Horizontal Mortice Locks

[parkview094]

Hello all,

We've recently reversed a couple of our internal doors so they now open outwards rather than inwards. This presents a challenge for the Rim Locks that were on the doors.

Plan A was to notch out the door jamb and find some form of brass tongue to allow me to refit the rim locks. Then, through googling, I discovered the "Horizontal Mortice Lock".

This seems like it would be a neat solution instead of refitting the rim locks. Indeed, as far as I can tell, the only reason for a 'Horizontal Mortice Lock' is for people who are looking to replace Rim Locks with something that looks the same on the 'hall-side' of a door, but who don't want / can't have a Rim lock.

However - perhaps I'm missing something.. wouldn't fitting one of these to the mid-rail of a door weaken it? Won't this entirely remove the joint that holds the mid-rail to the stile? What am I missing?

 

[88v8]

You're missing nothing.
In a door with a very wide central rail, it would not be totally destructive but on the whole they're best avoided.

Presumably the locks are just keeping the doors shut, that is to say they do not need to lock?

So yes, you could just buy a piece of brass and make an extended striker. I had to make a few strikers & lock plates in our previous house. The question with the rim lock is whether you can reverse the tongue. In some you can, in some not. Take it apart and see. Obviously, one does not put a rimlock on the outside of the door.

If no go with your existing locks, rim locks with reverse tongue here, it is said
https://www.lockmonster.co.uk/search?keyword=rim+lock+reversible
I would check before buying, as I bought one for the garage and it wasn't, but the chap who runs the site is very helpful and eventually fixed me up.

Choose one to suit your backspace.

The other problem with a rimlock is that it will now sit against the stop, which will have to be rebated around the lock box. I did that with one of our doors, but visually it's not great. So if you simply want to keep the door shut whilst still being able to use your existing door furniture, I'd probably remove the rim lock and use one of these
https://www.lockmonster.co.uk/item/union-tubular-latch-2600-series-25-3-35-inch. Choose your backset so the door knob is not too near the frame or it will trap your fingers.

You'll still have to make a new striker, and fit a keyhole cover to one side of the door to cover the old keyhole but there are plenty of keyhole covers on eBay.

Ivor

 

[parkview094]

A tubular latch is a much better (and cheaper!) idea. I see you can get 6" versions as well, so the handle position won't look odd. Thank you!

 

[Feltwell]

Indeed, as far as I can tell, the only reason for a 'Horizontal Mortice Lock' is for people who are looking to replace Rim Locks with something that looks the same on the 'hall-side' of a door, but who don't want / can't have a Rim lock.

However - perhaps I'm missing something.. wouldn't fitting one of these to the mid-rail of a door weaken it? Won't this entirely remove the joint that holds the mid-rail to the stile? What am I missing?

They were used for "higher status" rooms instead of a "common" rim lock. Here, where all the doors and locks are original, the lounge and dining room doors have them. So to does the cellar door - simply because it opens into the hallway, so it's to stop having a rim lock on display to your visitors (how frightfully common! :lol: ).

On the other hand, the other doors that open off our hallway - to the kitchen and the pantry - have rim locks, as they would only have been seen from inside the "working" rooms. Dreadfully snobby bunch the Victorians.

Do they weaken the door? Yes, but it's OK if the rail is wide enough and it's only an internal door. Mine have survived over 100 years quite happily!

I do think that modern tubular latches look wrong in an old house.