Some deadbolt locks may leave you vulnerable

PITTSBURGH,None — I assumed deadbolt locks were all pretty similar, but that is not the case. While a deadbolt is clearly better than a standard door knob, unless the deadbolt is strong enough, it may fail when you need it most.

Consumer Reports spent weeks prying, hammering, picking and pummeling deadbolt locks and they found the cheapest ones just didn't hold up.

"You're going to get some of the flimsiest metals out there. You could even be getting plastic that's painted to look like it's a metal," said Brian Wirtz, a lock specialist at Lowe's.

That's unsettling because forced entry is the most common type of home break-in, whether it's kicking a door in or prying a door open.

"You don't want to look for the cheapest thing on the market. You can't put a price on safety," said Wirtz.

Wirtz pulled apart a well-made lock to show me what to look for. The first thing he pointed out was the quality of the metal. He said you want high-quality metal in both the lock and the strike plate. And he demonstrated that you don’t want to be able to bend the strike plate with your hands.

He also warned to watch out for quarter-inch screws, which will give way easily. He said the screws should be about 3 inches long so they go deep into the door frame.

And it's not just the lock that's important. When Consumer Reports did a kick-in test, testers found it was the wooden door frame that often gave way. If you have an older door and the wood is rotting, Wirtz told me you should consider replacing it along with the door frame.

"If you have a flimsy door jamb, it's really not going to matter if the lock is good,” said Wirtz.

If you can't afford to replace the door, a cheaper option is to reinforce the door jamb with a metal strip that is about 3 feet long. Wirtz showed me a product called Door Jam Armor. It’s an option Consumer Reports recommends as well.

In the test, Consumer Reports found deadbolt locks in $40 to $55 price range performed well, including brands such as Falcon, Baldwin, Kwikset, Schlage, Weiser and Emtek.

If you live in an apartment and can't change the locks, another option is a door security bar. It’s an adjustable bar that fits under the door handle and then stretches to the floor, holding the door in place even if the lock is pried. Wirtz told me it’s something parents often buy for their college age kids who are living away from home for the first time.

As for the locks that did not perform well, Consumer Reports found they were in the $10 to $50 range, and include brands such as Master Lock, Segal, Gate House, Weslock, Kwikset, Dexter and Yale.

Consumer Reports Standard Deadbolt Locks Top Performers: Falcon $55 Baldwin $34 Kwikset $28 Schlage $46 Weiser $26 Emtek $40

Consumer Reports Standard Deadbolt Locks Least Reliable: Master Lock $13 Segal $50 Gate House $12 Weslock $30 Kwikset $13 Dexter $21 Yale $42 Arrow $43

For the complete review follow this link. You may need to be a Consumer Reports member to see all of the results.

WPXI