ITCC Locksmiths

UPVC doors are used extensively in the UK as they offer a good level of security and are cheaper compared to composite and wooden alternatives. Composite & UPVC doors are extremely resistant to forceful attacks due to the multi point locking system. However they are prone to a number of techniques criminals use to gain access to your home. Some of these are as follows: 

• Hooking : This simply involves putting a hook through the letter box to push the handle down and thus open the door.
• Door Popping: Door Popping involves placing an air cushion in between the door, inflating it then using something like a spade to insert in to the gap made by the air cushion, then using the leverage to literally pop the door open. 

This can be overcome by simply double locking your door. To do this is easy, simply take your key and insert it into the lock, then pull the handle up and turn the key to lock the door, you should hear all the hooks and bolts engage. 

Wooden doors are fitted to many homes in the UK and our locksmiths know how vulnerable these doors can, if not used correctly. These doors are typically fitted with a latch and a deadlock. 

The two main vulnerabilities of wooden doors are as follows. 

1. Brute Force: This involves using brute force to either open or break the door off the frame.  
2. Bypassing:  This involves sliding something thin and flexible between the door and the latch. Once the tension has been removed from the latch and as long as  the mortice lock hasn’t been engaged the door will open. 

To overcome these we recommend the following: 

London and Birmingham Bars – To protect against a forceful attack we recommend installing a London and Birmingham bar to your door, this dramatically increases the doors ability to withstand a brute force attack, as it basically reinforces the doors frame.  

Double Locking – To double lock your wooden door you can do one of two things, the first is to lock the latch by either pressing the button or pushing the little switch usually placed on the side of the latch.

The second way to double lock your wooden door is to lock your mortice lock with your key. By locking the mortise lock you greatly reduce the  chance of success of lock picking, bumping in addition to strengthening the door against a forceful attack.

Upgrading Your Wooden Door Locks – As discussed earlier wooden doors typically have 2 locks. One lock is a night latch, unfortunately standard night latches are prone to bypassing as we discussed earlier however if you upgrade to an automatic locking night latch, the lock will automatically deadlock when shut, making this type of bypassing technique impossible.

The second lock is the deadlock; the highest security deadlocks are 5 leavers and meet British standard 3621. But if you want the best level of security possible you can always use a detainer lock, which are similar to deadlocks but are much more resistant to many forms of bypassing, the only downside is that detainers are generally more expensive.  

Close Your Curtains – Simple behavioural changes can decrease the chance of a burglary substantially. For example many thieves are opportunists and if they see something worth stealing they may take the chance, by closing your curtains it stops potential thieves from seeing the contents of your home, giving any opportunistic thief less incentive. 

Lock Your Doors & Windows – It sounds obvious but you need to ensure you lock your doors and windows whenever you leave your property, even if it’s for 5 minutes. Astonishingly 70% of burglars gain access using the front or back door and in around 21% of the time the door was unlocked. 

Safe – A damage limitation method encase the worst was to happen is to install a home safe to store money, jewellery, important documents and laptops in. If you use a small safe try and find somewhere to hide it as small safes are easy to pick up and getaway with.

Lighting – Lighting is a hugely important element of home security, for two reasons. 

Firstly lighting can make it seem as if your home is occupied, even if it is not. It is a well known fact that burglars intentionally target homes which look unoccupied. To counter this you can use plug timers to turn on and off appliances such as lamps, Tv’s and radios during the day and night. You can also use Smart bulbs which connect to your WIFI allowing you to remotely turn on and off your lights or set them to turn on and off at a  time of your choosing. 

Secondly it is recommended you fit motion sensor based lighting near any accessible doors and windows. Lighting is a great deterrent and no criminal wants their shady activities illuminated to the world.

Thieves often target peoples gardens and sheds as they can contain quite valuable and easy to sell contents. Such as bikes, gardening tools, power tools etc.  Here are a few of our tips on how to better protect your garden.

1. Keep it Clean – Keep any valuables such as bikes and tools in your home or in a secured shed or garage. 
2. Obscure Windows – Ensure your shed is not enticing to criminals. Cover any windows to stop opportunist thieves from seeing the contents. 
3. High Quality Locks – Keep your shed locked with a high quality, high security padlock preferable one with an alarm which will trigger if someone is tampering with it. 
4. Stand Alone Alarms – You may want to consider a stand alone alarm. These are cheap easy to install and will emit a high decibel alarm if not deactivated.