Key safe for 2 keys

GrubbyGirl_2

victor2 said:

Those "combination" key safe locks are a doddle to open with nothing more sophisticated than a strip of paper. Just look on YouTube! My DD bought a house and it had a locked keysafe in its porch which they didn't have the combination for. Took me 5 minutes, including watching the video, and I'd never done it before.

But if it's hidden they would have to find it first.  Mine is well hidden and nowhere near the door

Le_Kirk

casper_gutman said:

flaneurs_lobster said:

How hard would it be to jemmy that thing off, nip round the corner with the angle-grinder and then come back and open up?

Surely someone equipped with - and willing to use - a jemmy and an angle grinder will have a very good chance of getting through into your house with or without a key safe?

But this is for his daughter, is she likely to be able to fit a jemmy and an angle grinder in her satchel (or whatever they are called these days)!  School might also frown upon her "going equipped".

flaneurs_lobster

Le_Kirk said:

casper_gutman said:

flaneurs_lobster said:

How hard would it be to jemmy that thing off, nip round the corner with the angle-grinder and then come back and open up?

Surely someone equipped with - and willing to use - a jemmy and an angle grinder will have a very good chance of getting through into your house with or without a key safe?

But this is for his daughter, is she likely to be able to fit a jemmy and an angle grinder in her satchel (or whatever they are called these days)!  School might also frown upon her "going equipped".

Might help the daughter see off the prolific bag thieves, if not then the weight of toolage might slow them up a bit. 

silvercar

Some of these comments remind me of when my mother-in-law was driving with her handbag on the passenger seat. The thief broke the passenger window and stole the bag while she was stopped at a junction. Her comment “I don’t know why he didn’t just open the car door like normal people”.

MyRealNameToo

casper_gutman said:

flaneurs_lobster said:

How hard would it be to jemmy that thing off, nip round the corner with the angle-grinder and then come back and open up?

Surely someone equipped with - and willing to use - a jemmy and an angle grinder will have a very good chance of getting through into your house with or without a key safe?

They can take it further away when its just the little key safe they need to get into and so not make noise that alerts the neighbours. A small battery powered multi-tool or mini angle grinder could get into a key safe but unlikely be able to cut through a composite door. A former met police officer highly recommends a cement cutter for composite doors but no neighbour isnt going to hear that... what they do about it is another matter. 

Personally dont think key safes are a good idea, we have one on our building for the cleaners to get access to the carpark and its been broken into/stolen more than once which results in a decent sized bill for a locksmith to replace the euro lock on the pedestrian gate and mount a new key safe. 

There are cases for having them, though consideration has to balance against the reduced security. A person with various different carers coming in everyday its probably necessary and they're already having to react to the security threats of random strangers coming in. To deal with a careless teenager? Wouldnt risk it personally. 

I'd look at a smart/digital lock, ideally on a back door. There are some fairly decent ones that can be opened with a key, fob, mobile, fingerprint and/or pinpad from the outside and are effectively a thumb screw on the inside and are after market so can be added to any door with multi-point locking. It's up to you which of the entry methods you use and I'd argue there are different cases for each. Teenagers can rarely be separated from their phones so key + mobile could be the best option. Worst case being their mobile is dead, then hopefully a friend or such would allow them to use their phone to call you and you can remote unlock it for them. 

thegreenone

Im not much help with the key safe issue but as a former "locker lady" at a secondary school, I would suggest you buy your daughter a spring key chain to attach her front door key to the zip of her inside blazer pocket.  Key goes in pocket.  Please make sure on Mufti days she removes it and attaches it elsewhere. Disregard post if daughter doesn't wear a blazer!

casper_gutman

thegreenone said:

Im not much help with the key safe issue but as a former "locker lady" at a secondary school, I would suggest you buy your daughter a spring key chain to attach her front door key to the zip of her inside blazer pocket.  Key goes in pocket.  Please make sure on Mufti days she removes it and attaches it elsewhere. Disregard post if daughter doesn't wear a blazer!

No blazers here, but son's keys are similarly attached inside the front pocket of his schoolbag. Hoping it's big enough that it'd be less likely to be lost.... Hope that hasn't jinxed us!