Deadbolt

A deadbolt or deadlock is a type of lock morticed into a wooden door where a bolt is thrown into the door frame, using a key from either side, to secure the door. It is distinct from a spring bolt lock because a deadbolt can only be opened by a key or handle. The more common spring bolt lock uses a spring to hold the bolt in place, allowing retraction by applying force to the bolt itself.

A deadbolt can therefore make a door more resistant to entry without the correct key, as well as make the door more resistant to forced entry.
A deadbolt is often used to complement a spring-bolt lock on an entry door to a building.

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Source: Wikipedia · Image: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

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The lock-grade and safe-rating figures throughout this site are drawn directly from the published ANSI/BHMA A156 and UL 72/687 standards — see the ratings reference. Calculators run real math, not AI estimates; guides and articles are written and edited in-house.