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?

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.