When it comes to entry door security the ultimate set-up is a solid hardwood door of at least 1 3/4 inch or 4.5cm in thickness with the hinges fitted on the inside, a peep-hole  and a grade one or two dead bolt fitted. Any dead bolt that you have fitted should penetrate the door frame by 1 inch or 2.5 cm and the strike plates should be secured with screws at least 2 1/2 inches or 6 cm long. If you have to have a mail slot in your door be sure to check that any locks you have in the door cannot be reached from the slot.

 A single-cylinder dead bolt is key operated from the outside whereas a double-cylinder dead bolt is key operated from both sides and cannot be opened by breaking a window close by and reaching in and opening the door. Obviously you and your family still need to get out and having a spare key in close proximity to the door in a location that all the family are able to reach is very important. Some cities building regulations state that you cannot fit locks that are key-operated from both sides, so be sure to check your local regulations before spending your hard earned cash on new locks.

 For sliding doors I think you cannot go past a vertically-mounted keyed bolt arrangement. Once locked in place the door cannot be pried or lifted off it’s tracks. The only precaution with these types of locks is to once again have the key in a place that everyone knows about and can easily access.

 Window locks are a little bit more complicated and each different type of window requires a different type of lock. The simplest and safest way to lock double-hung windows is to drill a hole through the two cases, at a downward angle and fit a bolt into the hole. Having the hole at a downward angle will prevent the bolt from being ‘rattled’ out. The traditional butterfly latches usually fitted to these type of windows are easily pried open and should not be relied upon.

 Sliding windows can be secured with keyed locks that are secured to the inside frame with a hole drilled through the frame and into the window surround. These locks often come with anti-tamper screws to mount the locks and cannot be undone without the correct tool once installed, very secure. For more window and door security measures please see our Security Grills post.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 29th, 2007 at 6:20 am and is filed under Home Security Systems. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.