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Outside Key vs Inside Button

Hdee

New member
Joined
Aug 24, 2025
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2
I was having a debate the other day about door locks, and I'm curious what the pros here think. The claim was that locking a door from the outside with the key supposedly engages the mechanism differently than if you just hit the thumbturn or button on the inside. The argument was that the key method makes it more secure because some extra part of the lock is being activated.
Personally, I'm skeptical. My understanding has always been that whether you use the key from the outside or the turn piece from the inside, you're moving the same parts inside the lock and ending up with the same level of security. Is there actually any truth to this idea that one way of locking a door is stronger or safer than the other? Or is it just a misconception that keeps circulating?
 
Yep, you got it. Usually, a key and a thumbturn do the same thing inside the lock. So, you are not getting extra protection unless you have a double-cylinder deadbolt
 
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