Week 1 – How Secure Is Your Front Door?
Yes, it’s that time of year again!
Welcome to this year’s National Home Security Month (#NHSM21) Sponsored by Yale.
This year’s campaign “Protect what matters most” surrounds itself around consumer awareness and is dedicated to improving home security around the country.
uPVC & Composite
Whether your door is uPVC, composite or wooden how do you know your locks offer a high level of protection? Here we will discuss the options so you can make an informed decision…
The majority of uPVC and composite doors will be operated by a euro profile cylinder (the key operated part) in conjunction with a multiple point locking mechanism that will run the length of the door.
Now first thing to check will be the cylinder. If you want the best protection, you are looking for the British kite-mark with 3 stars displayed on the front of the cylinder. This will indicate that the cylinder has been awarded the highest level of certification that is currently available – TS0007:2014. These cylinders offer a very high level of protection that includes anti-snap protection, anti-drill defences, anti-pick, anti-bumping.
Now let’s talk about the multi-point locking mechanism. There are numerous brands of locking mechanisms that use various types of locking points. Most are usually reasonably secure but obviously some are more secure than others. For example, if your mechanism uses multiple hooks to lock the door to the frame this would much more secure than roller cams so might be worthwhile checking what type you have.
What If You Have A Wooden Door?
The most common locks you will find on a wooden door would probably be either a type of night latch or mortice lock.
Most insurance companies will insist that your locks meet with the BS 3621 specification. This is the criteria that is set out by the British Standard Institute (BSI) for thief resistant locks. A quick and easy way to tell if your existing locks are up to spec is to look for the British Kite-mark. It should be stamped on the face plate or lock case somewhere.
British Standard night latch criteria
- Auto deadlocking facility and anti-slip feature
- Anti-pick
- Anti-drill
- Anti-bump
- 6 pin
- Armoured cylinder shroud
- Larger reinforced latch
- Key lockable from inside
Mortice lock criteria
- Minimum of 5 levers
- Anit-pick
- Security curtain
- Anti-drill plates
- Bolt must protrude 20mm when in locked position
- Hardened or reinforced bolt
- At least 1000 differs
- Box section keep
There’s a large variety of things you can do to improve your home security. You can upgrade your existing locks, possibly to fall inline with the British Standard insurance approved criteria, or opt for the latest in alarms and Cctv. We also offer additional security items that can be fitted to all doors and windows to work alongside the existing locks, the choice is massive.
For any help or free advice please give us a call on…07850 448 444 OR 01803 613 138
As every installation has different requirements, ProSecure Locksmiths offers a free no obligation quote so we can find the best security solution to meet your personal needs. There are various home security packages to meet with every budget.
To arrange a on-site survey don’t hesitate to give us a call…
How ProSecure Locksmiths Can Help
At ProSecure Locksmiths we offer home security assessments so that you will have a tailor made solution to meet your specific requirements. We also provide home insurance surveys to make sure the criteria of your policy are being met.
At ProSecure Locksmiths we are proud to be an official Yale Smart Security Partner. Working with leading industry brands such as Yale means we can offer the latest in home security products. A recent report found that 47% of all burglaries are “spur of the moment” attacks and having a brand renowned for security could in itself be an effective visual deterrent.