Strike Plate Locks Reviews (Reviewed 2022)

Features and Specifications

Easy Installation

For Cylindrical Locks

One of the features that make strike plate locks so impressive is that they can be installed and screwed firmly without drilling any extra holes. All cylindrical locks have a standard strike plate, and strike plate locks are designed to fit the existing carvings and screw holes the strike plate in your door. All you have to do is remove the existing strike plate using a screwdriver and screw in the strike plate lock into the existing carving.

You can use your old screws, but strike plate locks come with longer screws that offer firmer grip.

For Mortise Locks

The installation may not be completely damage-free if you have a mortise lock. Mortise locks have much larger strike plates, and these strike plates come in different shapes and sizes. If you have a mortise lock, you can’t replace the strike plate with a strike plate lock since strike plate locks are only made to replace cylindrical lock strike plates.

But, I would still advise installing a strike plate lock if you can. How do you do this? You’ll just have to install the strike plate lock right below the mortise lock strike plate. This will require you to carve out the shape of the strike plate lock and drill holes for the screws. You can carve out the wood from the door frame using a simple cuter and make holes using a drilling machine. But, before you do this, make sure the chain is long enough so that the ring can latch into the door handle of the mortise lock. You can modify the chain yourself if it doesn’t.

Strength

Strike plate locks are one of the most reliable ways to secure your door against physical attempts of entry, second only to horizontal security bars.

On the one end, strike plate locks are secured to the door frame via screws. These screws go deep into the door frame, and the screws that come with the strike plate lock are long enough that they penetrate even the beam after the door frame. When an intruder attempts to push the door or kick it down, they apply force in the indirection parallel to the face of the door. The screws are inserted into the frame from the inner side of the frame. This means that the force is applied perpendicularly to the screws, and they cannot be moved unless the entire door frame comes off.

On the other end, the ring fits into the doorknob or the door handle. When an intruder pushes or kicks the door, their force is translated to the door handle via the chain. But, the door handle is inserted parallel to the face of the door, whereas the chain pulls it sideways. Here too, the intruder’s force is experienced by the door in the completely wrong direction. Even if the intruder is Dwayne Johnson with a battering ham, the best chance he has is to break the door because there’s no getting past the lock.

The strike plate lock has two separate locking mechanisms. The first is the flip lock that supports the door when it’s locked. The second (which we’ve been discussing) is the chain lock which works similar to a door chain but is much stronger.

The flip-lock is built into the hinge of the strike plate lock. After you lock your deadbolt, you can rotate the hinge to activate the flip lock. After this, you can put the ring into the doorknob or the door handle totaling three different layers of security. The flip-lock adds an extra barrier so that your deadbolt doesn’t have to take the entire blow when the door is closed, and someone tries to kick it down.

The strike plate lock also serves the purpose of a door chain, although strike plate locks are orders of magnitude stronger than door chains.

Durable Materials

The strike plate lock is made to last. The chain is made of brushed copper, which does not rust and can’t be bent. The plates, too, are made of carbon steel. In our testing, we had a large male come over and try to kick the door down. He was able to severely damage the door, but the strike plate lock remained intact. The part of the strike plate lock he was able to damage was the hinge. The hinge started to unfold, but it would require continuous heavy kicking for more than 20 minutes before the hinge was unfolded. No one is going to keep kicking a door for that long. Even if someone does, the police will arrive soon and take them away. (1, 2)

One Potential Flaw (And How To Fix It)

There is one design flaw with this lock. The lock is perfectly able to withstand brawns but can’t stand brains.

If the door isn’t locked or the intruder is somehow able to get past the lock, and the flip-lock and the chain is the only thing protecting the door, they can get past the strike plate lock using a simple screwdriver.

When the moves, it leaves the strike plate of the strike plate lock exposed. All intruder has to do is remove the plate, and they’re in.

An intruder can also get past this lock without having to break the deadbolt. All they would have to do is knock on the door and wait for you to open it. When you open the door using the strike plate lock as a door chain, they could place their shoe or a solid lock between the door and the bracket so you can’t close it. Now, all they have to do is use a screwdriver to detach the strike plate, and they’re in.

So how do you fix this flaw?

Solution 1:

This flaw can be fixed by using some uncommon screws such as internal hex screws or square recess screws. No intruder would carry an entire tool bag with them.

Solution 2:

The previous solution still assumes that the intruder knows nothing about your door. Indeed, it is entirely possible for someone to use a hex screwdriver to enter the house in theory. You can fix this by using super glue to shut the creases of the screws so they can’t be unscrewed.

Alternatively, you can use a soldering gun to seal the screws such that their head is completely round. This is a really good idea since the screws will look like rivets that can’t be removed. But you also have the ability to change the plate if you decide so in the future by melting the solder away using a soldering gun or a torch. This will leave the original screws, and as a bonus, the screws won’t have rust on them and will be easier to remove.

Social Proof

I personally am a fan of this incredibly simple yet secure lock. I have had it installed for more than a few months, and it still looks as durable as when I bought it. One concern I had before buying was that the right would get in the way when closing the door from outside, which would be really annoying. I bought the lock anyway because the added security is worth it. But I only realized after I installed the lock that you can turn the hinge plate away from the door, and the ring doesn’t get in the way when you close the door from outside. Here are some other reviews I could find.