Locksmith glossary
Clear definitions of locks, cylinders, keys, doors, access systems, security and brands.
A variant that lacks a visible keyhole: the cover over the cylinder only moves by bringing a specific magnetic key close. As the cylinder is left completely hidden and inaccessible, it neutralises at the root the techniques that need to reach it. It is a very effective solution, although it is best to keep the magnetic key safe and have a copy, because without it there is no way to reach the lock.
It uses the magnetic field between the leaf and the frame to keep the door closed, instead of a traditional bolt. It is common in electronically controlled access points, offices and glass doors, where it is combined with high-power holding magnets and an exit button. There are also cylinders with magnetic elements in the key as an added layer of security. Its obvious weak point is the dependence on power, so an alternative system must always be provided.
The most widespread type of opening detector, formed of a magnet fixed to the leaf and a contact on the frame. When the two pieces separate, the circuit opens and the signal is triggered. It is economical and reliable. Its installation requires respecting the maximum distance between the two parts: a careless assembly causes false alarms with the wind or with the simple settling of the door.
A periodic agreement to check and keep in good condition locks, automatic doors and access points, with scheduled visits and conditions agreed in advance. It is common in communities, premises and industrial units. Its advantage is not only the price: by detecting wear before it becomes a fault, it avoids emergencies, which are always more expensive and come at the worst moment.
A generic term that groups any action on the mechanism of a lock without using the corresponding key. It encompasses everything from professional lock picking to the techniques used in a theft. In the context of an expert report it has a specific value: proving that there was manipulation is what allows a forced access to be distinguished from an entry with a key, something decisive for the insurer after a claim.
A mechanism that disengages the motor from the automation so that the door can be moved by hand, provided for power cuts or faults. It is usually operated with a specific key, a pull or a lever, according to the model. It is best to locate it and test it on the day of installation, not when the door no longer responds: a good part of the emergency call-outs in garages are resolved simply by knowing where it is.
A cylinder prepared to accept two levels of key: the user's individual one, which only opens their own lock, and a master key that opens the whole set. This is achieved by incorporating split pins that allow more than one valid alignment. It is the basis of any residents' association system, where the administrator needs access to the communal entrance, garage and technical rooms without carrying an endless bunch. It is best to plan it well from the start, because expanding it later is more complex.
A system that organises several locks into a hierarchy of access: each user opens only their own with their key, while a master key opens the whole set. It is used in communities, hotels, offices and large homes. It can be set up on existing locks or when installing new ones. It is best to plan it well from the start, because expanding a poorly sized hierarchy later forces much of the system to be redone.
The practical name for the master-keyed set: the cylinders, the individual keys, the sub-master ones and the master, together with the documentation that records who holds each one. That register is as important as the material. In urbanisation communities, keeping it up to date is what allows a rapid response when someone loses a key or leaves their post, without replacing locks.
It is the top key of a master-keyed system: it opens all the locks of the set, while each user has only their own. It is used in communities, hotels, offices and units with several rooms. It demands strict control, because losing it compromises the entire system. For that reason it is usually issued on a restricted profile and in a very limited number of copies, with documented registration of who holds each one.
Cover that backs the installed components against manufacturing defects for a determined period, according to the manufacturer and the applicable consumer regulations. It must appear on the invoice together with the reference of the product. It is best to keep that documentation: without it, it is difficult to prove when the piece was installed and who supplied it if a problem arises months later.
A Spanish manufacturer of security locks and cylinders, currently part of the DOM group together with UCEM. Its catalogue covers high-security cylinders, master-keyed systems and access control solutions. It is a very established brand in the Spanish housing stock, especially in euro-profile cylinders, which makes it easy to find compatible replacements and to expand existing key hierarchies.
View the MCM pageAn instrument that allows standardised measurements to be checked quickly, such as the thickness of a door, the centre distance of a lock or the length of a cylinder. Its practical use lies in avoiding errors when ordering replacements: a gauge confirms in seconds whether the cylinder to be installed corresponds to the real size of the door, without depending on estimates.
A generic name for the closing systems of commercial premises, whether roller, scissor-grille or folding-leaf. Its function is to protect the shop window and the access outside opening hours. A jammed closure prevents the business from opening and every hour counts, so these incidents are attended with the same priority as a home. The maintenance of guides and floor lock avoids most jams.
A closure formed of steel or aluminium slats that roll onto an upper shaft. It is the most widespread system in shops for its resistance and its low maintenance cost. It can be solid, micro-perforated or of punched slat, according to whether one wants to hide or show the shop window. Slats bent by a blow must be replaced soon: a single deformed slat ends up jamming the whole travel.
A Spanish manufacturer of hardware and metal accessories, with a catalogue traditionally centred on handles, knobs, bolts, keyhole covers and joinery hardware. In recent years it has expanded its range with security products: mortice locks for metal and wooden doors, deadbolts and rim locks, as well as euro-profile cylinders. It is common to find it in the complementary hardware part of an installation.
