Home security week!! How secure is your home?

wayneyboy1942 · 26-08-2005, 12:11

It's Home security week starting August the 27th!
This is the web page with more info!

http://www.homesecurityweek.co.uk
My family have been burgled twice and I would'nt wish it on anyone! So please just take a few minutes to check it out and hopefuly it will never happen to you!!!!

Neil · 26-08-2005, 17:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayneyboy1942

My family have been burgled twice and I would'nt wish it on anyone!

It might help others if those that have been burgled told others on here how it happened so we could possibly avoid it ourselves.

I was burgled about 15 years ago when I lived in Burnley ( well what do you expect ). The back door had a bullseye type window high ish in the middle. They smashed it and the key was left in the back of the door. I was in the house asleep at the time and only realised when I came down stairs in the morning and the back door was open. A few things were taken.

NEVER leave a key in reach of a letterbox or window like I did. Burglers use fishing rods etc to get keys.

grannyclaret · 26-08-2005, 17:41

well guess what ,,we lived in burnley too.,we lived on glenview rd ,near the summit,we got broke into one afternoon while we were on holiday.they were disturbed and only took the tele etc ,,then about 6weeks later we were robbed again.by the same scumbags,, they knew that we had probbably claimed for a new tele etc,this time they must have spent hours ,they went through everything..but the thing that hurt most is the fact that they took a locket my late mum had given me for my 21st,it wasent worth much ,but it meant everything to me.they were iventualy caught and 1 yobbo got 9 months and the other a caution..
we were secure but the scum had removed a back window with the frame entact..
then i started looking at neighbours with suspition wondering if it was them,,
thing is it makes you paranoid as well as angry ..

Neil · 26-08-2005, 18:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by grannyclaret

we were secure but the scum had removed a back window with the frame entact...

Did they just take the glass out without damaging the frame. I am guessing you had plastic window frames.

grannyclaret · 26-08-2005, 22:50

not sure now.. i think it was wood.. we were told if someone realy wants to get in they can get in ,,,, makes you wonder .....

cashman · 27-08-2005, 14:23

its very difficult to stop a determind burglar,especially if they are after the next FIX,my sister went on holiday with hubby years ago,came home and the living room was empty,even took the carpet, they had security locks on doors and windows.and were devastated on return, the main problem to me is sentences are no-way severe enough these days,wont stop the determind ones but it keeps the SCUM off the street longer.

Neil · 27-08-2005, 15:15

You have to make your house look harder to break into than the one next door. Most burglers will move on to another house if yours looks harder to get into. Window locks, house alarms etc are a deterent.

lettie · 28-08-2005, 10:00

Get a big noisy dog....... I once had a young male intruder climbing over my back wall. I was in the kitchen and spotted him through the window. I opened the back door and let the dog after him. Believe me a Bull Terrier crossbreed with hackles up and teeth barred coming after you is not a pretty sight. The guy practically left skidmarks as he threw himself back over the wall and ran for it...

grego · 28-08-2005, 21:11

I was burgled years ago, they'd got in by damaging a window frame with a screw driver then lifting the window latch, we didn't have locks on, and had left a set of keys in the house they took everything, I was suspicious of everyone for ages after, its the worst feeling ever.

Madhatter · 12-01-2006, 19:55

wooden frames get drilled and a screwdriver pushed in or fish wire used to lift or pull side handles, esp the old ones with the spiral on, and to lift the bottom stay, always usee window locks and use them. Single glazed windows can be cut with a cicrcle glass cutter, very james bond but easy to do. Double glazed windows used to be fitted from outside at one time, but now tend to fitted from inside. If I can get the glass out from outside so can a burglar, You should think about getting them bonded in or replaced with ones fitted from inside. Pvc windows are hard to lever open with a screw driver, wooden are a lot easier, esp if no one is near to hear. Back doors are often wooden, with a single mortice lock, best thing to do is replace it with a multi point locking pvc with no glazing, if not make sure its not got a thin panel in the bottom thats often only held in with panel pins, these are a council houses norm. Also fit a five lever mortice, councils only fit three and only tend to have 999 different keys. I know of two flats that have the same key, the locks fitted 12 months apart. also fit a surface dead lock, about 60 quid, make sure its a good one that you can't push the latch back with a credit card once its been closed, it should have a thin second latch as well as the main, once the door is closed that bits gets pushed in by the door frame and stops the main bolt being puched in with a credit card, you should also be able to lock it with a key when you go out rather than just pulling closed, a stick can be pushed through the letter box or even an arm and the lever pushed up. Don't just rely on the surface latch though no matter how good or expensive fit the mortice too, the cylinder on a surface latch which most people call a yale is easy to extract with the right tools. as said above never leave a key in the door on a string by the door hidden outside, they know all the places to look, use fish rods wires, or even get their hand through letter boxes. You could also fit hinge bolts and rack bolts, door viewer and door chain.
Think, if you lost your keys, how would you get in.
Usual other stuff you should do, security lighting, dusk to dawn sensor or a pir to switch it on when someone aproaches. A good burglar alarm with auto dialler to call you if it goes off. gravel is good for paths, it's noisey to walk on, thorn pushes by fences and trellis on top of fences can be good, they want a nice easy escape root with the goods.
CCTV can be fitted, but needs good light at night esp if its coloured, a bw camera or day/night camera that changes to bw at night or low light level camera is best.
You should not have a cctv camera monitoring public places, theres a whole list of laws and regulations that you'd have to comply with.
Don't leave car keys on the rack down stairs at night or if you go out, people break in just for car keys nowdays.

simon · 12-01-2006, 22:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madhatter

Pvc windows are hard to lever open with a screw driver, wooden are a lot easier

Sorry madhatter but must disagree with you there. Wooden windows are stronger against screwdriver attack than plastic. But as you say GOOD window locks should be used on accessable windows.

Also a GOOD wooden door is stronger than a plastic door IMHO
If you want 2 locks on a wooden door? 2 mortice locks are best. And if you know a good locksmith

he can key both locks to the same key.

Yale type locks are OK if they suit your needs but do not offer anything like the security of a mortice lock.

A good quality lock may appear a bit more expensive at the time of purchase, but it will pay for itself many times over when the burglars come to visit...

Most people only review there security after a break-in unfortunately

But as Madhatter says we should look at all aspects regularly....

Madhatter · 12-01-2006, 22:06

how so? wood gives and splits, plastic which is made of box section doesn't, locks can be split out of wood, screws can be pulled out of wood, the locks in plastic are inside the box sections, and there are at least three bolts, sometimes 5 or more on a good door. wooden panels can be kicked out of wooden doors, panels on plastic tend to be part of the moulding.

harwood red · 12-01-2006, 22:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by simon

And if you know a good locksmith

he can key both locks to the same key.

Oooo and I wonder who this good locksmith is????

Madhatter · 12-01-2006, 22:10

the reason for the yale type surface lock aswell as the mortice is that a mortice doesn't lock automaticaly. Unless you have a plastic door that is. I see your point though, strength wise a mortice will always be stronger because the lock on the inside is surface mounted and the barrel on the outside is surface mounted so can be pulled out.

Madhatter · 12-01-2006, 22:15

I don't think I've ever seen a good wooden door on a customers house , they all have crappy panels that are about four mm thick around the edge. What you think to the steel doors ?