What Locksmiths Pay For The Locks They Sell You

If you want to have some bargaining leverage when dealing with your locksmith, here are some of the prices he pays for the items he sells you!

1. Glass door lock cylinder, keyed or thumb turn - $6 to $9
2. Medium Grade Door Lever - $45
3. LSDA Grade 1 Door Closer - $65
4. Von Duprin 99 Series Panic Car - $475 to $575
5. Adams Rite "copycat" deadbolt - $18
6. LCN 4041 Door Closer - $240
7. Heavy Duty Door Lever, LSDA $100
8. Heavy Duty Schlage Lever - $250
9. Exit Security Bar - $58
10. Detex EAX-500 - $95 without cylinder

Hope this helps!  If you think you are being charged too much for your locks, and if you need to order locks, I can have them drop-shipped to you at a better price!  And if you need service in the Nashville area, call David at 615-308-6794!

Door Closer Leaking Oil

Having a door closer malfunction is usually a good sign! It means your business has customers that are entering and exiting your door. But a door closer that slams or stops altogether can pose a very dangerous situation to you and your customers. If your door closer slams it could easily break a customers limb, throw her to the ground, knock her unconscious, or severe fingers. Aside from a lawsuit, you as a manager or business owner would never be able to live with the fact that your negligence in maintaining your door closers maimed a person. Here is what you can do to maintain you door closer.

1. Take a small flat head screwdriver and a set of Allen wrenches. On either side of the surface mounted closer, or in the header, you will see two or three screws. One screw controls the speed of the door from full open to about 2/3rds closed. This is called the sweep. The second screw controls the speed from the 2/3rds mark to close. This is called the latch. It is hard to know which is which sometimes. Usually 1 is sweep and 2 is latch. If your door is closing too fast, turn one of the screws a half turn and see where the door slowed down. Was it the sweep or latch? By tightening these screws slowly, you can reduce the closing speeds. If you tighten them all of the way down, then the door should stop in the open position. However, never unloosen the screws to where they fall out because hydraulic fluid will shoot out and you will ruin the closer.
2. Check for fluid leakage around the closer. Touch the closer. Is there an oily or sticky feel to it? Often, a broken closer has leaking oil. Sometimes, a closer is leaking but has not broken fully. If you see oil leaking, the closer must be replaced. Not only will the closer eventually slam, but someone may slip on the oil or have their clothes ruined.
3. If your door stays open, the spring in the closer is probably ruined. Replace it.
4. If you have an overhead concealed closer, expect to pay $450 to have it replaced. It usually takes two people to install one. This unit will cost the locksmith about $110. A surface mounted closer can cost you from $195 to $500 depending on brand. A nice LCN 4041 would be expensive. A Grade 1 LSDA closer would be your best bet. All closers come in either Bronze or silver.

Make money servicing door closers! Click here to go to Amazon and check out my computer downloadable book.  Servicing and Replacing Commercial Door Closers.

The Amazing Medium Grade Lever!

If you have a business office and are looking to beef up the security on your office doors, you need look no further than the LSDA Grade 2 Leverset. Not only are these levers attractive, but they also come with LSDA's incredible 15 year warranty which covers materials and workmanship.  Available in brushed nickle, bright brass, or bronze, these levers will fit in any office decor. They come in the standard entry by key function for your office doors, storeroom function for electrical and janitor room doors, and classroom function that can be left unlocked by key or locked by. Finish off your restrooms with the privacy function and you are good to go!

The LSDA Medium Grade Lever is compatible for home or business and is offered with the 2-3/8 latch for the home and the 2-3/4 latch for commercial applications. These latches have a 1/2 inch throw and include an ANSI 4-7/8 inch  by 1-1/4 inch strike. These levers will fit door that are 1-3/8 to 1-7/8 inches thick utilizing a standard 2-1/8 diameter hole. These levers are non-handed.

If you are in a situation where children are hanging form the locks or employees get angry when the door is locked, consider ordering the lever with the clutch mechanism.  The clutch allows the locked outside lever to go through the opening motion without opening the door, thereby relieving pressure on the lever. The rigid model, however, is the one I use most.

One of the most attractive features of these levers is that they can be through-bolted as an option.  In the event you install this lock on an exit door, this option is desirable. If you choose not to through-bolt this lever, you can use small self-tapping screws on the inside plate.  This will keep the lock from slipping around during vandalism. However, for inside applications, no through-bolting or additional screws is necessary.

Locksmiths pay around $38 for these levers, but don't let the price fool you! I use this lock exclusively for small business, medium-duty applications and the results are great.  Expect to pay as much as $185 for an installation by Middle Tennessee locksmiths.

Overall, I would choose this Grade 2 lock over all other competitors, just for the warranty alone.

What Nashville, TN Locksmiths Pay For Commerical Locks

In this day and age, you need to know what a locksmith pays for the goods he is selling you. You can usually find this online, but I can make it simple for you.  With this information, you can make reasonable counter-offers. Remember, there is more to overhead than the wholesale price of a lock.  However, some locksmiths are selling glass door cylinders for $65 each and key copies for $4.00.

Commercial Locks

1. Round glass door cylinders and thumb-turns, generic - $5 to $8 each
2. Adams-Rite style deadbolts for glass doors, generic - $13
3. Grade 1 door closers, surface mounted - $49
4. Von Duprin 22 Series panic bars without trim - $208
4a. Von Duprin 22 Series outside trim - $108
5. Door levers, Medium duty, generic - $30 to $60
6. Door levers, Heavy Duty - $85 to $250 (Generic - Name brand)
7. Bathroom levers, medium duty, generic - $40 to $65
8. Key blanks, generic - .25 to .45 for common types
9. Best style cores - $8 to $15
10. Office door knobs, generic - $18.00 to $25
11. Detex 230 Model - $150
12. Detex EAX-500 - $95
13. Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, Assa High Security Clinders - $45 to $65
14. Exit Security Bar - $60
15. Von Duprin 99 Series Exit Bar - $550
16. Von Duprin Outside Trim - $220
17. Von Duprin Guard-X Alarm Lock - $250
18. Continuous Hinges - $95
19. Kaba Mas Auditcon 2 Series Safe Lock 252 - $200
20. Alarm Lock T2 Trilogy - $450
21. Alarm Lock Narrow Style Access Lock - $400