View the MICEL pageA system in which the body of the cylinder is made up of pieces that can be separated and recombined, allowing the length to be adjusted or only one of the halves to be replaced. It greatly facilitates maintenance in large installations, such as communities or units, where adapting sizes without ordering new cylinders saves time and cost. Its critical point is the joint between modules, so it is best to opt for reliable manufacturers: a cheap modular one adds a plane of weakness where there was none before.
It is housed inside the edge of the door, in a case cut into the leaf itself, so that from outside only the metal faceplate and the keyhole are visible. It is the type that practically all modern doors come with from the factory, both wooden and security doors. Its advantage is the appearance and that it offers no parts exposed to attack; its drawback is that replacing it requires respecting the exact measurements of the existing recess in the door.
An Italian manufacturer founded in 1955, with headquarters in Turin, dedicated to high-security locks and cylinders. It is known for its double-bit rim locks, its cylinders with anti-bumping protection and its reinforcement systems for home doors. Its rim locks are a frequent option when the aim is to reinforce an existing door without replacing it, especially in wooden joinery.
View the MOTTURA pageAn Israeli manufacturer founded in 1973, part of an international security group. It is one of the reference brands in high-security cylinders, known for its telescopic key system with pins inside pins, which multiplies the possible combinations. It works with patented profiles and a property card, orienting itself to installations where resistance to manipulation and the control of copies are decisive.
View the MUL-T-LOCK pageIt closes the door at several points at once, normally three or more, distributed along the leaf by means of a vertical bar operated by a single turn of the key. It is the standard on security doors, armoured doors and on aluminium and PVC joinery. It spreads the effort of the closure and makes levering much more difficult, since forcing a single point does not release the door. When it fails, it is usually the bar or the central mechanism that gives way, not the cylinder.
A counter-pin with a head wider than the body, with that silhouette that gives it its name. When manipulated, that lip gets trapped on the edge of the chamber and blocks the turn, producing a deceptive catch. It is one of the most widespread anti-pick resources and has been incorporated into quality cylinders for decades. It is usually combined with other profiles within the same cylinder, so that no probing finds a repeated pattern.
A supplement applied to interventions carried out outside the usual daytime hours, as in any emergency service. It is not abusive in itself; what is, and frequently, is hiding it. It must be communicated before the call-out and reflected in the fixed quote, never appear as a surprise when the technician is already in front of the door.
A set of professional techniques that allow a door to be opened without damaging the lock, so that afterwards it keeps working with the original key. It is always the first option of a serious locksmith, especially when the door is slammed shut. It is not always possible: if the cylinder is faulty, broken or there is a prior attempted forcing, the non-destructive route is no longer viable. A professional must warn of this before starting, not afterwards.
A company that markets the product of a manufacturer with its backing, guaranteeing original material, access to spare parts and guarantee cover. The difference from just any seller is noticed when a problem arises: processing an incident or obtaining a specific part is much quicker. It also reduces the risk of ending up with counterfeit material, something not at all uncommon in cylinders of well-known brands.
A cylinder whose two halves have different lengths, such as the 30x50, because the lock is not located at the centre of the door thickness. It is the usual thing on security and armoured doors, where the mechanism is displaced to one side. When ordering a replacement you have to indicate which size corresponds to the outside and which to the inside, since reversing them would leave the long side facing out, exposed and just within reach of an attack.
A Spanish manufacturer with headquarters in Guipúzcoa, founded in 1954 and specialising in locks for lockers, furniture, changing rooms and collective spaces. Its range includes mechanical, combination and electronic locks with a keypad or wristband. It is the reference brand in gyms, hotels, swimming pools and sports centres, rather than in home doors, although its product also appears in storerooms and communal areas of urbanisations.
View the OJMAR pageA Spanish manufacturer of locks with headquarters in Catalonia and a long history in the sector. Its catalogue covers mortice locks, rim locks, euro-profile cylinders and locks for furniture. It is a brand widespread in joinery and in the housing stock, so that there are usually compatible replacements available, which allows many faults to be resolved without replacing the complete lock.
View the OLLÉ pageA technician available outside the usual working hours, in shifts that cover nights, weekends and public holidays. It is the figure that makes it possible to attend a call-out at three in the morning or on a Sunday. In areas with high seasonal occupancy such as Torrevieja and the coastal urbanisations, a good part of the call-outs are concentrated precisely in those windows, when the owners of second homes arrive.
A device that signals when a door or window has been opened, normally integrating into an alarm system. It is one of the most useful elements in homes that stand empty for long periods, since it warns of the access at the moment it occurs. In second homes on the coast it also allows you to check whether someone has entered after a storm or during a prolonged absence.
A cylinder format with an oval section, very widespread in the United Kingdom and in imported joinery, which in Spain is found above all on aluminium doors and in old installations. It fulfils the same function as the euro profile, but they are not interchangeable with each other: the recess of the lock determines which one it accepts. When replacing it you have to respect both the shape and the size, since a poorly sized cylinder leaves the most vulnerable point in view.
A reaction of iron with oxygen and humidity that forms rust and progressively degrades the metal. It begins at specific points, normally scratches, untreated welds or lower-quality fixings, and spreads from there. Detecting it early allows the zone to be sanded and protected; ignoring it leads to the piece losing section and ending up giving way, with the structural risk that entails on a grille or a gate.