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Posted by DDH Staff on 10/29/2012 to
Tips
Privacy often gets confused with entrance locks. The difference is that an entrance is used on an exterior door and it uses a key to unlock or lock the door from the outside. A privacy is used on a bathroom or bedroom door and can easily be unlocked from the outside by a generic tool, like a bobby/hair pin, small flat head screw driver if necessary. Privacy locks can have a turn button, a privacy pin, or choose a privacy bolt as an option as well.
The privacy locks with a turn button are the most common especially by brands that are more affordable and that most of us have in our own home. To lock and unlock, all you have to do is simply turn the button (that you can see in the picture above on the left) and it will lock the door knob in place. If for some reason you need to get inside the door and it is locked, you can use a generic tool in the hole on the exterior like I talked about earlier.
For this Type of Privacy Lock, Choose: Schlage, Weiser, Kwikset, Sure-Loc
Push pin or button privacy locks have a push pin/button on the rosette of the door knob or lever. To lock, just push the pin or button in and it will lock it in place. These types of privacy locks have what they call a panic release which means that to unlock the lock all you have to do is turn the lever or knob from the inside and it will release the pin or button and unlock the door. Great and simple feature for convenience, and also nice in case of emergency. Just like the other privacy locks, this can be unlocked from the outside with a generic tool.
For this Type of Privacy Lock, Choose: Weslock, Nostalgic Warehouse, Emtek, Grandeur, Omnia, Baldwin
This one is kind of a newer and more unique style of privacy lock. Using this privacy bolt (by Linnea) and a knob/lever is similar to using a deadbolt but doesn't require a key from the outside. To unlock from the outside in case of emergency use anything that can fit in that little slot (you can see in the picture above on the right) like, a penny or a flat head screw driver or maybe even a finger nail.
For this combination, search for privacy bolt, then find a lever or knob style you like in a passage function.
Turn Button Privacy Lock
The privacy locks with a turn button are the most common especially by brands that are more affordable and that most of us have in our own home. To lock and unlock, all you have to do is simply turn the button (that you can see in the picture above on the left) and it will lock the door knob in place. If for some reason you need to get inside the door and it is locked, you can use a generic tool in the hole on the exterior like I talked about earlier.
For this Type of Privacy Lock, Choose: Schlage, Weiser, Kwikset, Sure-Loc
Privacy Push Pin/Button Lock
Push pin or button privacy locks have a push pin/button on the rosette of the door knob or lever. To lock, just push the pin or button in and it will lock it in place. These types of privacy locks have what they call a panic release which means that to unlock the lock all you have to do is turn the lever or knob from the inside and it will release the pin or button and unlock the door. Great and simple feature for convenience, and also nice in case of emergency. Just like the other privacy locks, this can be unlocked from the outside with a generic tool.
For this Type of Privacy Lock, Choose: Weslock, Nostalgic Warehouse, Emtek, Grandeur, Omnia, Baldwin
Privacy Bolt with Lever/Knob
This one is kind of a newer and more unique style of privacy lock. Using this privacy bolt (by Linnea) and a knob/lever is similar to using a deadbolt but doesn't require a key from the outside. To unlock from the outside in case of emergency use anything that can fit in that little slot (you can see in the picture above on the right) like, a penny or a flat head screw driver or maybe even a finger nail.
For this combination, search for privacy bolt, then find a lever or knob style you like in a passage function.