Ask an old carpenter what keeps a house safe at night and there is a fair chance he will tap the aldrop before he mentions the lock.
He has a point. On a lot of Indian main doors, the aldrop is the last line, the thing you slide across after the family is home and the lights are off. A good aldrop lock for main door use turns a door that merely closes into one that holds. A poor one is decoration.
What the aldrop is really doing
An aldrop is a sliding bolt with a handle, fixed on the door, that drops into a receiver on the frame or the second leaf. On a single main door it usually works from the inside as a night bolt. On a double door, or on a door that opens to a verandah, it often takes a padlock from outside as well.
That means it has two jobs. It has to be strong enough to resist a push or a kick, and it has to be easy enough that every member of the family actually uses it every night. A stiff aldrop gets left open. An open aldrop does nothing.
Size first, then everything else
Aldrops come in different lengths, and the right length depends on the door. A tall, heavy main door needs a longer bar with more of it sitting inside the receiver, because the leverage on a big door is greater. A short aldrop on a seven foot teak door looks a little lost and works a little worse.
Hold the aldrop against the door before you buy. The handle should sit at a height that is comfortable for the shortest adult in the house, and the bar should travel cleanly into the keeper without you lifting the door.
Brass, steel or aluminium
A brass aldrop for main door use is the traditional pick, and for good reason. Brass does not rust, it takes an antique or polished finish beautifully, and it suits carved wooden doors in a way that steel rarely does. It is heavier and costs more, and it can show fingerprints on a bright polish.
Steel is strong and works well on iron and modern doors, especially in a satin or matt finish. Aluminium aldrops are light and resist corrosion, which makes them a sensible choice for inner doors, balcony doors and places where you want the look without the weight.
For the main door of an independent house, brass or a solid steel aldrop is worth the extra spend. For an apartment door that already has a good main lock, the aldrop is a backup, and a well made lighter one can be enough.
The fixing is half the strength
This is where most aldrops fail, and it has nothing to do with the aldrop itself. If the screws are short and only bite into the outer layer of wood, a firm kick pulls the whole thing off the door with the bar still locked.
Use long screws that reach deep into solid wood, and fix the receiver into the frame, not just the trim. On a hollow or flush door, ask the carpenter to add a wooden block behind the fixing area. It costs very little and it is the difference between an aldrop that looks strong and one that is strong.
Matching the aldrop lock set to the rest of the door
Your aldrop sits a hand’s width away from the main handle and the lock, so it is worth matching the finish. An antique brass aldrop next to a rose gold mortise handle looks like two different houses. Buying an aldrop lock set in the same finish as your handles keeps the door looking planned rather than patched together.
Atom Locks makes aldrops in finishes like brass antique and silver satin alongside its mortise handle range, which makes this kind of matching simpler.
Care that keeps it sliding
Once every few months, wipe the bar clean and put a drop of light oil on the sliding parts. Dust from the road, especially in winter, settles into the channel and makes the bar stiff. A smooth aldrop gets used. That is the whole idea.
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Talk to Atom Locks
Looking for a strong aldrop for your main door, or a full matching set for a new home? See the Aldrops and Bolts and Latches range at https://www.atomlocks.com/ or send a Bulk Query for builder and dealer orders. Call +91 9412273735 or write to sa***@*******ks.com.
