[jambutty]

Originally Posted by MargaretR

I have a door chain on permenantly - day and night.
Fortunately this block of 4 flats has lockable doors to the stairwell which a neighbour locks as soon a dusk falls, and unlocks at dawn.
So there are 2, 5 lever mortice locks between me and the outside world.
When you live alone, vulnerability can be worrying - not where I live.

Ah yes the chain. Now there’s a conundrum.

All my kids have a key to my flat for obvious reasons. But if I put the chain on when locking the door they couldn’t get in when it might be critical that one of them does so.

So I don’t use the chain except when answering the door after dark. Whilst fumbling with the key to unlock the door, one hand is quietly placing the chain on. But then a chain is no defence against a determined person. One end is secured in the door frame, the weak point of the whole assembly. And there is enough room for a partially opened door to insert some bolt cutters.

My door is one of those modern ones where turning the key pushed bolts out near the top, bottom and middle and short of a steel door several inches thick it is about as secure as you can get these days. Even so a door is only as good as the door frame and the door frame is and always has been the weak point.