this makes them much harder to pick vs a 5 pin system which is found in grade 2 locks. These lock cylinders are usually protected by commercial patents, meaning that keys usually have to be registered to a certain company. In a word – higher security.
Most commercial locks can be installed and set up to interact with electronic doors and interactive access control systems.
If you are a business owner, protect your physical and intellectual property with heavy duty commercial locks.