Most burglaries are carried out by opportunist
thieves. In 2 out of 10 burglaries, they don’t even have
to use force – they get in through an open door or
window.
So fit strong locks to your doors and windows and make sure you
always keep them fully locked.
If you are replacing or fitting new doors and windows, get ones
that are certified to British Standard and BS7950 (windows) or PAS
24-1 (doors).
Look at you home through a burglar’s eyes
- How would you get in if you’ve forgotten your keys?
If you can get in, so can a burglar
- Are there places where they could break in without being
seen?
- Would they have to make a lot of noise breaking glass?
Reduce the risk of your home being burgled by making sure
you’ve taken these simple (and often inexpensive) precautions.
Windows
A third of burglars get in through a window. If
you are replacing windows, take the opportunity to install
new ones that are certified to British Standard BS795 ' Windows of
Enhanced Security'.
To make your windows more secure, you could:
- Consider using laminated glass, particularly
in ground-floor and accessible windows, as this is much
harder to break.
- Fit window locks with keys to all downstairs
windows and windows that are easy to reach – for example, those
above a flat roof or near a drainpipe.
- Even
small windows such as skylights or bathroom fanlights need locks. A
thief can get through any gap that is larger than a human
head.
- Remember to keep windows locked. Remove the
keys and keep them out of sight in a safe
place.
- Louvre windows are especially
vulnerable because thieves can easily take the slats out
of the frame. Glue the slats into place, and fit a special louvre
lock. Better still, replace them with fixed glass.
- Consider fitting security grilles to vulnerable
windows – but only if these windows are not escape routes,
in case of fire. Many DIY shops now sell decorative wrought-iron
grilles.
Doors
If your front and back doors are not secure, neither is your
home. Two thirds of burglars gain entry through a door.
- If you are replacing a door, take the opportunity to improve
your security by installing a door that is certified to British
Standard PAS 24-1 'Doors of Enhanced Security'.
- Ask for it to be fitted with a chain or bar
and, if it doesn’t have a window or other means of checking who’s
at the door, a door viewer.
- Glass panels on or around doors are
especially vulnerable, so replace them with
laminated glass. Or, you can buy special film to stick to the
inside that will do the same thing.
- Make sure the doors and frames are
strong and in good condition.
- Wooden doors should be solid and at
least 44mm (1¾") thick.
- Fit five-lever mortise deadlocks (Kitemarked
BS3621) to all wooden outside doors, including French doors. And
make sure you use them.
- You can make wooden doors stronger by fitting a steel
strip and plates to the door frame and around the
lock.
- Keep your doors locked even when you’re at
home.
- Use the mortise deadlock or, on PVC-U or other
enhanced security doors, the fully or double-locked
mode especially at night.
- Fit mortise bolts to the top and
bottom of all outside wooden doors, including both sides
of French doors.
- Remember to fit all security devices with strong screws
or bolts.
- Before fitting locks to PVC-U or metal doors, check
with the installer to make sure that this will not affect
your warranty.
1. Door viewer
If you don’t have a window in the door or some other way of
checking who’s calling, fit a door viewer. Look through this to
identify callers before you open the door.
2. Hinges
Check that the door hinges are sturdy and secured with strong,
long screws. For added security, fit hinge bolts.
These are cheap and help to reinforce the hinge side of a door
against force. Hinge bolts or security hinges are especially
important if your door opens outwards.
3. Letter boxes
Never hang a spare key inside the letterbox.
This is an obvious place that a thief will check. Letterboxes
should be at least 400mm (16 inches) from any locks. Consider
fitting a letterbox cage or other restrictor,
which prevents thieves from putting their hands through the
letterbox and trying the latches from the inside.
4. Rim latch
Most front doors are fitted with a rim latch, which
locks automatically when the door is closed. You
can open these from the inside without a key. For strength and
quality, look for BS3621 Kitemarked products.
5. Automatic deadlock
This locks automatically when the door is
closed and is more secure than other types of rim
latch. It needs a key to open it from both the inside and the
outside.
6. Chains and door viewers
Buy a door bar or chain and door viewer. Use
them every time someone calls.
Remember, though, that you only use the door chain or bar when
answering the door – don’t leave it on all the time.
7. Mortise deadlock
Fit a five-lever mortise deadlock about a third
of the way up the door. Most insurance companies are happy with one
Kitemarked to British Standard BS3621. You can only open a deadlock
with a key, so a thief can’t smash the nearby glass panel to open
the door from the inside. Deadlocks also mean that if burglars get
into your home through a window, they can’t carry your belongings
out through the door.
Sliding patio doors should have
anti-lift devices and locks fitted to the top and
bottom to stop them being removed from outside, unless they already
have a multi-locking system. Get specialist advice. If you are
getting new or replacement patio doors, ask the system supplier for
their high-security specification.
If you live in a flat
Doors on individual flats are often not
as strong as those on houses and can be the easiest way
for a thief to break in.
Doors to flats over a floor level of 4.5 metres (normally those
on the second floor or higher) should have locking mechanisms
fitted in line with BS5588 Part 1:1990 ‘Fire Precautions in the
Design and Construction and Use of Buildings’.
Shared entrances
Consider having a phone-entry system fitted to
the main door to your building. Never ‘buzz’ open the door
for strangers or hold the door open for someone who is
arriving just as you are leaving or entering the building.
Keys
Never leave a spare key in a convenient hiding
place such as under the doormat, in a
flowerpot or behind a loose brick
– thieves know all the usual hiding places.
If you move into a new home, change the front and back door
locks immediately – other people may have keys that fit. Look in
your phone book for the names of local locksmiths who are members
of the Master Locksmiths’ Association.
Never leave your house or car keys in or near a door or window.
Some thieves have been known to use a fishing rod or magnet on a
stick to steal them through the letterbox.
Decide on a safe place for your keys and always use it, so you
can find them in an emergency. Increasingly, burglars are breaking
in to steal the keys of high-value cars. So take care of your car
keys and, if you have a garage, keep your car in it rather than on
the drive.