What Does Keyed Alike Mean?
The fence industry tends to overlap a little with a few other industries, including the lock and latch industry.
During your searches for gates and other access-related equipment, you might have run into the term “keyed alike.” If you’re wondering what does keyed alike mean and does it matter to you, you’re in the right place! Here is what you need to know.
What Does Keyed Alike Mean in the Fence World?
When you’re designing a fence or having one installed, you’ll probably have at least a few gates. Those gates will have different kinds of locks and latches. Some might use padlocks, while others might have panic hardware with a key override.
Regardless of what type of lock you’re considering, the term keyed alike means that there will be more than one lock with the same key. Or, more simply, that a single key will open more than one lock.
Why Would You Want Your Locks Keyed Alike?
You might be wondering why you would want to have more than one lock keyed alike. Usually, this is done for convenience and on sites where keys are carefully controlled. You definitely don’t want to have multiple gates and locks accessible with one key if you’re not very careful about who has those keys!
Sometimes, when equipment like electric fence energizers are installed in lockable cabinets, and there are multiple zones on the fence, the locks on those boxes will be keyed alike. Since only security and perhaps maintenance technicians will have those keys, it’s less of a security risk.
What Other Options Do You Have?
There is a case to be made for the convenience of keyed alike locks on gates and other elements of your fence. However, if you have security concerns, it might be better to opt for keyed differently locks, or even to install a mechanical or electronic keypad on your gate.
