Finding the Best Lock for Self-Storage
Keeping your property secure is the number one concern of anyone who rents a self-storage unit. These are places off of your own property that rely on others to stay fully secure. This is why many storage vendors sell premium locks that will both stand up to the elements and keep your unit secure. Most of the time these locks are heavy-duty locks that function with a key, but padlocks can also be used. To learn which type of lock is good for your unit consider the following:
Shackle Padlocks
These traditional locks have a base locking unit with a rounded shackle that passes through an eyelet on handle to secure the door. Since the shackle is the weakest point of the lock, the length of material, thickness, and material is important. The shackle of your padlock is an obvious point of attack for thieves wielding bolt cutters and the like. Because of that, it is important to strike the right balance between reducing the amount of exposed shackle and allowing sufficient clearance for your purpose.
A close shackle has built-in shoulders that expose only a small amount of the shackle, but this reduces the useable clearance of the lock. As far as thickness, anything over 10 millimeters of thickness for the shackle is considered high security, while anything less than 7 millimeters is low security. They can be made from materials such as plastic for light security situations all what way up to molybdenum, which is the strongest material used in padlocks.
Cylinder Locks
Cylinder locks are offered by many storage companies and they slide directly into a hole in the door. This tight fit eliminates the exposure of a shackle and a raised area that can be tampered with. It is often a lock flush with the door much like a conventional permanent lock.
Smart Locks
One way that the storage industry is going is the use of smart locks. These types of locks are completely keyless and can be opened via a keypad or an access card. Some of the more sophisticated models can even use biometric fingerprint recognition or interaction with an app on your smartphone. These are a good option for self storage companies because they do not need to be replaced when a new renter takes over a unit. They can merely reprogram it for the new client.
These are just a few of the options out there for self-storage locks, and many of them depend on the type of facility you choose. Each storage company is difference and has difference capabilities for locks. Be sure to ask for what options you have up front.