There are a few different types or styles of rim locks, and while some may be more secure than others, generally speaking they should not be used as your only form of security for your home. Basically, a rim lock attaches to the inner side of a door, with a latch on the inside that, when pressed, opens the door. On the outside, the door is opened with a key. This standard type of rim lock is very easy for burglars to open with a credit card, or a small file which burglars are stereotyped as carrying and they should not be used as front door locks.

One step up from this, the deadlock night latch is a rim lock with an additional latch that deadlocks.  While it still locks automatically, it can only be opened with a key from both the inside and the outside. This definitely adds a lot of security, but if that is still not enough for you, the third type of rim lock, which is much more secure, is the  rim deadlock latch which works just like a regular deadbolt, only the casing is attached on the inside of the door. This type of lock will not automatically latch behind you–it needs to be both opened and closed with a key.

There are pro’s and con’s to installing a rim deadlock latch. It definitely adds additional security to your home, providing that you remember to lock the door with the key. I have seen a number of unfortunate incidents happen when the person leaving forgot to actually lock the door with the key–thinking that it would automatically latch behind them. By the same token, I have also seen a few people locked out of their home because they lost their key, or left it somewhere, and it was the only key, thus no one could unlock the door from the inside. Of course, there is usually more than one way to enter a house, but on this one particular occasion that I remember the person lived in an apartment and there was actually only one entrance!

When it comes to styles of rim locks, you have a lot more diversity.  For example, there are the standard type rim locks that can be found in any hardware store.  These are secure to varying degrees, with some brands being much more secure than others. In one country I was living in, the local brand of rim locks were made in such a way that a key from one lock could often unlock a different lock. While it was very bad for home security, I have to admit it did come in handy a few times when someone else locked themselves out of their house or apartment.

One of the fun features with rim locks is that there are now a lot of different ornamental rim locks being marketed. Quite a few of these are actually based on patterns or styles from Victorian or earlier lock patterns that have been found. The Victorian rim lock looks great, and it can really add a very unique touch to your home. If you are interested in adding a rim lock to your door to add to your décor, you could look into the brass rim lock, ornamental rim locks and even iron rim locks.