Looking for a more secure lock for the exterior doors to my house. Have looked at Sargent, Medeco, Schlage Everest Primus, Mul-T-Lock as well as some that seem not to be readily available in the US, like EVVA and Abloy.
I'd just like to hear some opinions on the pros and cons of each of these locks, as well as any alternatives I may have missed. Also, if I wanted to do install something like an Abloy Protec deadbolt (for its claimed resistance to bumping) or something similar, how would I obtain these in the US?
Abloy are.. all you show above is 2 things.. key COPYING, and picking..1 of which is not usually the problem..
instead..
house builder. get a NEW ONE... 'modern construction methods SUCK, IMO any more'
2, do NOT let them use 'OFF THE SHELF DOORS'. ESPECIALLY THE JAMBS already installed. there are both sizing and installation problems with them..
windows..bad place to get broken out. so, they need changed to more 'break proof' (film addition to make it somewhat more break resistant)
then, look around.. like the TV show.. WHATS THE WEAKEST LINK to get into your house. ''glass and doors' are usually high on the list.. BUT.. SELDOM is a 'lock picked'.. VERY SELDOM.. and sometimes..its in plain site..
5 NO shrubs or big plants CLOSE to house
6, at that point THEN you can consider a better lock.. but..picking is STILL low on the list..
I opened a brand new house up once with a pocket knife and my fingers..scasred teh CRAP out of the lady when i opened the door without any fancy tooks.. gap between the door and jamb was about 3/8" and i just pulled the jamb back a bit, took tip of pocket knife and popped the door knob latch back about 1/16" and door was open.. can it be fixed? sure, but would REQUIRE a new door and jamb unit, made a LOT better than what I see currently.. --Shiva--
forgot something.. if the doors open OUT.. make CERTAIN the pins are NOT removable on the hinges, and that you got-whats the name of the thing- inserts so the hinge pins cannot be sawed off and the door pried out.. --Shiva--
The problem of key duplication is in fact one reason I'm looking into the higher-security cylinders. Most of the ones I've looked at are patent-protected, and even though a determined person can still make a key out of a piece of steel, that should at least deter casual copying at Home Depot and the like.
The biggest weakness at the house is in fact the windows and, worse, the patio doors. Since replacing those with unbreakable glass is prohibitively expensive, I'm thinking an alarm system is probably my best option here. Suggestions for good patio door locks would also be welcome (I'm thinking about replacing the sliding patio door with a conventional double door, which I could then put a decent lockset on at least..)
I'm thinking about going with the Schlage system right now. They are fairly reasonably priced, and I'd be able to do a master key system using Everest Primus keys on entry doors and regular Everest cylinders on interior doors I want to be able to lock. Seems to be the most economical option, and the Primus system seems considerably better than the residential-grade Schlages that are currently on the house.
ther are 'other' cheaper options IF that is your area of worry.. lets say ther are 4 levels of key copying..
1.. everyone can get the blank..the common house keys..
locksmith only available, in this case I am thinking LORI. has a..'better than average' design for making it hard to pick 5 or 6 pin versions available. Locksmiths can get the blanks and can copy, but AFAIK the 'hardware stores' cannot buy into them.
a 'locksmith owned' key blank.. 2 levels here, for your explanation. Winkhaus is one such company.. the 'lock shop' buys the rights to the 'blank' and he is the only one around within X states or miles, that has THAT blank..there are many different blanks, but.. only the right blank will insert into your lock.. or
the ones you listed..Assa, Medeco, Schlage are usually 'locksmith owned' key ways.. to get copied you go to the ORIGINAL purchase place. I have for instance 2 large Assa dealers east of me in the same town..they each 'have different key blanks'..so that the keys will not interchange between the 2 dealers.
look into the 'film' that you can add on to the glass- beats French doors in price IIRR. easily installed too.
depends on the existing door lock..
NOT CHEAP.. back to your glass.. stop it from being pried UP..and stop it with a..want to say the name of it is a 'charlie bar'.. a solid bar that folds down between the sliding door and the wall it slides TO. there are also available 'sliding bolts, keyed to your house key that can be added to these that will help.
yeah, A grade knobs are better than the F grade or S usually used
alarms have weaknesses.. BUT.. no pets? then you want a 2 system alarm..motion sensor plus magnetic switches in some areas.. glass breakage sensor and motion in others, as needed..or, a similar AS THE INDIVIDUAL area dictates.. wired so that they cannot be bypassed WITHOUT tripping.. IE-sometimes the alarm company wants money and doesn't give the best possible value.. --Shiva--
Unauthorized key duplication is a problem, but that doesn't necessarily require you as a homeowner to install super expensive "high-security" locks like the ones you have previously listed... I like the LORI deadbolts -- you can key them into any system you can get in a mortise cylinder and they are plenty strong for residential applications...
