Why do Yale locks have such a stellar reputation? Explore the story and credentials of this longstanding firm.
Happiness has many roots, but none more important than security. (Edward Stettinius Jr.)
We lock our doors to keep ourselves, our valuables and our loved ones safe. But what do we know exactly about these silent guardians in which we put so much trust?
Perhaps, like many, you have simply inherited the locks on your doors and windows from a previous homeowner. If this is the case, your first question might be, "How do I know if my locks are the right quality?"
Well, if your locks are all Yale 3-star Euro Cylinders, then you can relax. These locks boast the highest security rating available and are endorsed by the UK Police in its Secured by Design scheme.
How do I know if I have Yale locks?
Look for the British Standard Kitemark found engraved on the faceplate, the metal part of the lock that can only be seen when the door is open.
Of course, Yale locks all carry this mark. But 3-star Euro Cylinders will also be stamped with a diamond symbol with three stars above it.
Why do Yale locks have such a good reputation?
You know those movie scenes where the Action Hero bursts through a front door with one impressive kick? Or where the secret agent casually gets to work with her lock picks and gains entry in a cool 30 seconds?
With a Yale 3-star Euro Cylinder lock, those scenarios stay firmly in fantasy.
It's all about the precision-engineered cylinder. Unlike the cylinder in lesser locks, it's highly resistant to all common forced-entry methods. That includes snapping, picking, drilling and bumping (hammering a screwdriver into the front of the lock).
In fact, Yale is so confident in the strength and resilience of this lock that it offers a £1,000 guarantee against it being snapped in a forced break-in.
How do Yale locks work?
The part we push our key into is actually a little barrel that rotates inside a cylinder as we turn the key. As the barrel rotates, it pulls back the door latch, allowing the door to open.
The clever part is the line of six tiny holes drilled through the bottom of the barrel into the base of the outer cylinder. An extremely strong steel pin sits in each hole. This protrudes up through the corresponding hole in the barrel and prevents it from rotating.
The pins sit on tiny springs so they're able to be pushed down. The barrel can only rotate if all the pins are pushed back through the holes at the same time by the teeth on your key.
However, the pins are set at different lengths, so the contour of the key has to precisely match the different heights of the pins as you push it into the barrel. Only then will the pins be pushed down far enough to allow the barrel to rotate and the door latch to disengage.
This design is the original pin tumbler cylinder lock that became synonymous with the name of its inventor.
Who invented the Yale Lock?
Linus Yale Jr. was the son of an accomplished and innovative locksmith, Linus Yale Sr. In 1850, at the age of 29, Linus joined his father in the family business. He took one of his father's earlier inventions and then perfected and patented it. The Yale lock was born.
Interestingly, Linus Jr. took inspiration from an ingenious wooden locking system used by the ancient Egyptians, 4,000 years ago.
The Egyptian lock featured a wooden bar that was attached to the door with a bracket. This bar could slide into a hole in the door frame.
As the bar slid forward, wooden pins dropped down from the bracket into holes in the top of the bar. This prevented the bar from being pulled back, effectively locking the door.
To unlock the door, you needed something that looked very much like a large wooden toothbrush, which was slightly angled up at the end. The "bristles" were wooden pegs arranged in a pattern. This could be inserted into a cut-away in the wooden bar below the pins.
The arrangement of the pegs corresponded precisely to the pattern of the holes in the bar. This meant that the pegs could be pushed up into the holes to push the pins upwards out of the bar. When the pins were in position, the bar could be slid back out of the door frame and the door would be released.
The number of holes in the bar and their pattern would be different for each door so only the wooden key with the matching pattern of pegs would work.
What's next for Yale locks?
Over the past 180 years, Yale has consistently added more features to its locks in an effort to produce the most secure products possible. It's poetic that a company that took inspiration from the ancient world is now one of the leaders in smart home technology.
Enter the Yale smart lock. This is a keyless, electromechanical lock that includes all the security features you expect from Yale – but with the addition of Wifi or Bluetooth control.
This is home security on an entirely new level. Yale smart locks can be controlled from a smartphone app, so you never have to fumble for your keys again. This also means you can lock your door remotely, use virtual keys and receive notifications whenever a household member leaves or arrives back home.
How can I upgrade my locks?
As we've seen with those enterprising Egyptians, feeling secure is a fundamental need that quite literally spans millennia.
Calder Windows is here to fulfil that need. We only supply windows and doors that are of superior quality and ensure exceptional security. That's why we use Yale door locks in all our composite and French doors – and a multipoint reverse-action inline locking system for our uPVC and casement windows.
Are you interested in upgrading your locks? Please don't hesitate to get in touch. We'd be happy to advise you of your options.
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*Some models differ in warranty.
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