Solid Wood Front Door - what locks?
Discussion
I'm having a solid wood door fitted, and I wanted to know what the latest/best advice was to secure the door? What types of locks should I have fitted?
Looking for recommendations for locks and suppliers ideally.
I think i prefer euro type ones (understand that they need to be anti snap etc)
Looking for recommendations for locks and suppliers ideally.
I think i prefer euro type ones (understand that they need to be anti snap etc)
shopper150 said:
I'm having a solid wood door fitted, and I wanted to know what the latest/best advice was to secure the door? What types of locks should I have fitted?
If you live in Saaaaarf Laaaahndan, as I do, just go with lots of visible, expensive ones that thieves are known to hate.And then do what I did, which is have every single internal door also fitted with an outdoor grade lock, so that if the scumbags to break in, the alarm is going, they are still confronted with a locked door, and the police are on their way (or if you are a PH hero, you're warming up your tyre iron and getting ready for combat - in my case, I'll just be hiding upstairs and calling some of my more psychotically-minded neighbours, some of who are just dying to beat up a burglar, judging from the neighbourhood WhatsApp Group).
Massive overkill, as it turns out. No burglaries reported in my street for a while. Should have spent the money on an extra holiday before the world changed on us.
*sigh*
Where was I? Oh yes. Banham.
I keep buying Banhan but hate the company with a passion.
The prices are daft (£1000 a set with electric door release) and the process to get replacement keys with your “gold card” And 27 forms of ID all certified by youR local mp and 6 solicitors coupled with 7 years of household bills drives me nuts. I visited the Kensington one 3 times in a day to satisfy their requirements. I did point out if the burglar was that desperate they would just break a window.
The prices are daft (£1000 a set with electric door release) and the process to get replacement keys with your “gold card” And 27 forms of ID all certified by youR local mp and 6 solicitors coupled with 7 years of household bills drives me nuts. I visited the Kensington one 3 times in a day to satisfy their requirements. I did point out if the burglar was that desperate they would just break a window.
Those prices are crazy for a nightlatch, it doesn’t matter how good the lock is it’s only as strong as the frame it’s fitted to. Multi point locking is strong but not so good if the door swells in damp weather. You could fit a sash lock with euro cylinder and a good quality nightlatch.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/yale-bs-night-latch-pol...
https://www.eraeverywhere.com/default/door-compone...
https://www.screwfix.com/p/yale-bs-night-latch-pol...
https://www.eraeverywhere.com/default/door-compone...
Don't forget to re enforce the door frame or your just making life easier for some scrote to kick down . I used a length or angle iron recessed into the frame screwed and glued both sides then filled and painted so it doesn't look like a prison .
I did this after suffering a spate of targeted attempts that were I'd guess for car keys . They kept trying to get in through the front windows so I too put locks on the downstairs internal doors but I only put dead bolts on the hall side , the way the doors open if they'd got in they would have pulled the door handle off before getting the door open .
I did this after suffering a spate of targeted attempts that were I'd guess for car keys . They kept trying to get in through the front windows so I too put locks on the downstairs internal doors but I only put dead bolts on the hall side , the way the doors open if they'd got in they would have pulled the door handle off before getting the door open .
This is one of those 'it depends' scenarios.
Personally I'd go with an Ingersoll D20 because I have one to hand, but good luck finding one of those.
The SC71 is around but is a bit crap by comparison, also lots of fakes at 'cheap' prices.
There was one option I found a couple of years ago that was pretty serious and could take a euro cylinder, but can't find it now. Think it never made it to mass production.
Personally I'd go with an Ingersoll D20 because I have one to hand, but good luck finding one of those.
The SC71 is around but is a bit crap by comparison, also lots of fakes at 'cheap' prices.
There was one option I found a couple of years ago that was pretty serious and could take a euro cylinder, but can't find it now. Think it never made it to mass production.
Flibble said:
£300 for a night latch? That is comedy gold.
I can't see that being better than a cheaper lock and the difference spent reinforcing the door and frame. How often are locks actually picked or broken these days vs the door itself or a window being targeted?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jfuEKslk3AI can't see that being better than a cheaper lock and the difference spent reinforcing the door and frame. How often are locks actually picked or broken these days vs the door itself or a window being targeted?
Not even opened by picking. Raking!
pquinn said:
There was one option I found a couple of years ago that was pretty serious and could take a euro cylinder, but can't find it now. Think it never made it to mass production.
As a follow up I found the one I was thinking of - "Kibb extra high security rim lock". Serious bit of hardware but very rare and not the easiest to get hold of. hyphen said:
Any in your price range that are insurance approved/sold secure rated.
Ideally a bit better than your neighbour's security. You can only ever slow them down and increase the risk of them being caught due to the disturbance.On both of the occasions my MiL was burgled they came in through a rear window. On the second occasion we think they had likely scoped out a number of houses on the road and just waited for someone to go out during the day. A neighbour saw their car parked on the drive and again we think they noticed him looking because they left shortly after, they didn't take everything that was ready to go in the hallway. I got a cheap alarm system from B&Q and stuck it in for her the next day, a couple of days later the same neighbour saw someone stop outside and take a look at the house then drive off.
Personally I think it is a lot like self defense, if you don't look like a target you are a lot of the way there.
frisbee said:
Whoa! This thread deserves resurrecting to see a Banham lock opened in 25 seconds. London's most expensive houses have these locks 
What are the alternatives? Ingersoll? Union?
Salted_Peanut said:
Whoa! This thread deserves resurrecting to see a Banham lock opened in 25 seconds. London's most expensive houses have these locks
What are the alternatives? Ingersoll? Union?
Maybe reading the thread?What are the alternatives? Ingersoll? Union?
dmsims said:
The Police here did an analysis of burglaries
IIRC over 85% went round the back and virtually none were through the front door
Opportunism was the highest factor
IIRC over 85% went round the back and virtually none were through the front door
Opportunism was the highest factor
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