Home security - something we all should be aware of, and should all take special care over - yet how many of us actually do so ?

We can visit your premises and conduct a simple no obligation survey on the locks and fittings of your doors and windows, a written report and recommendations will then be sent to you,

all of this free of charge and with no obligation or pressure for you to buy anything from us.

Should you then decide to have any work done we shall provide you with a written estimate for the complete job to be done, and we can then arrange a date and time for this to be carried out.

Reduce the risk of your home being burgled by making sure you’ve taken these simple (and often inexpensive) precautions.

Most burglaries are carried out by opportunist thieves. In two 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 BS7950 (windows) or PAS 24-1 (doors).

Look at your home through a burglar’s eyes.

• How would you get in if you’d 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 by breaking glass?

WINDOWS

Fit good quality window locks to all of your opening windows, if your window opening is large enough to insert a small human head then it is large enough for a burglar to squeeze into, and of course - once inside and out of sight they have as much time as they need to open your doors and take whatever they want from your property.

Window locks that can easily be seen from outside may put some thieves off, because the thief would have to break the glass and risk attracting attention. And even if they do break the window, they still can’t open it so risk cutting themselves climbing through the broken glass. 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. Remember - 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.

DOORS

Secure all 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 BS PAS24-1 '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 (13/4") thick.

Fit five-lever mortise deadlocks (Kitemarked BS3621) to all outside doors, including French doors. And make sure you use them. Check your household insurance policies carefully as they may specify that you need certain types of locks in order for your insurance to be valid - if you dont have the standard of locks they specify then should you need to claim on your insurance you may find that they will not pay out if you have to make a claim

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 doors, including both sides of French doors.

➊ 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.

➋ 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.

➌ Letterboxes 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.

➍ 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.

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. How often have you loaned out a key - left one with with a neighbour, what’s to stop them cutting one ‘just in case’ This goes for brand new built homes too!!

Do you know where your brand new homes keys have been while your new property is being built?

it is not just the builder who gets hold of them, they will have been borrowed or signed out by many other people - Plasterers, Electricians, Plumbers, Estate Agents, Carpenters and so on, as they will all have wanted access at varying times during the building process then it is not unusual for them to get their own keys cut instead of chasing around for the ‘official’ set.

And how do you know they are still not out there in circulation . . .? You may have the originals - but what of any others . . .

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 keys and, if you have a garage, keep your car in it rather than on the drive.

Garages and sheds

Garages and sheds are often full of expensive tools, which are ideal for breaking into the rest of the house.

Never leave a garage or garden shed unlocked, especially if it has a connecting door to the house. A thief could get in and work on the door inside without being seen.

Fit strong padlocks to shed and garage doors, and make sure that the doors are solid enough not to be kicked in.

Lock ladders inside your garage or shed to stop a thief using them to reach upstairs windows. If there is no room in your garage or shed, chain or padlock them horizontally to a sturdy bracket on an outside wall.

Consider having lockable steel boxes fitted to the floor to store your tools in, or anchor posts fitted to the floor to secure larger tools and equipment.

Security checklist

Here’s a quick reminder of some of the things you can do to improve the security around your home.

• If you are replacing or fitting new doors and windows, get ones that are certified to British Standard BS7950 (windows) or PAS24-1 (doors).

• Fit mortise locks (Kitemarked BS3621) to all front and back doors and locks to all downstairs windows or windows which are easy to reach.

• Keep your house and car keys safe and away from doors and windows.

• keep your garage and garden shed locked with proper security locks, and keep any tools secure and out of sight

When you are away:

• dont leave your curtains closed if you are away;

• use timer switches to turn on some lights when it gets dark;

• cancel any milk or newspaper deliveries when you go away;

• ask a neighbour to look after your home;