Grade 1 Dead Bolts

• State Farm recommends that all the doors that lead into your interior and all of your exterior doors, such the door between your garage and your living space along with the garage door, be equipped with Grade 1 dead bolts. The "grade" refers to how durable the lock is. Grade 1 locks are the industry standard. Further, the dead bolt makes it very difficult for intruders to enter your home. The locks cannot be easily picked and, if you install a durable strike plate on the door near the frame, the lock cannot be kicked in. Further, because the lock is designed to bolt the door to the frame, the door cannot be easily pried open.
  
  

Chain Locks

• Chain locks are installed on the inside of the door. A slide rail is screwed into the door and a chain is mounted on the door frame. To lock the door, you simply slide the chain into the slide rail. These locks are not very secure; a swift kick to the door and the lock can fly off the slide rail. When used in conjunction with other locks, however, the chain lock can prove useful. For instance, assume a door has a dead bolt and a chain lock. If someone knocks on your door, you can unlock the deadbolt, but keep the chain lock on. This will allow you to open the door slightly and see who is knocking. If it's a friendly person you know, let him in. If it's a stranger and possibly an intruder, you can quickly shut the door and turn the dead bolt.
  
  

Padlocks

• Padlocks are generally used for outdoor structures, such as sheds and barns. The padlock is opened either with a combination or a key. It is one solid unit that fits onto a latch to keep the doors chained and shut. These locks have the disadvantage of being susceptible to crowbars and wire cutters. Further, you can lose the padlock, which is seperate from the latch on the door itself.