Why is Mortise Lock Better?

One of the main questions we get by anyone new to the door and lock industry is the difference between a mortise lock and a turbular lock. Not everyone understands the different types of locks and their applications. It’s not uncommon when we’re performing a specification analysis with our customers that we hear, “What… Mortise? Turbular? Cylindrical? What’s the difference?” 

In all actuality, there’s a huge difference. 

A Mortise lock is a lock that requires a pocket, mortise means a recess cut or a hole. A hole needs to be made into the door where the lock will be fitted. 

These are the 3 main parts of a Mortise lock:

1. Mortise Lock - is essentially the body of the lock

2. Lever Handle - a wide selection of Lever design is available in different colour

3. Cylinder - a barrel where the key enters to engage the lock

A Turbular Lock / Cylindrical Lock

A Turbular lock is designed to be installed through the door with a knob or a lever on either side. 

The action of depressing the handle or turning the knob retracts the latch, thus engages the lock.

The Turbular Lock is a relatively simpler system compared to the Mortise lock. If you had the experience of removing a lock at home, you would have seen the lock is held up by just a hole through the door. 

Why is Mortise Lock Better?

A Mortise lock is Higher in Security. It requires a big amount of force to break open the door when the lock is fitted into the door. The harder it is to break open the lock, the more secure your facilities become. Furthermore, a mortise lock allows enhancement of security by upgrading to an anti-picking cylinder with high-security keys(Controlled duplication).

As mentioned above, fitting the lock into the door makes a mortise lock more Durable than a Turbular lock; as the lever handle is held up by the lock body instead of a hole through the door.

Mortise lock has a Wider variety of lever designs. That provides more choices for style, material and color selection.