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| source: ergeon.com |
Doors have been around for a lot longer than you'd think and although they were first in the form of a stone on a cave opening they still served the same exact purpose. Nowadays a lot has changed especially the mechanisms that doors rely on with one of them being the latch.
First found to be used in the 13th century, door latches were made of iron and used mainly in China and Europe. These latches are known as Suffolk or Norfolk latches and they had a wooden bar and a latch string that raised it from one side of the door. These latches were what eventually led to there being a plethora of different latching mechanisms today.
Types of Latches
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| source: aspire-doors.co.uk |
Compression
Made of a body and cam lever, a compression latch is able to help prevent rattling and vibration as well as moisture and dust from entering it. With a compression latch, you can reduce any potential damage and maintenance costs. A compression latch found online has a long lifespan because of how it operates.
Tubular
A tubular latch in Australia is made of a bolt attached to the door itself as well as a striker plate attached to the frame of the door. This type of latch is found on cylindrical knob holes which can work with and without a key.
Deadbolt
Deadbolt latches come with a solid bolt that moves into the strike plate in the door's frame. This type of latch offers a secondary locking point when you use it with a tubular or night latch.
Sliding Bolt
A sliding bolt latch is exactly what you'd expect it to be, mounted on the surface of your door with a bolt that slides in and out of a hole or slot. The metal bolt slides in a track where there's a handle or lever to move the bolt in and out of the slot/ hole.
Roller Bolt
Similar to a sliding bolt latch, roller bolt latches for sale use a metal bolt but instead of it sliding in a track it rides the track it sits on. When you have the door closed the bolt gets pulled into the frame of the door which prevents it from being opened on the outside.
Twin Roller
A twin roller latch found online is made of two small rolling cylinders. A tapered metal plate slides between the cylinders which separates them and makes the cylinders hold the plate in place. There's usually a bit of resistance when opening a door with a twin roller latch.
Night
A night latch is able to lock the door on its own when you close it. This convenient solution is therefore installed inside the face of the door which means it can be used with a 5 lever deadlock to make it even more secure.
Spring
With a spring latch, you get a simple mechanism made of a bolt and a spring. The bolt goes through the plate and it has a spring on it that keeps it in position until you move to open or close the door. The spring then brings the bolt back to its original position.
Cabin Hook
Even simpler than a spring latch, a cabin hook latch in Australia is made of a metal hook that is attached to one end of a looped keep plate. They are simply made to be used to hold a door or gate closed or open and nothing else.
Magnetic
No moving parts are found within a magnetic latch but instead, two magnets that when close enough bring the door to its closed position. Modern doors and gates usually make use of magnetic latches as they are quite reliable and require no maintenance.
Loft
Loft latches are used on loft hatches where pushing the hatch up helps release the latch from it and thus the door can be opened. In order for the hatch to close it needs to be pushed up again until you have the latch engaged.
Rim
A rim latch is placed on the surface of a door and it's made up of a latch bolt and a strike plate like most other latches. When you have the door closed the bolt slides into the plate locking the door which makes rim latches for sale quite secure.
Chain
A more rudimentary form of a latch is a chain latch. On one end you have the strike plate while on the other you have the chain which is attached to the door. The chain tightens when the door is closed and keeps it that way.
What Matters in a Latch?
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| source: snugcottagehardware.com |
Material
The durability of a latch depends on the type of material it comes made of. Latches used on outdoor doors are made from rougher and heavier materials than those made for indoor use. Stainless steel is used for outdoor latches while nickel is often used for indoor latches.
Finish
The finish of a latch affects its appearance. A brushed finish adds a slight texture to the latch while a polished one gives it a soft look.
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