A Guide to Indoor Door Locks for College Classrooms
Explore indoor door lock options for college classrooms, comparing security features, code compliance, ease of use, and safety best practices.
In any form of further education, creating a learning environment where disturbances are kept to a minimum is so important. Students can do their best work when they have peace and quiet to work in. Creating a college classroom environment where tranquillity wins out, though, is not easy. One way to change this, though, is to invest in better indoor door locks.
On the face of it, the quality of internal door locks would not have much of an impact on the quality of a learning space. However, it does – often, quite drastically. Doors that can be easily locked and kept shut mean that noise pollution is limited and classroom interruptions are kept to a minimum. To help you appreciate the value of indoor door locks, we asked Locks & Handles for some further insight.
Not only do the right types of door locks make classrooms more secure, but they can also improve the learning environment by reducing distractions. Let’s take a look at the topic in closer detail.
Why College Classrooms Need To Prioritise Internal Door Locks
In college, students have far more autonomy than they do in school. As such, it is expected that students can come and go from the class as needed. That means that you always want to have doors that can be easily opened and closed, right? However, that also creates an opportunity for distractions.
Those distractions can come in many forms. For example, another student or lecturer stepping into the class can cause attention to be diverted to the individual. At the same time, doors that are not properly locked can be open ajar just enough to let in needless noise pollution from outside the class. There could be people passing by, or another class that has a louder, more practical environment.
Either way, the problems remain: students in higher education need to know they can come and go safely. Lecturers, meanwhile, need to have indoor door locks that can be easily put into action so that noise pollution is limited and distractions are kept to a minimum.
Securing classrooms becomes very important, and the easiest way to do so is to invest in the right internal door locks. Below are some of the best options that most college classrooms can use to create an easy come-and-go experience for students whilst helping prevent distractions elsewhere.
The Best Indoor Lock Options For College Classrooms
If you are looking to improve the quality of your college's internal door locks, you have several options. The following door locks are arguably the best choices for people looking to create the right kind of classroom atmosphere:
Lockable Lever Handles
A lever handle is a great starting place when evaluating suitable indoor door locks in your college. These handles are very popular because they remain very easy to use. At the same time, the internal lock mechanism allows the lock to be quickly activated and deactivated, perhaps even just by pressing a button.
At the same time, though, these locks make it hard for someone else to walk into the classroom, as they prevent outdoor entry. Anyone leaving the classroom, though, can simply unlock the door and pull on the lever. There is also a usability benefit: most door lever handles are ideal for classrooms with students with physical limitations or disabilities.
A handle is much easier to operate than other options, such as a doorknob. Overall, these make great choices for those who want easy access inside the classroom but also to keep the door closed from outside interference.
Lockable Door Knobs
A great choice for most college classrooms is to invest in a doorknob. A lockable door knob is a great choice as it can be easily fitted into the design of the room, meaning the door knob itself does not become an aesthetic distraction. At the same time, they can be easily engaged and disengaged.
That means that, when engaged, the door remains locked from the outside. Lecturers and students can then disengage the lock as they come and go, keeping access to the classroom easy for all. At the same time, this means that you can keep the classroom secure from unwanted visitors.
Even in the event of an emergency, a lockable door knob means that you can simply unlock the door should the classroom ned to be evacuated. Door knobs, though, are probably not the best choice for college classrooms that contain high-value assets, as door knobs, while easy to open, are not the most secure compared to other options. For classrooms with high-value assets, you should consider:
Smart Locks
While by no means the most feasible financially, smart locks are great for the most expensive college classrooms. These include science labs, tech facilities and areas with high-value IT equipment.
Smart locks are a very wise choice, as they can be easily installed by a locksmith and accessed without a key. Instead, college students and faculty can access the smart lock via a PIN code, an app, or, in some cases, a biometric scan. That is incredibly useful for ensuring the lock cannot be picked and for stopping people from just waltzing into the class mid-lesson.
Yes, these cost more, but they generally offer the best indoor door locks for those looking to really protect a classroom environment from needless, avoidable distractions whilst ensuring easy exits in an emergency.
Finding The Right Indoor Door Locks For Your Classrooms
All three of the above options are good alternatives to just relying on a standard lockless door. That said, it can be tough to make a 100% definitive decision.
Therefore, you should consider hiring a locksmith. They can inspect your classrooms and provide a clear rundown of which indoor door locks would be suitable for each door. Generally, a mix of knobs, handles, and smart locks can be used across your classrooms to spread out security and accessibility based on each class's usage and content.
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