Front door question

[Hudsonheights]

We have bought a new front door. It’s a composite door. Our old door was a lovely but very drafty original wood door on our 1930s house. With the old door, you needed a key to open it from the outside - there was no handle on the front. When you entered the house, the door would shut and you would feel safe as no-one could enter from outside without a key. With this new door, you have to use the key to lock it whether you are inside or outside, otherwise it’s closed but not locked and anyone can just walk in! The door company said this is how all modern doors work. Is this true? I’m now panicking all the time that my 2 teenage DS’s will leave the house in the morning and not lock up behind them!

You get used to it. I haven't lived in a house where you didn't need to lock the door for thirty years. At least you can't accidentally lock yourself out!

My door is only a year old , it doesn't work like you've described .
I can open from inside but not outside without the key , the way you would expect a door to work

It's pretty normal yes

Yes I need a key to get in the front door then lock it from the inside afterwards. Takes a lot of clunking in the dark as switch hall light on, lock up from inside, put down whatever you're carrying, turn light switch off then you're safely inside.

It does feel very secure though.

Good point about the youngsters they'll have to be trained about how important it is to pay attention and make the home safe.

I've just had the innards of a composite door replaced because it locked by itself without a key and I was worried one of my teenagers would lock themselves out!

Do you not have a yale lock on the door? So the yale automatically locks when you close it from either side.

I have this but also have a couple of additional locks I can lock/unlock with a key

With this new door, you have to use the key to lock it whether you are inside or outside, otherwise it’s closed but not locked and anyone can just walk in! The door company said this is how all modern doors work. Is this true? It’s not how all doors work. Some modern doors work the way you’re used to and some need to be locked, just as it has been for decades. But yes, you’re going to have to get them into the habit of locking up after themselves. And remembering to lock up when you’re all back home in the evening.

If you don’t have a yale can a locksmith fit one for you

I guess you could get the lock changed on it if you're unhappy with it?

Sounds like your old door only had a Yale type lock which may give you a sense of being secure in as much as it always locks (unless you over-ride it) but in actual fact they are not very secure at all and can easily be defeated.
A modern composite door will have multipoint locking so is more secure but yes, you need to physically lock it.

Boring.

I thought this thread was going to be about something very different.

Is it can't how understand how doors work day 😂

There's another thread running about this as well and I'm really surprised that people aren't aware that there are different types of doors (didn't mean to hit the emoji here but can't get rid of it😂

It's not how all doors work, but we went through a couple of door suppliers before we found one who would (could?) install a split spindle door. Slamshut seem to be the door handle less ones with the big bars that are fashionable currently. We have a door handle on both sides, but you need a key to get in. Exactly so that even if the teens forget to use a key, the house is partially secure.

I hope you get used to your new door soon.

Life is full of disappointments!

I’m not sure if composite doors work the same but I had a UPVC door and additional security added in the lock part by a locksmith.
my door locks on closing from both sides.

It is not true, I absolutely hate this and our new door is opened by key from the outside and when it is shut it’s locked but can be opened by using the knob on the inside.

Not all doors but it is pretty common. Benefit is it makes it far harder to lock yourself out.

Have you got a thumb turn for the inside though? We started off having to lock with a key from the inside which is a pain. You leave the key in in case you need to leave in a hurry, but then if anyone else is still out they cut unlock the door and get back in …

I can’t even think how my front door locks unless I’m stood right in front of it, I think it’s got a handle somewhere.

What on earth could be that interesting about front doors. Unless some kind of innuendo.is that what you thought?

Oh COME on!

I'm not the only one to think it!

Mine is like that. The positive is that you can pop out to the car and not get locked out!! But you have to get into the habit of locking it.

We had composite doors fitted three years ago.

On one door we have a thumbnail lock on the inside to lock the door without a key, when you are inside. You have to use a key to lock the door when on the outside. Otherwise, the door will be shut but unlocked. If this door slams shut you are not locked out.

On the other door we have a thumbnail lock on the inside to double lock the door. If you shut this door it is locked, with added security of the double lock. You need a key to unlock the door if you are on the outside. If this door slams shut you will be locked out.

It sounds like you want the second type, but are being told you can only have the first type? I'm not sure why you can't have the second type as we have one of each.

So we had a composite door fitted a couple of years ago and ours actually has both options so you can choose (as you will see in the thread everyone has different preferences!)

So there's a little switch we can flick so that it will auto lock on the outside when closed. We choose to keep it off as I know the kids would be getting locked out every 5 mins

We do worry about security too though so have just got in the habit of locking it on inside using the thumb lock