The first point to make is that there is no standard in the way which locks turn in order to lock or unlock. So what makes the most sense? Start with the easiest. Turning the key in either direction opens the padlock in each of the locks I tested. But what it only one direction works? In this case, what is the most intuitive direction to turn it? I would argue counterclockwise (or anti-clockwise, as some prefer). Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosy" - The age old phrase to remember which was to rotate a screw to tighten or loosen it. The rationale being that you are "loosening" the bolt and then rotating to the left (the "left" rotation is in relation to the top) -- aka: counterclockwise. A simple turn hand turn mechanism is on my front door. When it is in a horizontal position, the door is locked. The mechanism can be seen as a representation of the position of the bolt. In this case, highlighted by the red line, the bolt follows the horizontal line made by the mechanism -- indicating it is locked.
To unlock the bolt, which way do you turn it? Because you're turning the bolt away from the opening. To lock you turn the bolt mechanism towards the door opening. A similar door sits in my basement. In this case a keyhole is on the deadbolt, with a turn lock on the knob itself. The knob's turn mechanism works in the same way as described above. The position tells me what state the lock is in (horizontal = locked and vertical = unlocked, as described above). Turning the mechanism "away" from the opening will unlock the knob. But what about the keyhole? It always faces straight up. In fact, I can't get the key out of it unless it is straight up so how do I tell what state it is in? Although I can't tell the state, I can follow the same rule of turn "towards" the opening to verify that it is locked. Both of these doors open to the left. What about doors that open to the right? Thankfully, I have a kitchen door too... Here we have both a deadbolt and a knob lock.
Both in the locked position -- known by their horizontal position. So which way do we turn them to unlock the door? Counterclockwise would seem logical, because that is the direction all the other locks worked! Perhaps a little annoying, but they still fall inline with the mental model of what's happening above. Turning the mechanism away from the door opening will unlock them, and turning the toward the opening will lock them. What I've presented here is my "mental model" of how the lock mechanism works. When I encounter a lock that I've not used before this is the model I use to address the operation of that lock. Others may have a different mental model; perhaps an "always counterclockwise" mental model in which a lock is always turned to the left -- no matter its relation to what is being unlocked. In this case, the user would be very annoyed with my kitchen door. Because there is simply no standard (and you don't have to follow standards, it's just nice when you do) we can't claim there is a correct mental model to have.
But, naturally, I would argue that my mental is the more proper one. Most people would tend to argue their mental model is the more proper, too. Turning the mechanism away from the point you are locking means you know which is way is which. An arbitrary direction is always open to interpretation and potential confusion, while an action in relation to the object (the door opening) is a constant reference to base off of. But that's my mental model. Your mental model may say otherwise... Since writing this answer I've naturally paid a little more attention to how I lock and unlock doors around my house. I've discovered a lock that works totally opposite of the rest. The screen door leading out of kitchen has a lock which turns counterclockwise to unlock and clockwise to lock. If you remember my description of my kitchen door above, you'll remember it is a right opening door and that the locks on it work in the opposite direction. In the case of the screen door turning the lock "away" from the opening locks it, and turning it "towards" the opening locks it.
I can't use my mental model of how doors work on this! But I've realized that my "muscle memory" has kicked in and I instinctively remember how this particular door works (i.e., opposite of how I would normally expect it). As a result I don't have an issue with it... but I wouldn't be surprised if I did in the past. If the key is upside down when installing the lock, the cylinder must be removed in order to change the key way. The cylinder removal tool (81467-003) may be needed in order to do complete this operation. Please contact consumer service through Ask A Question to order this tool. Please view instructions below on how to remove the cylinder to change the key way.1. Step 1: Rotating the round spindle for removal. 2. Step 2: Removing Round Spindle. 3. Step 3: Inserting cylinder removal tool and removing cylinder. 4. Step 4: Reinserting the cylinder. No documents matching this FAQ.Return to our Door Repair Home Page I've been asked so many times how to determine the swing of a door, or its "handing", that I have
finally broken down and posted this explanation. My appreciation to the Brockway Smith Company , a.k.a. Brosco, for allowing us the use of their text and graphics. Some sites have tried to explain handing in reference to your location inside or outside the room. can be confusing since there are circumstances when it is difficult to determine which room to use as a reference point (such as doors between adjacent rooms). This is the best graphical explanation I've seen, including graphics. If you are determining the handing of an exterior door before ordering one, be sure to read my note below in the "Exterior Door" section! Regarding the installation of locks... Most common round-handled locksets are reversible. However, if you are installing curved lever-style locks, knowing your door's hand isBoth privacy (bedroom - bathroom) and keyed locksets have different inside and outsideThe lockset should have the hand noted on the
There is more info about lock handing at the end of IF YOU ARE REPLACING AN EXISTING DOOR: With the door open, stand with your back against the hinge jamb. If your left hand is nearer the doorknob, then the door is LEFT-HANDED. If your right hand is nearer the doorknob, then the door is RIGHT-HANDED. IF YOU ARE INSTALLING A NEW DOOR AND JAMB IN A ROUGH OPENING: Decide which side of the frame will have the door hinges. back against the hinge-side of the frame and extend an arm in the direction you wish the door to open. If you extended the left arm, then you need to order a LEFT-HANDED door set. If you extended the right arm, then you need to order a RIGHT-HANDED door set. IF THE DOOR IS GOING TO BE AN EXTERIOR DOOR... exterior doors typically swing inward, outswinging exterior doors are available. So be sure to add "inswinging" or "outswinging" to your notes before ordering! When the door opens toward you and the knob is on the left hand side, it is a LEFT HAND DOOR.
When the door opens toward you and the knob is on the right hand side, it is a RIGHT HAND DOOR. To order the correct exterior door, you need to know both the desired handing and whether it is inswing or You are standing inside the house... When the door opens toward you and the knob is on the left hand side, it is a LEFT HAND INSWING DOOR. When the door opens toward you and the knob is on the right hand side, it is a RIGHT HAND INSWING DOOR. When the door opens away from you (towards the outside) and the knob is on the right hand side, it is a LEFT HAND OUTSWING DOOR.When the door opens away from you (towards the outside) and the knob is on the left hand side, it is a RIGHT HAND OUTSWING (Note from NH: Most interior doors are identical on both sides, but some exterior doors have a definite inside andSo it is important to know not only the handing but whether the door is "inswing" or "outswing" Some knowledgeable do-it-yourselfers use other methods to determine door
One common alternative is to note the location of the hinges as opposed to the location of the lock. 1) If the hinges are on the left side when you walk through a door, it is a left-hand door. 2) If the hinges are on the right side when you walk through it, it is a right-hand door. This is a perfectly fine method if itHowever, to be true to our handymen ancestors, the terms "handing" and "hand" of a door refer to the hand you pull the door open with. Otherwise, they would have called it "hinging". One reader had some confusion about the description of door handing on a door The problem is in their description of "handing". determining handing based on the lockset orientation you need to choose, not using the typical industry standard for What they call "left-hand outswing" is (in the door industry) actuallyThe left hand inswing and outswing (per their diagrams) use the exact same lockset (with the key on the outside).