Keyless Entry and British Standard locks

Keyless entry

Keyless entry

As I write this blog, the home security world is coming alight with high tech gadgets for home protection. You can now get alarms and CCTV that email you and send pictures if they are triggered, all easily set up to run wirelessly throughout your home. But I want to concentrate this piece on keyless entry systems because while they can be convenient, you might be invalidating your insurance if you have them installed, or use them incorrectly. Paying out money to put you at risk is never a good idea.

The standard insurance blurb reads something like this: All final exit doors should have a five lever mortice lock fitted, or a lock conforming to British Standard 3621, or a multi-point locking mechanism in the case of double-glazed doors.

I have done some digging; the only British Standard rated 5 lever mortice lock* I could find that offered keyless entry, was one with a mechanical digital number pad. But the digital part of it only works on the handle. So while there is someone home, other house members can come and go freely with the code, but leaving the house secure, still requires the key! This pretty much negates the need for the keyless entry system in the first place.

Most nightlatch** type locks do not comply with BS 3621, so if you do fit a keyless one, you are still going to need a secondary lock, that does comply, fitted to your door.  And guess what? – that second lock will need a key!  In theory, you could fit a rated nightlatch on the inside with the number pad fitted to the outside, but the motors of the keyless system might not be able to cope with the stronger springs of the insurance rated product. Worse still, because you are not employing the full benefits of the BS 3621 device, your insurance company might well declare the lock not fit for purpose.

Doors with multi-point locking mechanisms are slightly different; they do not have the BS3621 requirement (although this could change), and even if the law does change, only the cylinder needs to be swapped for a new one. But if you want a keyless system, you need to prepare for possibly a rather large cost. I know of very few manufacturers who provide keyless systems for these doors and they usually require you to have the full mechanism to be the same brand as the keyless entry system. Fitting a new mechanism isn’t always possible though, and what started out as a project to make life easier when you are trying to get in with bags of shopping etc, could be costing you a complete new door.

I think in the future, keyless entry will be commonplace, but for now, most systems require you to still use a key if you wish to satisfy your insurers. If you really want to have a keyless system today, you might just find an insurer who will accept it as workable security, but you can expect to pay higher premiums as a result. And there are definitely uses for keyless systems, rooms within a hotel, perhaps, or as an aide to someone who is physically handicapped, but wants as much independence as possible. But for the common householder, is the extra cost really worth it to save on carrying a key?

Please contact me with any questions or queries, via out website contact page or call: 07846 643176.

Thanks for reading,
Alan

admin July 3, 2016

British Standard 3621 / Keyless entry /

Different Locks explained Part 3

This section of Locks Explained looks at the Euro Cylinder:

The Euro cylinder is most commonly used in UPVC double glazed doors with multi-point locking mechanisms. However, some mortice locks have them as well, but the principle is the same. Turning the key in the barrel turns a cam which then operates the locking mechanism in the main body of the mechanism itself. I will do a piece about locking mechanisms in the future, but for now, I am going to concentrate on the cylinder itself.

The first thing I need to draw attention to is the thumb turn – shown here:
Euro cylinder lock

Instead of being operated by a key on the inside, it has this handy part which you can turn to unlock and lock the door.

Very few people have this on their locks, but if you do and your lock does not display a British Standard Kite Mark, be warned, because they are extremely easy to bypass. Without the Kite mark, if this lock is on your outer door it might just as well be left unlocked. I do see them a lot in buildings with secure entrances, but if you are in any doubt, talk to your local locksmith and/or building manager.

Now let’s take a look at a Euro cylinder without the thumb turn, which is the type most of you will have in your double glazed doors:
locks explained
Almost every door that requires you to lift the handles before locking, has one of these going through it.

Locks explained
When the cylinder is in place, a screw passes through the mechanism and holds it tight by screwing through this hole.

You may have heard the term ‘cylinder snapping.’ When a burglar uses this method, this is the part that breaks. You can see there is not much metal here holding the whole thing together.

The next part is the cam:
lock cam

When the key is rotated, it too rotates which you can see here. This picture shows the cam position when the key is out. Lock cam position

and this one with the key in and part turned;
Euro cylinder camWithout going into too much detail, snapping the cylinder allows the burglar to operate the parts of the mechanism which the cam would move, and they can be inside your home in less than a minute without the need for any power tools.

