Locking front door (with letterbox) at night

Belenus

Rodders53 said:

It's not Avocet but UAP/Kinetica with the child-safe push in thumb turn lock. https://uapcorporate.com/product/kinetica-child-safe-thumb-turn-3-star-kitemarked-euro-cylinder/ 

Also check if the door is set to auto-latch and need a key to re-enter the house... that's a costly mistake to make if you forget a key and shut the door behind you.!

These Euro cylinder locks are simple enough to d-i-y change for most people;  no need to pay locksmiths!

We keep a front door key well hidden inside our garage and a key to the garage door hidden in the garden.

There is no access from the garage to the house.

Swasterix

ic said:

Swasterix said:

ic said:

I believe the thumb turn by https://www.avocet-hardware.co.uk/product/abs-ultimate-series-euro-cylinder-lock-thumbturn-quantum ABS needs to be pushed before turning, so making it very difficult to work with by somebody who might have managed to reach in through a letter box - lots of locksmiths sell this brand.

I have 2 avocet thumb turns for the back doors in my house, they don’t need pushing in to turn. I personally wouldn’t have them on a front door with a letter box. Too easy for a burglar. 

Just a quick search reveals this: https://store.northwesthardware.co.uk/avocet-abs-dimple-thumbturn-cylinder.html
"To operate - push to engage the thumbturn, and  turn 360 degrees. The thumbturn must pop back out to the "Click Secure" position before closing the door."
I guess there must be a few models around.

I don’t need to do a quick search. I can just try one of the two I have in my house 😂

You don’t need to push them in. Google isn’t always your friend...

twopenny

I found myself in this position in my last house and this and I'd had a double burgulary though they just smashed a window each night.

I had a frosted glass windown in the hallway with curtains. I would put the key behind those at night. Easy to get at but not visible or accessibile from the letter box. The way is often to use a fishing rod or similar to hook keys out via the letter box. A full length door curtain and the key some paces away should foil that little idea.

In this place it was quick access to the bedroom window in case of fire. I put a nail in the wall behind the curtains some distance from the windows with a window key.

I also have a hidden key trail that would be impossible to follow, heck I can't find them myself half the time.

The trick is that they want in and out quickly and as easily as possible. Make it difficult and they will look elsewhere.

missile

I leave key in door, as it prevents a burglar using a bump key

Boohoo

jen_79 said:

Hello all,
I'm a first time home owner so I'm sorry for what will probably be a stupid question, I'm approaching my 40's and have no grownups to ask!

My front door, just a normal uPVC door with glass top and bottom and a letterbox in the middle, has a handle beside the letterbox with key slots on both sides.
When I go to bed I lock the door from the inside with the key. I don't want to leave the key in the door because a) you could perhaps stick your hand in or fish through the letterbox and remove them and b) it has my car key on it which you could also remove. I can't put my hand through a letterbox and I'm a small woman but burglars are ingenious so I don't want to risk it.
If I take the key out however, I'm worried that in an emergency, I won't be able to find the key. I put them in the same place every night but if I have my sister over, will she know where to look to escape?

Am I being stupid and missing something really obvious? Is there a handle I could buy that I could lock internally without a key but can't be unlocked by someone with really small hands through the letterbox?!

Not sure if this is of any help but could you not get a letter box lock(may or may no exist) which is a bit like a sash jam/jammer that stops the inside letter box opening on the inside.
This will only work if your letter box has a letter box lid/flap on the inside and not just one one on the outside and just draught bristles on the inside.
The Police suggested this type of thing to a neighbours parent after they where targeted by "people" who kept putting not nice things through their letterbox at night time.

Have a "Google" and see what appears.

lesta_jesta

How about fitting a mini key safe indoors.......