Locksmith glossary
Clear definitions of locks, cylinders, keys, doors, access systems, security and brands.
A metal enclosure of a perimeter nature, formed of bars or panels, that delimits a plot, a garden or a communal area. Unlike the grille, which protects a specific opening, the railing marks and protects the boundary of the property. Its height and upper finish quite condition its deterrent effectiveness, although in urbanisations it is usually subject to the aesthetic rules of the community.
A specific type of pick, with the end serrated in the shape of a comb, designed to act on several pins at once instead of one by one. It is faster than probing picks, but also much less effective against security cylinders. Precisely for that reason, a cylinder with irregular-profile pins neutralises this tool easily: the false catches it generates force the attempt to be restarted again and again.
A variant of picking carried out with a rake, acting on several pins simultaneously by means of rapid movements. It is less precise than individual manipulation, but faster, and that is why it is used as a first probe. Against security cylinders it is practically useless. Its effectiveness is limited to old or very basic-range locks, which are precisely the ones it is best to replace on a home entrance door.
Modification of the internal combination of a cylinder so that it responds to a different key, without replacing the piece. It is done by rearranging or changing the pins. It is especially useful in master-keyed systems, in large installations and in high-security cylinders, where the cost of replacement is high. Not all models allow it: it depends on whether the manufacturer has provided for that possibility in its design.
A secondary blocking device that activates automatically if the safe suffers an attack, whether by drilling, impact or cutting. When triggered, it immobilises the bolts independently of the main lock, so that even if the attacker overcomes the mechanism, the door does not give way. It is one of the elements that distinguish a certified safe from a simple metal box with a lock.
The process of registering a remote in the receiver of the automation so that it is recognised. It also allows the reverse operation: deleting the existing remotes, something very advisable when buying a home or changing administrator, since you never know how many remotes are circulating. In communities it is best to keep a register of additions and removals, just as with keys.
A transmitter that operates the automation by radio frequency, normally in a fob format. Each remote carries a code that the receiver must recognise. Modern systems use a rolling code, which changes with each use and prevents its capture and cloning. If your remote is old and of fixed code, it is best to update the system: they are the most exposed to copying without the owner even realising.
A set of owners of a building or urbanisation who share communal elements: communal entrance, garage, storerooms, technical rooms and recreational areas. In locksmithing it is a client with its own needs, normally resolved by means of master-keyed systems. It is best to keep the register of keys handed over up to date, since it is what allows a rapid response when someone loses theirs or ceases in a post.
A figure that expresses the level reached by a product in the standardised tests, within a scale defined by the corresponding standard. The higher the grade, the more time and means an attack needs to overcome it. It is the objective piece of data that allows comparison without depending on advertising. A practical detail: the assembly is worth as much as its weakest element, so a high grade in a single piece is of little use.
A standardised test in which a product is subjected to controlled and reproducible attacks (drilling, levering, picking, impact) measuring how long it withstands before giving way. The results determine its classification. Its value lies in comparability: as the same procedure is applied to all manufacturers, it allows a decision to be made with technical criteria. It is the difference between choosing by verifiable data or by what the catalogue promises.
The interval between the receipt of the call-out and the arrival of the technician. It depends on the distance, the traffic and the time band, and it varies quite a lot between the town centre and the more remote urbanisations. An honest professional gives a realistic estimate when receiving the call, instead of promising impossible times: arriving late after announcing ten minutes generates more problems than announcing thirty and keeping to it.
A key whose duplicate is controlled: it can only be requested by presenting the property card provided by the manufacturer, and always through an authorised locksmith. No hardware shop can copy it. It resolves the problem that no lock solves on its own, which is not knowing how many keys to your home exist. It is especially advisable in holiday rental homes, very frequent in Punta Prima and La Zenia, where the control of copies is decisive.
A spring that returns the latch or the handle to its original position after operating them. It is what makes the handle spring back up on its own when released. It fatigues with use and its failure gives unmistakable signs: the handle stays down, the latch does not come out fully or the door does not close on its own. It is usually a minor repair if attended to in time, before the part ends up breaking others.
It can be inserted into the cylinder in either of its two positions, without needing to find the right side. It is achieved with symmetrical coding, common in dimple keys and in double-serration ones. It is a usability advantage more important than it seems: it reduces the fumbling in the dark, at the communal entrance or with your hands full, and also the wear caused by insisting on forcing the key in the wrong position.
A radio-frequency identification technology on which most proximity cards and fobs work. The reader emits a signal that activates the chip of the credential, which responds with its identifier. It is reliable and economical, although the older, unencrypted versions are clonable. When choosing a system it is best to ask expressly about the level of encryption it uses, not just about the range of the reader.
It is screwed onto the inner face of the leaf, remaining in view from inside the home. It was the traditional system on old wooden doors and today it is used above all as an additional reinforcement, as well as in storerooms, garages and secondary access points. It should not be understood as a substitute for a main lock, but as a complement: added to a mortice lock in good condition, it multiplies the time needed to force the door.
A tool that fixes pieces by means of rivets, deforming their end until creating a permanent joint without needing welding or fixings. It is used in hardware, reinforcements and the assembly of metal elements. Its advantage is that the joint cannot be loosened from outside, which makes it interesting at points where an accessible screw would be a weakness for the security of the whole.
It is formed of articulated slats that are gathered onto a shaft located at the top. It is used in garages and access points where there is no space for a rigid leaf or for a lateral rail. It takes up very little when opening, but its resistance to forcing is lower than that of a sectional one, so on individual access points it is best to reinforce it with floor locks or deadbolts.
A horizontal tube located at the top onto which the shutter or the roller door is gathered, and which houses the torsion springs. It bears the entire weight of the assembly. Its supports and bearings wear out over the years and start to squeak or to generate play, which throws the rolling off-centre. Attending to that noise in time prevents the shutter from ending up rolling crookedly and jamming.
A decorative and fixing plate that surrounds the handle or the keyhole, hiding the screws and the recess cut into the leaf. Its function is mainly aesthetic and about finishing, not security, and it is best not to confuse it with the protective escutcheon. Some rose models incorporate reinforcements, but an ordinary rose offers no protection whatsoever against an attack on the cylinder.
An escutcheon whose outer part turns freely on itself, preventing a tool from gripping to pull it out or break it. That free spin frustrates both extraction and the attempt to break the cylinder. Combined with an anti-break cylinder and a fitted size, it forms the recommended standard protection against snapping, one of the most frequent attacks on homes with basic-range locks.
A technique that forces the complete turn of the cylinder by overcoming its internal resistance, instead of aligning the pins. It is a destructive method that disables the cylinder, used when other routes have been exhausted. Security cylinders incorporate elements that block or penalise forced rotation. As with other attacks, the best defence combines a reinforced cylinder with an escutcheon that prevents it being held from outside.
A common symptom of dropping, swelling of the wood due to humidity or settling of the frame. Besides the annoyance, it has a consequence that is underestimated: the bolt does not enter cleanly into the strike plate and all the effort falls on the mechanism. It is corrected by adjusting hinges, regulating the strike plate or easing the point of rubbing, according to the origin of the problem.