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Residential 4 min readFebruary 9, 2026

Which Deadbolt Grade Should You Buy?

What does ANSI lock grade mean and which one do I need?

ANSI/BHMA grades rank locks by how many cycles, blows and pulls they survive in lab testing. Grade 1 is the strongest, Grade 3 is the lightest.

Grade 1 is overkill for most homes — it is built for commercial entry doors. Grade 2 hits the sweet spot for residential exterior doors: strong enough to resist forced entry, affordable enough to put on every outside door.

Grade 3 is fine for interior doors, sheds and low-risk applications, but we never recommend it for a front or back door in Marvin, NC. The pins are softer and the bolt throw is shorter.

Whatever grade you pick, the strike plate matters as much as the lock. A Grade 2 deadbolt with 3-inch strike screws into the framing studs beats a Grade 1 lock with the half-inch screws that came in the box.

Marvin Locksmith serves Marvin, NC and the nearby towns of Waxhaw, Wesley Chapel and Weddington. Call 704-817-4639 for fast, licensed help.

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