Euro Lock Cylinder Sizes: Choosing the Right Fit for School Entrances

It should go without saying that school entrances must be secure. Keeping students and staff safe is the #1 priority for any school security setup. That includes ensuring you have high-quality locks on all of your school entrances. While most schools today utilise electronic locks to strengthen security, you still need to have a high-quality physical door lock, like a Euro lock cylinder, fitted.

When your cylinder locks start to fail, they need to be replaced immediately. Finding the correct size Euro lock cylinder, though, is more confusing than you might think. To help you navigate the process of replacing a Euro lock cylinder, we contacted experts at Locks & Hardware. With decades of expertise in the lock industry, they provided us with useful insights into the process.

If your school entrances are not locking or unlocking as they should, it might be time to replace the lock cylinder. This guide will help you find the right replacement Euro lock cylinder.

How To Select Euro Lock Cylinder Sizes For School Entrances

While measuring cylinder locks can feel like a challenge, the good news is that, for the most part, the process is pretty simple.

Measuring Your Euro Cylinder Locks

To start measuring your Euro lock cylinder, you will need to take a few different measurements. Let’s start by looking at measuring your lock cylinder if the locks are still present within the door.

To get started, you need to open the door fully so that you can see the lock mechanism in full. Look towards the bottom of the door handle; you should spot two screws, usually starting around where the keyhole is (but on the side of the door, not on the keyhole itself).

Now, measure from the centre of the top screw hole to the bottom screw hole. Once you have a measurement here, you need to round it up to the nearest 5mm. So, if your Euro lock cylinder was around 32mm, round it up to 35mm to ensure the cylinder slightly sticks out from the backplate.

What about if your Euro lock cylinder is outside of the door, though? What if the lock has already been removed? This can actually simplify the measuring process. Start by measuring from one end of the cylinder barrel to the central point of the screw hole. Measure this both ways; you’ll get two measurements to use to find a compatible replacement lock cylinder.

Ensuring Compatibility With School Doors

It should also be noted that not every Euro lock cylinder will be compatible with your entrance. Some lock cylinders won’t be the right size, or they might be designed for a different type of door. What works in a UPVC door can differ from what works in a wooden door, for example. So, take that into account when you are choosing replacement Euro lock cylinders for your school entrances.

The main issue in terms of compatibility is the size, though. Even if you buy a lock cylinder that is ideal for your door type, if it is too large or too small, then it will not work as it should. Locks that are too big will not fit into the gap, while locks that are too small will rattle around and fail to engage the lock mechanism properly. Both issues need to be considered when evaluating your options.

Never Accept A Poor Fit

We understand that, if your school entrance starts to stick or jam when opening/closing, you want a rapid solution. However, accepting second best – i.e. an incompatible or poor fit – will lead to issues sooner rather than later. There really is no reason to go for a Euro lock cylinder that does not fit here.

Your school entrance is simply too important to take any risks with. A poor-quality fit can cause lock issues or prevent the door from locking/unlocking when you need it to. A lock cylinder must be an exact fit; anything too big or too small will cause compatibility issues and leave you with a door that does not open or close properly. Measuring accurately is extremely important!

Yes, it might be easier to ‘make do’ with any old Euro lock cylinder – yet if it is not the correct size, it will not work. It might work for a short period before failing, or it might not even fit inside the lock gap. Either way, there is no benefit to simply going with the first Euro lock cylinder that you find. Measuring properly using the above tips should be your priority.

Do Not Leave Euro Cylinder Locks To Chance

As you can see, then, there is quite a lot to consider for replacing cylinder locks for school entrances. That is why we recommend that you never leave this task for another day: make replacing any lock cylinder in your school doors a priority. It can make a huge difference to how secure your school feels.

We also do not recommend replacing a school entrance Euro lock cylinder as a DIY task. This is not something you should take risks with or try to learn on the job. Replacing any Euro cylinder locks is a job best left to a professional. A locksmith can properly evaluate the size of the Euro lock cylinder you need, significantly reducing the risk of buying the wrong lock type.

They can find the correct size, thickness, length and style of Euro lock cylinder to match your school’s entrance. Why take the risk? Your students and staff deserve better. Hire a locksmith and leave all of the above considerations to a trusted professional so you can stop worrying about your entrances.

Finding the correct measurement is not always easy, which is why we highly recommend leaving this to a locksmith. Not only that, you can ensure the installation process is correct, so your school is not taking any risks with the quality of your door security.