For those wondering what type of lock you use for security for your home as front door locks, there are a lot of different guides online. A quick trip to your local hardware store, and a chat with one of the salespeople should also provide you with enough information to make a choice between rim locks, dead bolts or other types of locks.

Rim locks, for example, are not usually the only lock that you would put on a door as while they do offer some security, it is not a whole lot.  For that reason, they are often referred to as an auxiliary lock. There are different types of rim locks, with some being more secure than others.

The basic rim lock is attached to the inside of a door.  You usually turn a knob or a lever to open the door from the inside and it snaps shut behind you. To open this type of lock from the outside, you use a key. The rim and keyhole can is usually placed on the other side of the interior section, often below the door chime. This is the least secure type of rim lock. You can also find a rim lock deadbolt style lock which works like a standard deadbolt lock. This door is locked from the outside with a  key, and naturally a key is needed to unlock the door and go inside.  This type of rim lock actually does afford pretty good security, and they are fairly difficult to break into especially if you have another type of lock on your door as well.

The deadbolt lock offers the best security of any lock, and it is highly recommended that you attach one to your external doors. The only way to open this type of lock is by turning a lever on the inside of the door, or by using a key on the outside door. The bolt actually locks the door onto the frame, thus deterring any would be burglars from being able to pry the door open.  You can have single or double cylinder deadbolts, although some building and safety codes do not permit the use of double cylinder deadbolts due to the potential danger of not being able to open the door (due to needing a key to open on both sides of the door) in an emergency.

Another popular and secure lock that is currently in use is the mortise lock. This has a rectangular box that actually fits inside of the door, and a knob or other method of opening is on either side of the door. There is a latch that operates from either side of the door, except when the door is actually locked from the outside.  There is also a deadbolt that can be latched from the inside. These are in common use, and do provide very good safety for homes.

If you are concerned about your home security, make sure that you find and attach the right locks to your external doors.  Remember, rim locks alone will not give you the best security, so even though they look great and you can find many decorative style rim locks such as a brass rim lock or a Victorian rim lock, that really do look nice on a front or back door, attach another lock as well. Rim locks are auxiliary locks, and they should not be used to provide the main security for your home.