front door security

In order to prevent burglary it's important that your front door is secured as best as possible. The following advice is backed by the Metropolitan Police.

A rim latch is not good enough for securing the front door. Instead, a 5 lever mortice deadlock is required by insurance companies and is highly recommended. These locks must conform with British Standard 3621 or European Standard EN12209. Lock replacement should be carried out by a professional residential locksmith.

Doors must have solid frames and be suitable for external use. A good quality lock is useless if it's fitted to a door with a hollow core. To support a mortice lock, the door must be at least 44mm thick, and hung on three substantial hinges. The distance between the rim latch and the mortice deadlock should be no less than 45 - 60 cm. Ask a qualified residential locksmith about correct installation.
Consider fitting a spy hole and a door chain or limiter. Both will help you identify visitors without compromising security.

Door Reinforcement

A kickstop London Bar is a metal strip that is fitted to the frame of the opening side of the front door, and a kickstop Birmingham Bar is a similar metal strip, attached to the door frame of the hinge side of the door. Both vastly improve door frame strength and can prevent forced entry. For more information ask an emergency locksmith
Door frame strength is very important, so make sure that the timber frame for your door is securely fixed to the walls with bolts or screws around the entire door frame. Glazed panel doors are less secure than solid doors. Laminated or toughened glass is less likely to yield to force..

Letter Boxes

Letter boxes can be used by burglars to tamper with the lock or to steal mail. Therefore, for security and insurance reasons, they must confirm to British Standards. For more information, ask a residential locksmith.

Locking Front Door

For fire hazard reasons, fire safety officers recommend not locking a mortice deadbolt while you are home. However, crime prevention officers offer the opposite advice, because the rim latch does not offer enough security, and engaging the mortice deadbolt prevents young children from wondering outside. The answer lies in your personal circumstances. For additional advice, ask an emergency locksmith.