Locksmithing and Security

I’ve just got back from a job at a new block of apartments in Wandsworth. Every rimlock was fitted upside-down. Some builder who hadn’t got much of a idea as to how doors and locks work – surprise, surprise – and worse than that, whose supervision must have been non-existent – had worsened things with a decision to fit all these locks production line style. Drill all the cylinder holes, screw all the back plates on, fit all the keeps, etc. Nasty shock time would have been when the time came to put the first cylinder in and he (or she) discovered that they should have used the template that comes with the lock as none of the locks were lined up with their cylinder holes, and the only way out was to fit every cylinder upside-down.

Lots of new apartment blocks sprang up around here during the boom years, while New Labour was carrying where the previous government left off in its efforts (along with the Americans) to set up the spectacular bust we have just witnessed. (At least the Americans were up-front about having an idiot “running” the executive.)

Anyway the build quality of these blocks, as you would expect, is lamentable. The problem that brings customers to me is the quality of the front door and its furniture. I’ve already mentioned the door furniture, so on to the doors themselves. Chipboard. Even at its best it’s not strong enough to resist a good kicking. At its worst not enough resin of the right formulation will have been used and you’ve effectively got a thin-walled box of sawdust guarding your apartment. Add to that the use of the thinnest door they can get away with and the mortice deadbolt lock will simply burst right out of the door when it’s kicked.

Yesterday, I had to go to a new block where several apartments had been broken into, and where the builder had been as bad as ever and the architect had been even less security-conscious than usual. The doors were chipboard with very little resin. And each pair of apartment doors were closed off from the corridor behind an extra door thus keeping the thieves warm, comfortable, and out of sight and earshot as they kick the apartment door in.

What can you do? You can consider fitting a new solid door of course. You can fit mortice lock strengthening plates, which will help strengthen things a little bit. And if the block is absolutely new, form an action group to harry the architect and builder.

If you’ve bought or are renting a newly built apartment, it’s quite possible that you and everyone else in your building are out at work all day. Which means that the entire building might be unoccupied during the day. (Unless you’re rich young professional, in which case there’s a porter or concierge.)

We are seeing more and more break-ins where the thieves have been able to make as much noise with power tools (e.g. chain saws!) as they like.

Have you considered a neighbourhood watch. Or seeing if you can get everyone in the building to contribute towards CCTV cameras?

If you do either of these, ensure that they’re prominently signed. And ensure that any camera are prominent and that their fittings are hidden or very robust.