You can get an Assa, Abloy, or Medeco door lock if you wish, but one day you will come home to your door being strewn about in little pieces, and your intact lock resting on the floor... Residential doors just DO NOT withstand a determined attacker wishing to make entry...
A "decent lockset" will not keep burglars out of your home... Not as long as there are glass windows installed... You have to think of target hardening -- "Urg" the caveman burglar will smash glass to gain entry, VERY FEW, if any burglars PICK locks to gain entry... Those very few extremely professional burglars that DO pick locks, are stealing things from people that shouldn't have them in the first place [ i.e. they stole the thing originally, OR it is illegal to possess the item(s) that were stolen from the home by the burglar] and therefore are MUCH less likely to have the crime reported on them and ever be caught...
"Decent locksets" will do nothing to alert the police that someone is attempting to gain entry into your home... An alarm system can -- and an alarm system can be tied into such wonderful things like smoke detectors, carbon-monoxide detectors, and water leakage sensors for your basement that can alert you to safety issues in your home that you may be UNAWARE that are taking place while you are HOME... Don't cheap out on an alarm system -- the nice "wireless ADT" systems are very cheap to install but require maintenance -- those pesky batteries need to be changed...
Primus are "better" that residential grade locksets, this is very true, but a Primus lock installed on a plain old ordinary residential door with nothing else doen to it is just a foolish waste of money for a false sense of security... You DO NOT need to install such locks on your home, as your "problem" is curbing unauthorized key duplication... Using LORI deadbolts on your doors will allow you to install commercial cylinders in the door, and you will find that there are some fairly obscure standard commerical keyways out there that BOTH Home Depot and the local hardware store have NEVER heard of nor seen before, that a locksmith can obtain for you... You can make these cylinders "more diificult to pick" by asking the locksmith to use spool driver pins...
Evan, ~~ formerly a maintenance man, now a college student...
Contact a local alarm company for a home security/safety evaluation... Many companies these days will do a survey and offer a quote...
Having worked in maintenance/security for several years before going on to college, I can say that there is no single "brand" of alarm panel or device that is better than any other... They all do the job when they are installed properly...
It is the way the system is designed to fit your home and unique security needs and therefore how it protects your home that makes the alarm system effective... There is no such thing as a "cookie cutter" alarm system kit that can be used to protect your home...
Not having done any kind of residential alarm work, I am unable to give any specific suggestions...
Evan, ~~ formerly a maintenance man, now a college student...
yes, its PHYSICALLY possible to do it.. but, you, not doing this for a living, might overlook something that should be done in a different way to cover possibilities that you didnt think of..
plus in some areas, alarm systems MUST BE installed by 'licensed' inspectiors..and have a permit even to be used.. --Shiva--
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DO THIS YOURSELF!!! Installing locks requires the skills of a trained Locksmith and attempting this procedure yourself will more than likely result in a botched job
You need a person like this guy:
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See all of those key blanks?
They may all look alike to an untrained layperson, but once you know the inside secrets of the Locksmithing trade, you can unlock the potential in each one of those blanks.
with regard to home cylinders, why not make it possible to secure your home with only ONE cylinder from the outside.
That's what I do. I was thinking about this the other day walking by Fashion Show Mall here in Vegas, and they have maybe 6 doors all equipped with high tech cylinders. Just in one section. There might be dozen or more sections. What a waste. Why not make them ALL lockable but not unlockable from the outside????
I don't get it. Hundreds of entry points each with a lock. Why not one, two maybe, three at the absolute max.
I bought a really nice new Medeco grade 2 leverset from ebay for 40 bucks.
Had 2 keys with the square bow featuring a guy with a rifle. Hard to duplicate without a card I'm told. Well if they both get lost, that's life I guess.
Yes, but what seems like a waste to you, is a fire code requirement for many larger commercial structures...
Just think of how long it takes to "walk around the long way" when outside one of the exterior entry doors you propose making "lockable from the outside, but not unlockable"... Not every stiuation to which the police or fire department responds to calls for or justifies the damage of property in order to gain entrance...
What use is an external entry point on a large building that can not be opened from the outside ??? My guess here is that you have NEVER worked in a large shopping center doing either maintenance or security, so you just don't understand nor foresee the random need to be able to open a door from the outside at ANY point around the building's perimeter at ANY time...
Until you walk a mile in the shoes of someone who would have to live and work with only three accessible exterio doors on a building with hundreds of them -- one shouldn't make such sweeping generalizations... If only ONE of those hundred doors ONLY ONCE resulted in being able to mitigate some situation before it became "out-of-control" and therefore allowed the employees to minimize damage or save a life, then having them all there is perfedctly justified...
An old proverb seems appropriate here:
"For want of a nail [or -- an exterior door capable of being unlocked/opened from the outside] the kingdom was lost..."
Evan, ~~ formerly a maintenance man, now a college student...
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