Window locks and home security checks in Stevenage, Hitchin and North Herts

Why do window locks matter?

A ground floor window that can be opened from outside, or a window beside a flat roof, a porch or a wheelie bin store, gives an easy way in. Many homes have good front door locks and much weaker windows at the back. Locks that need a key to open the window make a quiet entry harder and stop a window being opened by reaching through a broken pane.

What locks suit my windows?

It depends on the frame.

• Timber casement windows can take surface-mounted locks that fix the casement to the frame, or locks set into the wood.
• Timber sash windows are often secured with dual screws or sash stops that pass through both sashes, which can allow a small gap for air while still locking.
• uPVC windows usually have locking handles and an espagnolette mechanism along the edge. If the handle no longer locks, or the mechanism has worn, both can normally be replaced.
• Older metal windows, common in some homes built between the wars and after, need fittings made for that kind of frame.

A locksmith can tell you what will fit without damaging an original frame, which matters in an older or listed property.

Patio and sliding doors deserve the same attention. Older sliding doors can sometimes be lifted off their tracks from outside, and an anti-lift block or an extra lock fixed to the frame is a common answer. French doors often have bolts at the top and bottom of one leaf, and those are only as strong as the screws holding them.

How do I keep a safe way out in a fire?

Locked windows must not trap you. Keep window keys somewhere everyone in the home knows, near the window but out of reach from outside, and make sure bedrooms used by children or older people have a window that can be opened quickly. The same applies to the keys for any deadlocked door that forms part of your escape route. Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service offers a home fire safety self-check worth doing alongside any security changes.

What does a home security check involve?

A locksmith walks round the home, inside and out, and looks at each way in. They might check:

• the type and standard of lock on every external door
• whether euro cylinders are old, protrude or show no rating
• whether a timber door has a mortice deadlock as well as a latch
• the hinges, frames and letterboxes on external doors
• ground floor and easily reached windows, and whether they lock
• side gates, garages and sheds where tools or ladders are kept

You should come away knowing what is weak and what each improvement involves. You decide what, if anything, to have done.

What do insurers ask for?

It varies. Some home insurance policies ask for a five-lever mortice deadlock made to BS 3621 on the final exit door, key-operated locks on accessible windows, or approved locks on uPVC doors. Others ask for nothing in particular. Read the security section of your own policy, because a condition you have not met can affect a claim.

Do newer homes already have better locks?

New homes in England built under the current Building Regulations have to meet security standards for doors and windows that can be easily reached. That does not cover replacement doors and windows fitted later, and locks wear, so a check can still be worthwhile in a newer home.

Is a door chain or viewer worth having?

For many people, yes, particularly anyone who lives alone or is wary of callers. A door chain or limiter lets you speak to someone without opening the door fully, and a viewer lets you see them first. Remember to undo a chain before leaving by another door so you are not locked out.

What should my enquiry say?

• your postcode
• the kind of windows you have: timber, uPVC or metal, and casement or sash
• whether you want locks fitted, repaired or a walk-round check
• anything your insurer has asked you to do
• if you know it, whether the house is listed or sits in a conservation area