What Is An Espagnolette Lock?
What is an Espagnolette Lock?
If you are wondering what is an espagnolette lock you would not be the first person to ask that question. Although it is highly likely that you have seen these locks before, you just didn’t know their name. Espagnolette locks are commonly used in order to provide extra security to french doors on windows.
In this espagnolette lock guide, we explain what is an espagnolette lock, how espagnolette locks work and when is the best time to use them. We also cover espagnolette handles which are becoming increasingly popular in home design.
What is an Espagnolette Lock?
The term ‘Espagnolette’ is actually the French word for ‘Spanish’ which is why it may seem uncommon to English speakers. Often shortened to ‘Espag’ these types of locks are a one-piece mechanism that fits externally upon French doors or internally within the edge of a casement window. These locks are keyless and the way in which they work is that the handle activated or deactivates the locking system based on the position it sits in.
How are Espagnolette Locks used with French Doors?
Although they are very attractive features within a property, French doors are renowned for being fairly low security. This is due to their only locking mechanism being located in the center of the door and with enough force, it is relatively easy to disable and gain access. This is where espagnolette locks can provide a higher amount of security to your French doors. The long metal bar of the espagnolette mechanism provides more security to French doors as a whole by moving the locking point from a single area in the middle of the doors to a complete structural area spanning the length of the door and secured at either end.
The locking mechanism of espagnolette locks is very simple to operate and can be set up uniquely to your own preferences. The mechanism as a whole works so that the locks are extended and in place in one handle position and then when the handle is moved into another position the locks are retracted allowing the door to open. Most commonly the doors will be in a horizontal or vertical position for locking and then moved into the other position in order to unlock.
In some cases, people put espagnolette locks internally on both French doors maximise their security. This will aid in helping to slow down, and hopefully prevent, intruders from gaining access to your property; however, at Wonkee Donkee we strongly discourage you to have French doors at public entrance points to your property. French doors should only be used internally or on the external of a building if it leads out to a secured area of your own grounds.
Can you use Flush Bolts with French Doors?
Another option to increase the security of your French doors is to use flush bolts. Typically, French doors are not both open at the same time and the door which closes first tends to remain closed. To secure this door in place flush bolts will be used at the top and the bottom. These bolts not only provide extra security they also have a structural purpose and allow for the French doors to be closed more easily.
Flush bolts are installed into French doors so that they sit flat on the surface. They work by either being flicked up to extend the bolt and lock the door or down to retract the bolt and allow the door to open. This is not true of all flush bolts with some operating the other way around but the mechanism and how they operate is always similar.
What are Espagnolette Handles?
Similar to the espagnolette locks, the handles work by locking and unlocking door or windows based on their positioning. The difference is that espagnolette handles tend to be more technical in their mechanism and allow doors and windows to not only open and lock and standard, but also open in different directions.
They are much more commonly used in windows or balcony doors allowing them to open in the traditional manner of in and out along the vertical axis and also on the bottom horizontal angle. This obviously requires extra hinges and they are slightly more technical to install, but they are a great design feature if you want the flexibility of a patio door that you can also open to allow air in like a window.
What are the different types of Espagnolette Handles?
As French doors and windows widely vary in design depending on the property that they belong to so do espagnolette handles. If you go to your local builders’ merchants or online you will be able to espagnolette handles in a range of styles; from rustic to suit older properties to new modern designs for new builds. There is also a lot of variation in the price of espagnolette door handles so it is important to take into account how many handles you will need and their total cost when deciding which is the best espagnolette handles to buy.
