Horley Locksmith

The first thing to remember is that not all door locks are the same and it’s often just a £20 lock that is keeping your door secure, while you might have spent hundreds on a burglar alarm – that many neighbours won’t react to anyway, as they think it’s just a false alarm. 

Most front doors have a euro cylinder that operates bolts that extend in the door frame. A cheap basic lock can easily be broken or bypassed, and access can be gained within a matter of seconds. A higher security lock, costing just £50-£60 provides a much better level of security. It’s worth checking your locks and looking for STARS. One star is better than none and 3 stars will give a superior level of security, which will deter most burglars. 

It’s also very important that the locks are the correct size for the door, as a poorly fitting lock can vastly increase the ease of someone being able to break in. This was apparent when we were called out last month.  

“Rachel and her family went out for their daily walk during lockdown and upon return found that their front door lock was stuck.  

Upon inspection, I suggested that the lock was far too big for the door and would be easily snapped, allowing access to open the door. They agreed to upgrade the lock and I then gained access by snapping the lock, which took less than 30 seconds.   

A 3-star high security lock was put on in its place, which comes with a £1,000 guarantee if anyone breaks in via snapping the lock (which is a popular method with burglars).”

What would you do if you locked yourself out? Whether the key snapped in the lock, you left your keys at work or if the lock failed, here are  some tips on how to reduce the impact of being locked out: 

• Leave a spare key with a trusted neighbour or family members or even better have a key box installed with a spare key in (don’t leave a key under a plant pot or the door mat, that’s the first place the burglars will look). A key box can be fitted to the side of your house and are very secure. 

• Always have the back / side door key with you as well, that way if the front door won’t open you have an alternative way into your house 

• If your door lock starts to feel odd; hard to lift the handle, drooping handle or any crunching sounds, get it checked out before it fails

• Put a local locksmiths phone number into your phone. It’s less stressful to have the number handy when you need it (and not having Google Locksmiths near me at 10pm when it’s raining and you’ve just got home from the pub!)

Don’t wait until to happens to you, plan for it now. 

You can find out more about RLM Locksmiths on their website www.rlmlocksmiths.co.uk or via their social media accounts Instagram: @rlmlocks 

Facebook: rlmlocksmiths