SECURITY TIP: How to Choose a Great Lock

Before we start, you’ve come to the right place. As you know, we prevent break-in with security screen doors and security screens for windows. Just let us know what you need and we will make it happen.

MJ Johnston is our Chief Security Advisor. He is former Henderson Police Captain and has decades of experience in security. Here’s

Hey everyone. Now we're going to talk a little bit just about locking systems for the outside. Most of your locking systems are going to be applied to your gates. And when you're looking at a lock, if you take a look at the style of the lock. Now these older style systems are good, but you are still able to use grinders and/or bolt cutters to cut through the exterior material.

Now, they've done a lot of work in recent years to make this metal stronger. You can take a look at this style of lock up here called the Magnum. You notice that it has a octagonal shape. It's used to make a stronger metal, so it's tougher to cut shackle. So those are some of the technology changes that they've made in those style of locks.

But when you start to look at this style of lock, the locking mechanism itself is going to sit between the bolt. And as the bolt goes through and engages the locking system, then it seats, and now you have an area where it's harder for someone to be able to get a simple pair of bolt cutters.

Remember, bad guys carry the tools that they can carry with them, so they're not going to have a whole host of tools available at their disposal. They're going to use what they have that makes it easy.

Now, this lock is going to definitely be tougher to navigate and circumvent than say a lock like this, whereas a simple pair of bolt cutters can do the job.

So when you're thinking about your locking systems, think of the application, what it is you're trying to protect. And if your goal is to prevent people from coming in, you need to get a better locking mechanism. If your goal is to just keep the gate closed, then you can go with these smaller locking systems that are less expensive.