A rim lock is a locking device that attaches to the surface of a door. It is the oldest type of lock used in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

and

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

. It is of a basic design using (usually) a single lever and a sliding bolt. Wards can be used for additional security. They are not used where high security is required. Most older locks were large, some as big as . Most rimlocks used today on exterior doors in the British Isles are night latches. In the United States, rim locks and rim latches are often used on wooden

screen doors A screen door can refer to a hinged storm door (cold climates) or hinged screen door (warm climates) covering an exterior door, or a screened sliding door used with sliding glass doors. In any case, the screen door incorporates screen mesh to blo ...

. A rim lock may also be seen on an antique pantry, pie safe, and other cabinets. Some rim lock and latch sets have a shallower backset than does a modern

bored cylindrical lock A bored cylindrical lock is a lockset which is installed by boring two circular holes in the door. Door handles may also use the same installation. Installation Two holes are bored, perpendicular to one another, into the door. The "face bore" ...

or mortise lock, allowing their use on doors with narrow rails.

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Locks (security device) {{tool-stub