The good news is that there are a few things you can do to stop this. You can have an anti-snapping device fitted inside the handles. You can have new handles that are resistant to attack. But they do not stop traditional lock picking and drilling is still an option for the determined burglar. Also, the insurance company will still pay up when you are burgled because for now at least, most accept these locks as suitable. In fact, if your locks have to be replaced, and these were the ones you had before, they will only pay for like for like replacements leaving you just as vulnerable. Many burglary victims will tell you that once it has happened to you, it will likely happen again.

So what if you don’t want to make that call to the insurance company after the burglary? What can you do to drastically reduce the chances of your home being burgled? Well, firstly, you can go to your local DIY chain and buy a BS3621 kite marked cylinder. These are anti-snap and in many cases will deter the opportunist. However, they can be picked (with patience) and can be bypassed in other ways. It’s a lot harder, but you still might need specialist handles to be really secure.

Or you can opt for the ultimate Euro Cylinder. At the time of writing, and to the best of my knowledge, this is the best cylinder you can have without the need for additional parts;
BS3621 kite marked cylinder
 You can see from this picture some studs that run through the bottom. These

hold a reinforced bar aimed at the prevention of cylinder snapping.

                               

                    
Kite marked Euro cylinder

Coupled with this part, which is weakened intentionally so that the front snaps off, rather than the whole thing breaking in the middle. The burglar is not going to easily get to the internal parts of your door.

Locks explained

From the front, the lock looks like this;

It is highly recognisable from a distance, meaning the seasoned burglar might not even venture past your front gate because he knows this will be no easy break in. Someone who takes the time to put one of these locks on is probably going to have increased window security as well, so why bother looking when next door’s house looks just as big, has just as nice a car on the drive, but has visibly easier locks to get past? If however he does get close enough to take a good look at the lock, not only will he see that kite mark, but he will also see those three stars. Those stars have a big message. They state that this lock is so good, it doesn’t need the extras. You can make your security three stars with a British Standard lock and some other bits, but this lock does it all in one. I’ve had to bypass one so far. I have specialist equipment and I can tell you it took me a lot more time than a burglar would probably be willing to take and I had to replace a fair few tools afterwards.

So, you can’t snap it, and it is extremely resistant to power tools. What about picking? I’d love to see a TV show where the hero gets out his trusty lock picking set and faces this!

This is the key;
Key for anti-snap lock
To pick this lock, not only do you have to get these dimples in the right place, you have to get them the right size, because the pins inside the lock are doubled with a pin within a pin. Not only that, but the flat circle you can see is a magnet which can appear anywhere along that key and must tally with the correct magnet position in the lock itself.

For extra security, very few people can cut you new keys for these locks. Only the holder of the key card that comes with the lock can get copies made.

Here is the card;
anti-snap keys

 

So, you can rest assured no one is going to make copies. Even those few who do cut these keys cannot copy from another key. It must be done from the code on the card. That makes these locks brilliant for landlords of long term tenants and short term holiday lets.

I like these locks so much, they secure my own home.

If you have any questions regarding the above information, please feel free to get in touch via the contacts page.

Thanks for reading

admin January 13, 2016

Different locks explained / Which lock is best? /

Different Locks Explained Part 2

The mortice lock (sometimes spelt mortise) and often referred to as a ‘Chubb’ lock.

When your home insurance talks about 5 lever locks, it is referring to this type of lock and not the multi-point locking system of the type found on upvc type doors.You can have two main types of mortice lock.

This is the deadlock;   
IMAG0795 (2)
 













And this is the sash lock – essentially a deadlock with retractable latch;

IMAG0796 (2)




The two pictures are 5 lever mortice locks and made to British Standard 3621 quality. The following pictures show what makes them such high quality:


IMAG0797The black layers you can see in between the hard steel plates, is designed to snag hack-saws, stopping any potential attack where a wide gap between the door and frame might allow for this to happen. The bolt itself comes out a long way to ensure anyone attempting to ‘pop’ the door with a crowbar is in for a serious struggle. In burglaries I have attended where the door has been opened with a crowbar, the wood of the door has split rather than the lock breaking. That is because the keep that sits in the door frame is a solid construction as well. Two and three lever mortice locks have a much smaller bolt and usually, the keep is just a thin piece of metal that goes over holes cut into the wood.


A five lever mortice lock keep looks like this:
IMAG0804
It will be made of a thick hard plate metal and secured with four deep set screws.Two and three lever mortice locks can be picked relatively easily, because tools can be inserted up into the lock from the key hole from where the burglar can manipulate the levers.

