What are rim night latches?

Various types of door locks

And so here we are. You’re probably wondering why I’ve gathered you here today. Well the thing is, I thought we’d just have one more election…or maybe two. I was wondering if I could count on your vote..no, wait, come back… stop running away, screaming hysterically. Right, maybe that’s not the best plan after all.

But in this brief break between ballot days, I thought I’d pop in and continue my look at the various types of locks I come across in my day to day work. It’s really as exciting as it sounds but on the plus side I won’t be asking you to vote for any of them at the end.

What to expect from rim night latches?

Following on from last month’s swift gallivant through the wheat fields..sorry, I mean through the world of mortice locks, this month it’s the turn of rim night latches to come into focus. You may be more familiar with these under the name of Yale locks. However, this is simply the company’s name – it’s just that Yale rim night latches became so ubiquitous at one stage that the terms became interchangeable.

Despite this shorthand, bear in mind that not all rim night latches are Yale locks, and not all Yale locks are rim night latches. Clear as mud? Right, let’s continue.

A rim night latch is one that clicks into place and locks the door every time the door is closed. However, it only appears locked from one side as if you’re inside you can simply push the catch on the mechanism down and pull the door open. However if you’re on the outside with no access to the catch, the only way of opening the door is by inserting a thin key (usually one of the classic “Yale” types) into the keyhole, and then turning the key whilst simultaneously pushing open the door.  An additional aspect of these locks is that the catch on the inside will normally be able to be clicked into a position which will secure the door, even if someone on the outside has a key.  A safety failing of this is that if this is engaged and emergency access is needed from the outside then even someone with a key would not be able to enter the property without breaking the lock or door.

Rim night latches are, of course a boon when  it comes to TV comedies. Where would we be without the age-old trope of a scantily clad man or woman popping out the door to pick up the papers/put out the bin/chase out a misbehaving dog, only to turn round just as the door clicks shut behind them, leaving them locked out.  This has been quite the drawback/dramatic advantage of these locks for generations. Frequently the setting switches to hotel rooms in certain risque French films but we won’t go down that route right now.  The problem of getting accidentally locked out does not arise with the Euro cylinder locks that are now more commonly used in front doors in this country – some would of course see this as a positive, but who knows how many potential relationships are being missed out on through men sporting nothing but Y fronts calling on their neighbour for help after accidentally locking themselves out of their house, only to find the neighbour’s newly single cousin answering the door and…yes, I need to stop watching those French films.

Never leave your house unsecured

So, rim night latches are top notch at making sure you never leave the house unlocked, even on occasions when you might want to, but in truth they are not the sturdiest of locks. For this reason they are now often found used alongside a secondary, stronger lock. The secondary lock may be used when the property is left unattended or at night, with the rim night latch sufficing when the property is occupied throughout the day at times where someone trying to force the door, or smashing the glass to reach round to let themselves in  would be quickly noticed.

Before I wrap up, I want to quickly mention the deadlocking rim night latch. This adds extra security because it can be deadlocked with a key from the inside, preventing the scenario above with the smashed glass, and the possibility of an intruder reaching inside to push down the catch.

If you did go ahead and decide you wanted a rim night latch, the deadlocking version is certainly the one I’d most recommend because without it, the ordinary night latch is really not sufficient security when not used alongside another lock.

It’s fair to say that a rim night latch is not a lock I’d frequently recommend to my customers as a sole lock for their properties, although it does still have its uses in certain situations. It has been surpassed in popularity by the Euro Cylinder lock for newly built homes, though is still often found in older properties, as well as in offices and commercial buildings, usually alongside an additional main lock. As such, I thought it was worth including it in my look at different locks as even if you don’t have one on your own home, you’re still more than likely to regularly visit or work in a building that has them fitted.