MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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What's the best locks for a front door?
I was thinking a 5-lever mortice sashlock (and a couple of internal bolts, top & bottom). There's only a cylinder lock, on the old door, at the moment.
With a cylinder lock you can accidentally lock yourself out. They can also be picked by a skillful picker and opened from inside by a burglar to secure their escape route. Deadlocks every time for me, remove the keys and the door can't be opened from inside or out.
opened from inside by a burglar to secure their escape route
Would be the least of my worries. Have you even stayed at someone else's house and been locked in with no idea how you'd escape in the event of a fire?
Anyway, I need to edjumacate myself about these things for some new doors.
UPVC door, Avocet. <span class="skimlinks-unlinked"> https://www.abs-secure.co.uk</span>/
Ive got these and they are very good,you can get matching locks so you only need one key for everything.
locked in with no idea how you’d escape in the event of a fire?
Exactly! We had one of those 5-lever Euro locks that came with a new wooden door in our previous house. You needed a key to get out if it was locked. That terrified me, especially with young kids in the house. So we always left a key in the lock every night, which seems to somewhat defeat the purpose. But imagine trying to hunt around for a key if the house is full of thick smoke and you are in a panic. *shudder*
If I get one again then it will just have a thumb turn on the inside.
mortice sash lock, europrofile lock case and thumb turn along with adead locking night latch.
I don't know about relative security but the euro cylinders can be bought with an internal thumb turn. We wanted everything keyed alike and never to need a key from the inside, but didn't feel the need for the very best in security.
If you go for europrofile cylinders get anti-snap ones and make sure you get the right length so there is nothing to get hold of on the outside.
Lock snapping is alarmingly easy.
Agreed re antisnap - we’ve been burgled twice over the years - the first time they broke a window - the second time they simply used a hammer and screwdriver to snap the locks. It’s ridiculously easy to do so worth protecting against...
But imagine trying to hunt around for a key if the house is full of thick smoke
get smoke alarms fitted, they give so much early warning in the event of fire there will not be any thick smoke
Lock snapping is stupidly easy. Removed one of ours that we didn't have a key for in no time at all.
Not a cheap options. But now got keyed alike avocets in everything (Inc garage and garden gate). Added bonus is the key design does not have sharp edges so they don't ruin pockets in the same way as a cut key.
Avocet keyed alike, job doneski
Avocet here as well. The house is all keyed alike which is nice as we've got three external doors and were doing laps around the house to collect the right keys to lock and unlock everything!
Got one for the office and its nice knowing that I gave out 5 keys, and they haven't been copied 25 times 🙂 Different colour keys to the house as well.
The only niggle is the key is magnetic so they tend to pull coins out of your pocket with them 🙂