On a BS3621 5 lever mortice lock, that method of attack is made all the harder by the anti-pick curtain, shown here:  

IMAG0801
This round bit is the part you put your key into and stops any manipulation of the levers above.






You can see it again in this next picture which also shows the hardened steel plate that stops standard drills making any holes where burglars need them to move the levers and therefore open the lock.IMAG0799 (4)

















Levers

Now, onto the levers themselves. Because this is a 5 lever lock, there are obviously five of them. That means trying to pick one of these (if the burglar is willing to spend the time trying to get past the anti-pick curtain), is really difficult. There is a technique, but it requires holding just the right pressure as you do each lever in turn. If you make it to the fifth one, you are either very determined, or very lucky. These levers also have anti-pick traps, which in some cases, will render the lock completely unusable. Certain brands wear very easily and poorly cut copied keys can set these traps off, so make sure the person cutting any extra keys uses ones that have the brand name on them and has plenty of experience.
Here are the levers:
IMAG0802 (4)








If you just don’t know whether or not your locks are up to standard, there is one way to ensure it meets the necessary standards. It should display the British Standard Kite Mark like this:
IMAG0803














Now this piece only covers the basic mortice locks. There are other mortice locks which are in a bit of a grey area. For example, horizontal mortice locks which have the key hole and usually a knob on a side by side set up rather than a lever handle above the key hole. If you have one of these, the chances are it is a 3 lever lock and not insurance compliant as a standalone lock. There are 5 lever versions but these are expensive and do not always work with older doors. You can also have narrow fit mortice locks for doors that do not have much space into which a lock will fit. Non-standard 5 lever mortice locks do not carry BS3621 kite marks, but often satisfy insurance companies if they are made aware of the circumstances in which they have been fitted.

If you have any doubts at all, contact your local locksmith who can either advise on your best course of action, and may be prepared to word a letter to your insurance company explaining unusual circumstances. Remember even if the burglar gets in through a door that has the appropriate lock on it, some insurance companies will refuse to pay out if any one of your other locks is not up to standard.

If you require any more information regarding the locks mentioned above, please do not hesitate to contact me using any of the methods on my contacts page. If there are any other locksmith related topics you would like me to cover, please either leave a comment or drop me an email, my address can be found on the contacts page.

Thanks for reading.

admin December 16, 2015

5 lever mortice locks / British Standard locks / Which lock? /

Different Locks Explained

There are many different types of lock, some are insurance standard – some are not. In my blog I want to look at the pros and cons of the different locks. Part one is the Nightlatch lock.

1. The Nightlatch:

The Nightlatch lock is often referred to as a ‘Yale’ type lock. Here, I am going to look at some examples and explain the pros and cons of these locks.
Night Latch Standard Width Door

This is the most basic nightlatch. The key or the knob rotate to withdraw the curved latch. The small snib pushed up or down (depending on brand and side of door lock is mounted on) holds the latch either in or out. When the snib is activated the knob and key will not operate.

The part that the key goes into is called a ‘Rim Cylinder’ and can be bought as a separate part. This means if you lose your key, the locking part can be purchased quite cheaply without having to buy the whole lot. They are also easy for the amateur to fit as well, especially if there is already a hole for the rim cylinder to fit into as this passes from the front to the back of the door and into the back of the nightlatch itself.

The downsides to this lock are that as it is cheap, it doesn’t always last very long. If the snib is not activated, a burglar can bypass this lock in seconds. It is possible to accidentally knock the snib as you leave the house and because the latch will retract just a little bit, if you slam your door, you can now be locked out with the key being useless to you. Getting in from this position involves complete destruction of the lock and possible damage to your door. This lock carries no British Standard rating and therefore on its own will invalidate your insurance. Even if the burglar enters through a different opening, having this lock as your only lock on a final exit door will stop the insurance company paying out.

While I see this as a main lock on far too many occasions, I would only use it on internal doors like B&B rooms or if you rent a holiday home and you need to keep some rooms unused, etc.

It can be used on main doors, but there should always be another lock as well, preferably one that is British Standard 3621 with a kite mark.

This is the next level of nightlatch:

This one is a bit more robust than the one before. It’s fitting is slightly more complicated and more tools are required to fit it into place. It operates the same as well. But you can get these in a deadlocking version. That means, if you turn the key an extra turn, the latch is held in place just as the snib would do on the inside. On this example, the snib is black. While this deadlocking action gives slightly more security than the cheaper nightlatch, it does throw up its own problems, because now, if you accidentally rotate the key to the deadlocked position, step inside and slam the door, you will be locked in. The inside lever will not turn enough to free you. You will have to exit from another door or window, and unlock it again from the outside. This, of course is dangerous if you only have one door and fire breaks out.

