SECURITY - BASIC ADVICE RE LOCKS ON DOORS, WINDOWS AND SHUTTERS

Front door locks;

There are two main types of doors used.   The first is Upvc type which usually have multi-point locking and fixing extra locks to these can be difficult due to manufacture construction and screws do not hold secure. This however does not apply to metal type doors. One point here is the fact that very often it is forgotten that these type of doors are not locked until the handle is lifted and then locked with the key!

The second type of doors are usually wooden, and any outside door should be at least 48 mm thick. Any lock fitted to this type of door should have the equivalent to BS3621 and these are available here in Cyprus.

The main type of lock used should be at least a 5 lever mortise lock with a steel keep or striker. Other types are similar to a Yale type cylinder rim lock. It is a good idea to have two locks fitted to a door so that they can both be used when a property is left, but the door can still be easily secured from the inside. Another point and good idea is to have hinge bolts fitted, this strengthens the door on the hinge side.

It is strongly recommended that key boxes are not used as these can be easily removed from the wall and keys inside obtained. This also applies to ‘hiding’ a key outside. Most offenders know the obvious places!

Patio doors;

Most patio doors are made either of Upvc or metal. Unfortunately the same applies to fixings to Upvc doors as front doors, however if they are of good quality they will already have multi point locking!

Many existing doors have a push pin already fitted, unfortunately these are usually poor quality. But they can be upgraded to a stronger type and it is a good idea to add another pin to the bottom or top of the door.

There are other types of lockable push types available, but again these may need to be fitted by a professional locksmith.

Shutters;

Again shutters are made of two types of material, wood and metal. The metal type are usually fitted with stronger bolt type locks, but extra ones can be fitted if need be.

Wooden type shutters can be fitted with extra bolts on the inside to be secured when closed from the inside. And again hinge bolts can be used as most hinges are on the outside and can be easily be removed!

Within all this one consideration has to be made, and that is fire risk! In the unlikely situation that there is a fire in a property, the occupant must know where all the keys are to obtain exit quickly. And likewise if fire officers have to attend they need to be able to access the property.   It is advisable to have smoke sensors fitted.

Thanks to Dave Rollings for this information.