Home security - Locks

rubble2

Hi,
After some advice regarding the above subject please. We have a porch door with a 1* eurocylinder lock - not particulary concerned about this as we tend to leave the porch door unlocked except for overnight and if away from home for an extended period.

The porch leads to a substantial front door which is fitted with a 3* euroclinder lock , this is our primary barrier against break ins.

The rear door from the utility room to the patio/garden is also a 3* lock but what I believe to be the weak point in the household security is a pair of upvc french windows which lead from the dining room also into the rear garden, these also have  standard eurocylinder locks on each door which I would happily upgrade to 3* versions but I wonder if there is any point . I can forsee anybody wanting to gain entry by-passing the locks and breaking the full length glass in the doors in order to get into the house.
Is my assumption correct or is it in fact worthwhile upgrading the French window locks and would doing that actually improve security? 

Thanks

Ectophile

Smashing windows is noisy and is very obviously criminal to any neighbour who looks out the window to see what all the noise is.  Double glazed windows with toughened glass are particularly difficult to smash.  If a thief can get into your house quietly, they will.

You could also consider secondary locks mounted on the inside of the frames.  The locks and keys are usually pretty rubbish.  But you have to be on the inside to unlock them.

Albermarle

We had some UPVC French Doors replaced recently. They were about 25 years old. The whole locking system needed replacing ,so we decided to go the whole hog and have new ones.
The installers just unlocked the old doors and lifted them off the hinges ! 
They ( and the sales guy) said the new doors would be much more secure, as a lot of the old security weaknesses ( like the hinges) had been improved, including the locks themselves.

bjorn_toby_wilde

Have you considered using a Patlock ?

We were burgled a few years back and the weak point was exactly where you highlighted - the patio doors. They snapped the lock and removed the barrel.

@Ectophile is correct. Smashing the windows isn’t easy, it’s very noisy and will cover them in glass fragments. Forensically that’s not a good idea for them.

We were advised by the police to use 3* locks and a Patlock. The Patlock is very quick and easy to fit and it stops them opening the doors even if the lock barrel is compromised. It comes with anti tamper door spindles for the door handles as well.

rubble2

bjorn_toby_wilde said:

Have you considered using a Patlock ?

We were burgled a few years back and the weak point was exactly where you highlighted - the patio doors. They snapped the lock and removed the barrel.

@Ectophile is correct. Smashing the windows isn’t easy, it’s very noisy and will cover them in glass fragments. Forensically that’s not a good idea for them.

We were advised by the police to use 3* locks and a Patlock. The Patlock is very quick and easy to fit and it stops them opening the doors even if the lock barrel is compromised. It comes with anti tamper door spindles for the door handles as well.

Thanks, I will give the Patlock a look.

outtatune

Albermarle said:

We had some UPVC French Doors replaced recently. They were about 25 years old. The whole locking system needed replacing ,so we decided to go the whole hog and have new ones.
The installers just unlocked the old doors and lifted them off the hinges ! 
They ( and the sales guy) said the new doors would be much more secure, as a lot of the old security weaknesses ( like the hinges) had been improved, including the locks themselves.

Of course, in 25 years time when you need those replacing, the installers will quickly unlock them and lift them off the hinges, and explain that the new ones are much more secure than those weak 2020s doors

ic

Double check your home insurance policy - most will require that the final exit door(s) is locked - which in your case is the porch door.  I suppose the theory is that if they can step into your porch, then shut the porch door, they'll be concealed from view (reflections on glass, dwarf walls, etc) and can spend time breaking in through the internal door.  They'll also be able to make noise as it'll be contained to the porch.  Additionally, even if locked, make sure the lock is up to the standard you've claimed you have - otherwise again the insurer could have a get out on covering you.

Albermarle

outtatune said:

Albermarle said:

We had some UPVC French Doors replaced recently. They were about 25 years old. The whole locking system needed replacing ,so we decided to go the whole hog and have new ones.
The installers just unlocked the old doors and lifted them off the hinges ! 
They ( and the sales guy) said the new doors would be much more secure, as a lot of the old security weaknesses ( like the hinges) had been improved, including the locks themselves.

Of course, in 25 years time when you need those replacing, the installers will quickly unlock them and lift them off the hinges, and explain that the new ones are much more secure than those weak 2020s doors

3) Install security hinges 

Traditional hinges on French doors are often located on the exterior side, making them somewhat susceptible to tampering. Replace these with security hinges that have non-removable pins. These pins cannot be easily removed, preventing intruders from disassembling the hinges to gain access. 

4) Utilise outswing door security 

There are specific security measures designed to enhance the protection of outswinging doors. One effective solution is using hinge-side security pins or screws. These pins or screws are placed in the door frame and extend into the hinge side of the door when it’s closed. This prevents the door from being lifted off its hinges, a common method used by intruders to bypass standard door security. 

casper_gutman

As already stated, security features on the frame that extend into the door when closed can effectively prevent a would-be intruder from removing a door by attacking the hinges. These are also sometimes called 'hinge bolts' - e.g., see:
https://youtu.be/G9f-8UCZJ3k

These won't prevent someone who can unlock and open the door from taking it off the hinges, as once the door is open they can just unscrew them from the door or frame, but is that a problem? If someone's in possession of the key, or had the time and skill to unlock the door without the key, then they can already gain access by opening the door anyway! 🤷