At Doorware.com we carry a large selection of door Flush Bolts and Surface Bolts. This door hardware article discusses the difference between the two types including when and where to use them.

Installed by being mortised into wood and metal doors, Flush bolts are designed to remain flush with the door. As a result, they can be used on sliding doors and pocket doors that have little to no clearance. Designed to sit flush with the face or the edge of the door, Flush Bolts lock doors in place by siding up into the jamb mounted into the doorframe either above or below the door.

They are an easy way to add extra security to doors; and can be used to help prevent children and animals from opening doors since they can be mounted high on the door and out of the reach of little hands.

There are two types of flush bolts: Manual Flush Bolts and Automatic Flush Bolts.

Manual Flush Bolts, like those pictured below, are particularly useful on French-style doors because they help secure the inactive leaf closed until it is unlocked by flipping a lever. On Store Front Doors, manual flush bolts allow the doors to remain open during business hours but secured closed for off hours. Double Doors, such as many store front doors, benefit from the added security to help keep them from forced entry. Without the use of a flush bolt, the only thing keeping the doors from forced entry is the deadbolt.

Automatic Flush Bolts are common on doors used as fire exits--doors that must remain closed and unlocked. Most Automatic Flush Bolts are packaged with both a top and a bottom flush bolt.

When the double doors that utilize these bolts are closed, only the active door can open; but once the active door opens, the inactive door unlocks as well so it can be opened too. These types of flush bolts are used on auditorium doors for easy egress through both sides of a double door.

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