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Original poster

To tell you to change your locks

199 replies

Palomb · 05/07/2017 14:01

If you have euro type barrel locks on any of your doors they are not secure. We were burgled last night for my husbands car. The scum that did it snapped the lock on our back door with a tool you can buy on ebay for less than a quid. We were asleep in the room above with the windows wide open and didn't hear a thing.

All out locks are currently being changed to anti snap locks. They are only £40 each. We had no idea lock snapping was even a thing.

Also, while I'm being bossy, if you have more than one car don't have all the keys on one key ring. I have to get all the locks changed on my car and it's going to cost £500+ this is not covered by my insurance. Keep your keys seperate. You can only drive one car at a time.

OP posts:
Sushi123 · 06/07/2017 20:02

I used to sell home insurance..best to say that you don't have an alarm, even if you do as they may not pay out if alarm isn't set at time of loss...it doesn't really make that much difference to the premium

Castasunder · 06/07/2017 20:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

u32ng · 06/07/2017 20:24

OP what a horrible thing to happen. We were burgled once when I still lived at my parents house and it was awful. You feel so violated. Now my job involves identifying thieving scum heehee.

Found this online which might be useful to people: www.locksmiths.co.uk/about/public/cylinder-snapping/

Has certainly given me food for thought particularly on our upvc patio door which I think is a shit lock, and has always been a bit dodgy.

Re: the house alarm. My insurance company told me (when I was trying to negotiate our renewal premium) that the alarm only makes a difference to your premium if you set it at night time. I'm guessing that's because statistically it's when most burglaries happen?

Castasunder · 06/07/2017 20:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ADayGivingMeHope · 06/07/2017 20:25

I've only skimmed through the post but can't see this written...

We have normal Yale locks but leave keys in both doors every night with them sideways in the lock so they can't be pushed out.

Mainly in case there's a fire so we can get out quick but also I thought this was a safe thing to do to prevent lock pickers... is this not the case?

Mrstiggywink49 · 06/07/2017 20:48

I understand that a really crunchy loose gravel drive is a good deterrent.

Doubledottvremote · 06/07/2017 20:54

Sorry to hear that op. Burglaries really shake you up.

Merakcat · 06/07/2017 20:57

Have you ever been held up at gun/knife point before BlueSunset ? Unless you are a real life Jack Bower/Deadpool then as frustrating and unfair as it is, what else do you recommend? Go down fighting?

mammanat · 06/07/2017 21:08

Hi guys I haven't read through all the posts (trying to settle the baby's) but my husband is a locksmith and recommends anti snap locks 110%! You can do it yourself if you fancy having a go (loads of clips on YouTube) or any locksmith will put them in (but some charge more for the cost of the lock plus labour so I'd shop around). We've got anti snap locks on all our doors PLUS if you want to try (really easy to fit) sash jammers, they are brilliant (especially if you go away and want to try secure the house as much as possible).

mammanat · 06/07/2017 21:10

Also so sorry to the OP , a break in is awful and my husband sees it too often!

Goodasgoldilox · 06/07/2017 21:14

Dogs are good!
We know of one close where all the houses except one were burgled. The exception was that where a dog annoyed its owners by barking - for no reason- several times that night.

silky1985 · 06/07/2017 21:17

buy some deadlocks that can only be opened from the inside and when you get a new car buy a steering wheel lock

Whyisitsodifficult · 06/07/2017 22:08

Gosh what a scary thread. We live in an old house with wooden sash windows which have locks on. The front and back doors are part glazed wooden doors, what locks should we have on these?

cherish123 · 06/07/2017 22:26

The modern locks are definitely the best - the ones that lock into the wall in several places when you lift the handle.

Actually, you should leave car keys on show as sometimes they will go to ant lengths to get the car keys (including in pockets in you bedroom). Much less scary for you if they do break in. People are more important than a car (insured anyways).

whirlycurly · 06/07/2017 23:04

We once owned a lovely new sports car in a pretty dodgy area. Dh wouldn't leave it on the drive for a minute - it was straight in the garage. When we came to sell it a couple of years later, he had it out on the drive to take pictures and it then transpired that the neighbours had never even realised we'd got it.

