Help and Advice
SECURING DOORS
Having our homes broken into is something that we all worry about. Figures
from the Government’s Crime Reduction team highlight the likelihood that burglars
will enter a property via a door. "Burglars are most likely to target
doors (71%), usually by forcing a lock (28%). Breaking door panels is also
a relatively common method of entry."*
It can take just a few seconds to force a front, back or patio door not equipped
with the necessary security. The BBC’s recent Cracking Crime night highlighted
this as a major concern with a staged break-in on the programme taking just
40 seconds, via the back door.
However, there is no need to live in a fortress. Era’s 'Help and Advice' section
will tell you about many simple measures you can take to help you feel safe
and sound without feeling like a prisoner in your own home.
* Source: Crime Reduction Toolkit: Point and Method of Entry
Door security… easy as one, two, three
1. ‘Gimme
a high five’
A 5 lever mortice lock is an absolute essential for front and back
doors. The best way to secure a door, many insurance companies specify BS3621 five-lever mortice locks
must be fitted as a condition of home insurance policies. Be sure to look out
for the British Standard kitemark that assures the
lock is proof against drilling, picking, cutting or forcing.
A 5 lever mortice lock has the classic keys and key
hole and a sturdy bolt that engages in a slot recessed in the frame. This means
it is strong and will resist a ‘kick-in’ attack.
Most mortice locks have a lever mechanism - the key
operates a series of levers that open and close the bolt. Simple two-and three-lever
locks are cheap but also easy to break into; for real security, a 5 lever lock
should be regarded as the acceptable minimum.
2.
Stop burglars with ‘a bolt out of the blue’
For maximum security, doors should also be fitted at the top and
bottom with bolts – the best type is the door security bolt,
or rack bolt,
which is recessed in the door and door frame and operated by a key. Rack bolts
are essential for French windows or doors where a burglar can gain access by
removing exposed hinge pins. Hinge bolts that engage
automatically as the door closes are also a good idea.
3.
Safe and sound at night
Nightlatches offer
good basic door security. Opened from the outside with a key and from the inside
with a handle, nightlatches are convenient as they
lock automatically on closing and can be put ‘on the latch’ - locked open with
a lever.
Nightlatches are best used as an additional method
of security. As it is screwed to the door frame, it is still possible for burglars
to kick the door in or trip the lock tongue with a thin piece of plastic – the
credit card trick so beloved of Hollywood crime film makers!
A deadlocking facility adds extra security; giving the key an extra turn ‘deadlocks
the night latch so it can be released with the key from the outside, but can’t
be opened from the inside – foiling the burglar who has smashed the glass to
reach in.
Top ten tips to tighten your door security
• Never leave a spare key in a hiding place such as under a flower pot,
door mat or even on a piece of string through the letter box (you’d
be surprised how many people do this!) A thief will try all the usual
hiding places.
• Fitting a door viewer
ensures that you don’t have to open the door to strangers.
• The addition of a door chain
means that you can speak to strangers without letting them in to your
home.
• When buying PVCu doors, make sure they are fitted with strong built-in
locks and a fitted chain. Try and avoid PVCu doors that are only secured
by roller cams. Multi-point locking is your best bet – offering a combination
of rollers, mushrooms, hooks and bolts.
• Ensure your front and back doors are secured with a 5 lever mortice
deadlock. Even if a thief breaks door glass to try and open the
door from the inside, he will be defeated as a deadlock only opens with
a key.
• Make sure that your door hinges are strong and are fitted with long
screws. It is possible to fit hinge
bolts, which will reinforce the hinge side of the door against attempted
forced entry.
• Fitting an anti-jemmy SecuStrip will stop thieves from crow-barring open your
door.
• Patio doors should have special locks such as push bolts fitted to them.
• Fitting bolts
to the top and bottom of outside doors, especially back doors, provides
great added security.
THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP
• Once you’ve increased your security measures, make sure you USE THEM
