Beefy latch?

Question

Hello,

I have a gate to my apartment complex. I installed a Schlage D- series "extra heavy duty commercial ANSI Grade I" storeroom lock in the gate. The box that this lock is mounted in is a block of 3/4" solid steel that I bought at the steel store, and prepped with the big hole, the little hole, and the inset for the latch plate. A serious piece of work, that box. Took me a week, and almost burned out my drill press. I made it because the documentation of the lock intimated that the latch needed lateral support - and the steel boxes that one commonly sees in gates are completely hollow.

We have a bunch of kids who hang out on the street in front of the complex. They like to come and go, even though they lose their keys. Last night, somebody hammered the latch into the box. When my staff tried to free it, it came out in pieces. I do have a spare lock & latch on site, but am sure that when staff replaces it, the kids will destroy it again.

Wits end here... Anybody know of a better system?

- Jerry Kaidor

jerry · Accepted Answer

Whups, make that 1 3/4" thick steel.  That was a big piece ofsteel....                - Jerry Kaidor

Roger Cann · Answer

Hi,Try a latch protector plate.  maybe that will dicourage the use of a hammer to the latch.. maybe.Roger

jerry · Answer

*** Solution found - I think. We're going to replace the broken deadlatch with a compatible springlatch ( $49.50 from Schlage, ouch! ) They can bang on that as much as they want.

- Jerry Kaidor

Roger Shoaf · Answer

This is not much of a solution, as any latch will fail under a hammer attack like you describe.

A D series dead latch has the advantage over a spring latch in that when properly installed, you can't slip it with a card.

If you need another mounting block you can buy them prefab and weld them in place, solid does not give you much more than a box.

A viable alternative may be a mag lock with no moving parts.

Beefy latch?

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