Again, this lock is not rated to BS3621 and therefore not adequate security on its own.

Finally, the BS3621 Nightlatch:

This one really does the trick. The Rim cylinder is now protected against drilling. The latch comes out further and protects itself against a burglary method called “slipping.” Because the snib is a push button, you cannot accidentally lock yourself in or out as you could with the previous two locks. And because it carries the kitemark, it will satisfy most insurers as a stand alone lock without the need for others. While this is still possible to fit yourself, it can be fiddly and if not done properly, the automatic deadlocking feature will not work. In the image you will notice that there is a key hole on the lever. If you lock the lever in place, a burglar who has entered through another opening wil not be able to open this door and escape with all the stuff he is carrying. However, in the event of a fire, you must be sure where your keys are. There are versions that do not have this locking handle that still conform to BS3621.

Part 2 – coming soon, will be Euro Cylinders & Part 3 Mortice locks.

Should you have any questions regarding the locks above, please get in touch through my contacts page.

Thanks for reading.

admin December 2, 2015

Different locks explained / Which lock? /

Your Home Insurance is not valid!

Well, maybe yours is – but I am upgrading many homes in Norfolk, that either don’t meet insurance standards, or are woefully susceptible to attack.

It’s quite simple, if your locks do not carry the British Standard Kite Mark, then they are, in most cases, pretty easy to get in to. And, just as importantly, if your door locks do not meet insurance standards your insurers will NOT pay out any money, regardless of what has happened.
Kite marked lock AC Locksmiths

Of course, there are a few exceptions: Some types of lock either do not have British classification, or, as in with padlocks, the rating is done on a European rating instead.

I have noticed some trends in the properties that are poorly protected, but cannot post them because I would hate to hand a would-be burglar the obvious places to look. However, if you are reading this and you know someone who has not got access to a computer, please do them a favour and help them check their locks for the British Standard Kite Mark. If you know someone with old locks, see if they have checked them recently.

Many people still think a 5 lever lock refers to the type seen on UPVC doors. It doesn’t. It refers to mortice (some times called ‘Chubb’) locks, and there are far too many front doors that only have 2 lever or 3 lever locks, which professional burglars can bypass in seconds.

Norfolk is a low crime area and the number of burglaries are coming down across the UK, in part, thanks to better locks and security in general. But they are still happening. Not to scaremonger, but to simply state facts – If your neighbour has good quality locks, the domestic intruder could visit your house instead.

The emotional fall out of a burglary can last for years. Heirlooms and items of personal sentimental value can never be replaced. Instead of thinking it will never happen to you, be sure you have done all you possibly can to make sure it won’t happen to you. Protect your home with British Standard products. Don’t be complacent with thoughts like: ‘Anyone can get in if they really want to’ If that wasn’t true, I would be out of a job. But the idea is to make it as hard as possible for them. If it is going to take time to get in, they probably won’t bother. And getting in is only half the problem; they always want to leave through a door if they are laden with your possessions, so the correct door locks are essential.

If you have any questions regarding the above, or would like to book a free security check, with no obligations, please use any of the methods on my contacts page to get in touch.

Thanks for reading.

admin May 30, 2015

British Standard locks / insurance standard locks / kite marked locks /

Why do you need kite marked locks?


Insurance standards do not always require that your locks be rated to British Standard kite marked (always best to check your paperwork though!) so why should we fit locks to this higher level?

A C Locksmiths Norfolk

Here is a breakdown of what the three main types of lock do when they are rated to British Standard (BS3621);-

Mortice locks (commonly known as ‘Chubb’ locks)

These are the locks that sit inside wooden doors with a long, cylindrical key that has a square drop down at the end, which turns levers inside the lock to operate. You can get two, three and five lever versions. Only five lever versions are acceptable to insurers when used as a stand alone lock. However, to get the famous kite mark that comes with BS3621, the lock must have certain features:

Firstly, an anti-pick curtain which prevents anyone manipulating the levers inside without the proper key. In addition to this, the levers have pick traps, so that anyone managing to bypass the anti-pick curtain runs the risk of getting caught by these traps and therefore rendering the lock frozen in the locked position. The lock also has an anti-drill plate which is an extra layer of hardened metal that protects the lock from attack by power tools. Standard drill bits will blunt before going through these hardened steel plates. Even with hardened drill bits and powerful drills, this is a noisy and time consuming method of attack, meaning most burglars would avoid attempting this. The bolts on these locks are longer and thicker than standard, with special materials to make sawing virtually impossible. Some have roller bars inside so that a saw blade will only be able to cut so far before it can no longer get purchase to continue cutting. The keeps (the bits that the latch and bolt go into) that sit in the door frame are also bigger and stronger, meaning that in most cases, when the door is forced, it is actually the integrity of the door and frame that fail before the lock.