I was always worried about being car jacked in it too. That was a thing at the time and it was a fairly unusual car.

user1498240695 · 06/07/2017 23:36

Locks are not really to blame. If the bastards want to get in they will. My oh caught a pair robbing a neighbours house recently, he didn't approach them as we have kids and desperate people fo desperate things but he managed to get them on film. They smashed a window to get in and took loads of tech, even kids tablets. It's an awful crime Sad

Pixel · 06/07/2017 23:46

I thought the latest thing was that they don't even need to get hold of your keys now, they can steal your car from outside while the keys are still in the house by hacking it with a special device. Putting them in a metal container is supposed to stop the signal.

PigletJohn · 07/07/2017 00:47

Whyisitsodifficult

You say you have old wooden doors. Most likely they can be fitted with BS3621 deadlocks, than which there is none better.

Whichever door is not your main entry door (i.e. you do not need to open it from outside with a key) should also have mortice rackbolts fitted top and bottom.

The minimum thickness of a wooden external door is usually 44mm.

If your door is thinner than this, or is in bad condition or has numerous bits cut out, it be be possible to patch it up, or a new door may be better value. Wooden doors are very much cheaper than plastic ones, as well as stronger, more rigid, and more attractive.

The doorframe also needs to be in reasonable condition. Hardwood doorframes are not very expensive, but you need a competent chippy to fit them well.

A carpenter or joiner can fit a door and locks better and quicker than a DIYer or general handyman.

MrsMozart · 07/07/2017 01:05

Does anyone have suggestion how to make sash windows secure?

Our house has large sash windows, the house backs onto fields, and whilst they have locks and there's an alarm system and dogs, I still get nervous if our daughters are home alone. The backdoor is always locked unless the dogs are loose. I think we need to look again at our security in light of this thread!

MrsMozart · 07/07/2017 01:07

Meant to add - a useful feature of a friend's alarm is it beaps whenever an outer door is opened.

PigletJohn · 07/07/2017 01:21

Wooden sash windows are traditionally fitted with a Dual Screw, usually one each side unless for a miniature window.

You can also get locking Fitch Fasteners.
Mine are rather like P6132-L but they have a captive stainless screw which I don't see in the illustration. This type wedges the sashes tighter when you close it.

They must have a removable metal key, per my household insurance.

There is a vast array on IronmongeryDirect and other types of locks and fasteners as well.

MrsMozart · 07/07/2017 01:26

PigletJohn thank you Smile

I'll investigate those when I'm awake (eyes shutting). Also, off the back of this thread, I'm going to call the alarm people tomorrow and ask for a review of what we have.

PigletJohn · 07/07/2017 01:46

"beaps whenever an outer door is opened"

that's called "chime" function. I have mine set to bleep when the back door or garage doors are opened, even when the alarm is not set. The doors are out of sight and might be unlocked if I have been in the garden or garage.

They are also useful if you have e.g. small children who might want to go out into the road. I set my elderly mother's to chime on the front door as the neighbour has a key and sometimes lets herself in, which can be unnerving if not expected.

Original poster
Palomb · 07/07/2017 07:57

Thinking about our burglars I think they were casing our house for a couple of days before we were actually burgled as for 2 nights before my car alarm had gone off at around midnight. I think they were seeing if we had to turn the alarm off before we could open the door to check the car.

Fuckers :(

OP posts:
wherearemymarbles · 07/07/2017 10:51

whyisit
Yale bs1/bs2 night latch. Its deadlocking so so cant be opened with a bit of plastic. The internal handle is lockable so it cant be opened by breaking glass or drilling through the door.

This and a 5 lever mortice lock

As I said up post, when we got locked out the locksmith couldnt get in...