replacing and/or decorating your front door

Do you need to replace one of your home's exterior doors? If so, you may be considering a multi-point locking door. Here are a few important things to know about this type of locking mechanism. 

Multi-Point Locks Provide Better Seals

One reason why it may be worth getting a multi-point lock for your exterior door is that it provides a better seal. Rather than just bringing the door in at the central locking point, it can do so at the top and bottom of the door. This can help eliminate drafts and improve your home's energy efficiency.

Multi-Point Locks Require a Bigger Pocket in the Door

You need to know that a multi-point lock is going to require that the door has a bigger pocket in the door to accommodate the lock. Not all doors are able to support a bigger pocket, which will make a multi-point lock not possible to install. You should definitely keep the pocket needed in mind as you start the door selection process. In addition, there also needs to be a channel that is routed inside the edge of the door to reach the locking mechanism at the top and bottom of the door. 

Multi-Point Locks Operate Differently Than Regular Locks

The way a multi-point lock works is a bit different than a standard lock. Pulling down on the handle is going to retract all of the locks in the door. However, pulling up on the handle is what pushes out the top and bottom locking mechanisms. It's a different way of using your door handle that you may not be used to. 

Multi-Point Locks Prevent Warping

A good reason to have a multi-point lock is to prevent a door from warping. By forming that tight seal along the entire length of the door, you are going to ensure that the door remains straight and doesn't warp over time. This is especially important if you have a very tall door that is more prone to warping, especially when the door faces strong wind conditions from the outside. 

Multi-Point Locks Are More Secure

Your door is going to be a lot harder for the typical person to break into because of the way that it is secured. While most people will try to kick down a door by applying pressure to the locking mechanism, know that this is hard to do when the mechanism is at the top of the door.