Nightlatches (commonly referred to as ‘Yale’ type locks)

Standard nightlatches are arguably the easiest lock to break into. These are the locks that have a cylinder that goes through the door from the front, operated by the key and a square or rectangular mechanism on the back of the door which usually has a lever or knob  to pull the latch back, and a button or ‘snib’ which will lock the the latch in the extended or retracted position. If your nightlatch does not have a kite mark, most insurers will require you to have at least one other key operated lock on the door. The standard versions of these locks also have two major flaws. Firstly, if you rotate the key an extra turn you ‘double lock’ the door, which is fine when you leave. But it is possible to double lock the door while it is open and then slam the door shut. This action makes using the inner lever or knob useless, so you can effectively be locked in and the door will only open when some one unlocks from the outside. Also, if the snib iis accidently activated upon leaving, the key will not work when you return.

To get a kite mark, they have to be pretty special; They will have an automatic deadlocking feature which pushes the latch out further, effectively making it as strong as a bolt. It also loses the curved side of the latch so that the door cannot be attacked by a method known as ‘slipping’. The front part of the lock is reinforced and a lose disc fits over the key hole that stops the burglar being able to drill their way into the lock. There are tools that enable potential attackers to manipulate the inside part of the lock from outside the door. On these locks, the springs are stiffer and purchase is much more difficult. In my own personal experience, when faced with one of these locks, I have always searched for an alternative. You can also have a key lock on the inside of these locks. After all, a potential burglar loaded up with your belongings, wants to leave via a door. By having this locked on the inside, he must use the window he entered, risking more chance of cutting himself on broken glass, especially as his hands are now full. The other feature of these kite marked night latches is that you cannot lock yourself in or out unless you leave without the key.

Upvc door locks (called ‘Euro Cylinders’)

At the time of writing, not all insurers require the actual lock on a upvc door to be kite marked as the various hooks, rollers and bolts supposedly make the door good  security. But as been highlighted in the press over recent months, the barrel that the key goes into can be bypassed in under a minute, making all the other features of the door redundant.

The new barrels deserve special explanation because you can have a BS3621 euro cylinder, but still not have the best protection. In addition to the kite mark, these locks have a 1,2, or 3 star rating. 1 and 2 star rated products can have their level increased by having additional devices fitted to the door, or specialist handles fitted, but a couple of suppliers make a lock that are 3 stars by themselves. I only fit 3 star rated euro cylinders as they are universal to any door. These cylinders are known as ‘snap secure’ which means if a burglar tries to break them, only a small section at the front will break off, leaving them in much the same position as they were before they put all the effort in.

The brand I use require a dimple cut key (rather than a jagged edge) which throws out the usual methods of picking a lock because you have to get all the dimples in the right place and the right size. The lock also has a magnet which is activated by another magnet in the key. The magnets can be in different places in different locks. If the magnet in the lock does not line up with the magnet in the key, the lock will not open. This means the only way into this lock is with the drill. As part of my job, I have to use reinforced drill bits. I have had to get into one of these locks and with all my best equipment, and all of my professional skill, it took over an hour. No burglar is going to waste that much time. The locks are distinctive from a distance because the key goes in horizontally, rather than the normal vertical, so most burglars will turn away before even attempting to gain entry.

If you have a upvc door, or any door with a euro cylinder, and you value your possessions, you should think seriously about upgrading, as an insurance payout will not replace your lost items of sentimental value The difference in price between a standard cylinder and this top of the range one, is just £30.00, but the standard cylinder has been shown to allow a burglar into your home in less than a minute with no power tools, whereas the upgrade stops the attacker before he even tries. That has to be value for money.

If you would like more information about any of the topics discussed on this page or any other blog on this site, please feel free to use any of the methods on my contacts page.

Thanks for reading.

admin March 19, 2015

insurance standard locks / kite marked locks /

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