There have been a lot of break-ins in my city recently thought I would share some suggestions on home security.
*Locks-
Locks are where most home owners strangely try to save a few bucks.
With all the lock picking videos on YouTube and easy availability of
lock picks online that seems like a pretty bad idea.
Best Lock
brand for residential- Standard Schlage locks are a good all around
lock, hard to pick (not impossible), they are robust and well made. You
can buy a six pin Schlage in a commercial rated lock which is a bit
harder to pick than the standard 5 pin lock. Also, most Schlage locks
are equipped with pick resistant bump resistant top pins (there are top
and bottom pins in modern locks).
Budget Lock Residential-
Defiant brand available at Home Depot and online. Not near the lock
above in quality, but if you are on a fixed income this is better than
others. They are 5 pin but have the bump resistant top pins.
High
end Locks residential- Medeco, Assa, and MulTLok are the top 3 high end
locks. Available only through locksmith shops. Top of the line drill
resistant, extremely hard to pick and reliable. Keys are controlled;
means that someone tries to copy your key unbeknownst to you they cannot
even through a lock shop. These are expensive but worth it if your
property is full of valuables.
Modified Locks- There are some
decent restricted key locks out there like Schlage Everest that have a
side bar inside, which makes picking and bumping very difficult. They
are also six pin. You can buy them through a locksmith shop and install
them yourself. Keys are tough to copy, but not impossible. This is
the best compromise of all the above on quality, cost and protection.
Deadbolt
tips- Make sure your bolt throws all the way into the door jam/frame.
If it isn't throwing all the way with a slightly audible click or snap
at the end it isn't locked and can be slid back open!!! You can test
this by staying in the house, locking the door and get a flashlight and a
sharp thin ice pick. Shine the light in the edge of the door until you
see the bolt. Slide the pick to the bolt and staring on the frame
side, with some light force stick the pick into the metal of the bolt
and try sliding it back toward the deadbolt lock.
It may move a
little and stop.... that is good. If you can move it all the way back
which may take a minute, it is not locking or throwing deep enough. You
may have to drill out the hole in the frame or adjust the strike plate
so the bolt throws all the way. Sometimes you might have to call a
locksmith or handyman to fix it if you are having trouble.
Knob
& Lever handle tips- Very similiar to the deadbolt, the strike
plate on the frame facing the knob needs to be positioned to allow the
deadlatch feature to lock the latch bolt. Try opening the door, and
look closely at the latch bolt. If you have the correct type there are
actually 2 bolts that look like one....you can take a small pick or
screwdriver and spring the smaller of the two into the latch without
moving the main large latch with the curve. That little bolt is the
deadlatch. If you push the dead latch in and then try to move the main
latch it should only move slightly and stop.
Close your door,
and with a flashlight on the interior of the door, shine the light at
the knob latch and see if the deadlatch is being sprung in when the door
is closed. To really test it, go outside (during daytime!) and get an
old stiff plastic credit card and a pair of needle nose or regular
pliers. Without locking the deadbolt, try to "credit card" your
knob/lever....grab the card with the pliers and try to forcibly wedge
the card between the frame and the latch. If you succeed and the door
opens or you can pull/push it open when the card is inserted it is NOT
deadlatching. A deadlatch working correctly will stop a "credit card"
attack cold in its tracks.
Key Control- Simply put control
access to your keys as if it was the pin number to your bank account.
Don't leave keys laying around or hang them on key racks next to the
door. This is a bad practice and should NEVER be done. Also, when
going to the mechanic, take your house key off the ring and only give
them the car keys. Lastly, don't give keys to neighbors in case you get
locked out and don't "hide" them under the mat or in the yard in the
fake sprinkler head. This is common knowledge and easy to spot.
Buy
a Supra push button armored key box, mount it to the garage or solid
post facing away from the street and hidden. Use a good 5 digit code
that is random (not your house number, SS #, or cell phone digits) and
keep a spare key there. The cheap lock boxes are easy to open, but the
Supra box is very tough.
John
Rocky Mountain Security Group
www.rockymountainsecuritygroup.com
303-424-4942
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