Mortise or tubular?
When selecting a lock, whether interior or exterior, you must decide to use tubular or mortise. Remember that these terms refer to the mechanics or "guts" of the door and not necessarily the trim.
In tubular, the latch, which works in conjunction with the grip, knob or lever, is independent from the deadbolt. Therefore, the deadbolt works independently from the latch. In some instances, a cartridge is added under the interior escutcheon to make the knob or lever retract the deadbolt in a single turn. This is referred as "emergency egress." In the instance where a door with one or two 2 1/8" holes drilled in the stile, a tubular system must be used.
With a mortise lock, all functions are incorporated into a large lock body, and can give a far wider range of functions. Because the internal workings of the mortise lock body are on a larger scale to the tubular format, the operation and longevity is far superior. Selecting a mortise lock gives you the ability to customize the trim. These locks are generally ordered as components, allowing the customer to change a knob for a lever, use a different finish on the exterior versus interior, etc. A door with no prep what so ever is generally required for mortise.
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