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by EDT » 26 Apr 2009 4:29
Can anyone recommend me on a combination of door+frame-head+lock for my home that will be highly resistant (I guess not 100%) against picking, vandalism, drilling, etc. But, will allow me to open the door and get to my home, without a need of calling a locksmith?
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by l0ckp1cker » 26 Apr 2009 4:45
What are you willing to spend on it? There are plenty of high security locks, but they cost money 
07JAN2017: - Back on the board again 
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by EDT » 26 Apr 2009 5:07
I guess that I'm willing to spend on the door and the locks about $2000 not including the concrete casting for the frame-head. I've seen a door that has special bolts with pins drilled in them. When the door is locked, the pins in the bolts are caught in the frame-head of the door, so the door is highly resistant againt even a jack, because that the bolts will be stuck in the frame-head of the door. However, I want to be able to open the door and enter my home, even in case of tough vandalism.
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by raimundo » 26 Apr 2009 8:33
Its been a long time since Ive seen one but perhaps they still have versions of the 'fox police lock' which was once a sort of newyorkcity thing. see if google has anything on these, different versions have locking bars that go accross the door or as you are asking for, the version that has head and toe bolts. These are not pretty locks, but they are very strong.
Or maybe they have a mortised version, though that might weaken the door. Let us know what you find and what you decide.
Wake up and smell the Kafka!!!
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by EDT » 26 Apr 2009 12:07
This is what I found. I'm opened for more sugestions, especially of how to secure the area around the door, so it wouldn't be able to take out of place.
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by lunchb0x » 26 Apr 2009 12:23
Don't forget that it is pointless spending all this money on your front door if someone is going to break in through your window so unless you are going to be upgrading the security on the rest of the house what ever you spend on the door is kind of a waste, if you have a house spend some money on sensor lights so if someone is sneaking around your house at night the lights come on, also leaving the light on at the front of your house works.
Is it a house you have or a unit, also if there have been break ins in your area do you know how they are breaking in such as smashing windows, through the door etc.
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by sfi72 » 26 Apr 2009 12:26
Get a Abloy and a ShieldThe shield goes over the lock and prevents people from putting glue in the lock, and the Abloy Protec is there as a second line of defense. of Course, al of this is worthless if your door isn't secure, so make sure you have a good door, something that people cant kick. One more thing, DON'T lose your keys, your local locksmith is gonna have a hard time getting you back into your house.
<jkthecjer> this kwikset did not yield so easily
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by EDT » 28 Apr 2009 5:11
I live in an apartment (second floor out of 3 floors).
There have been several break ins and vandalism incidents in my building, in the neighbourhood, and also in my apartment.
A year ago I had a Kaba high security cylinder, and a fighter lock (similar to a Jewel lock, but with notches in the bolts, which are caught in the frame of the door in a case of a break-in. However, someone succeeded to break into my home by drilling the 2 locks. The alarm was set off and called my cell phone, and I immediately called the police. All he did is to break the alarm sensor, and some things in the door area, and then fleed. I replaced the locks with an Axira high security cylinder (better than the Kaba), and 2 knock locks hidden in the inner side of the door that is opened with a knock key (no key hole, and no indcation where the locks are placed).
Not long ago, someone put super glue in my Axira cylinder, and I had to call a locksmith to open my door (he drilled the lock), and I replaced the cylinder by a cheap one (I still had the hidden knock locks).
Two weeks later, someone put super glue in my new cheap cylinder while I was at home, and I had to replace it as well with a similar lock.
After a month, someone broke into my home again. He drilled the cylinder, and broke the 2 hidden knock locks by moving out the frame of the door and cutting the bolts of the knock lock with a disc saw. The alarm was set off, so he just removed the sensor from the door and fleed.
About all the noise, no one of my neighbours saw or heard anything, and even if they heard anything, they didn't bother to look or to call the police, even when I called a locksmith who drilled my cylinder no one bothered to look out. I also have a hidden camera outside the door, but all I could see is a guy with a masked face (I don't know if it's the same guy).
All these doors, locks and alarm sensors cost me a lot of money. So, I'm looking for a solution that no tool will be able to harm my door and lock, even not a disc saw or a jack (my door is about 3 meters from the door of my neighbour apartment). I want that if someone will want to break into my home or damage my door, he will have to bring very heavy tools, which will awake half the neighbourhood.
Any suggestions?
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by Legion303 » 28 Apr 2009 5:24
EDT wrote:Any suggestions?
They vandalized your lock while you were home? At that point I would stop throwing money away on locks and invest in a Mossberg. -steve
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by raimundo » 28 Apr 2009 9:41
Sounds like you have something valuable and perhaps small, that someone knows or suspects you have, this could even be a person who lives in your building, have you heard of others in the building being burgle'd? To me it seems like you have a burglar very nearby or one who is determined to take something you have, Don't mount a large flatscreen tv where it can be seen through the window.
This could be someone you know, or who knows about you. If not that, its someone very near by who knows when you are home and when you are gone. do you have any accurate way to know when each attempt was made? perhaps records from paying the locksmith, the guy may prefer a particular day of the week or a certain time of day,
put lights and a radio on a timer to confuse anyone who is tracking your movements, Or just leave the radio on when you are not home. If you see anyone suspicious knocking on doors in your building, don't confront them but try to shadow them and if they get in a car, get close enough to read the liscense plate. Your guy must be bringing tools, so he will be carrying a bag,
Wake up and smell the Kafka!!!
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by raimundo » 28 Apr 2009 9:43
Forgot to add, mark your belongings, put your phone number on them and the word 'reward'.
Wake up and smell the Kafka!!!
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by unlisted » 28 Apr 2009 12:37
Install CCTV and a DVR recorder- hide all the wiring, and put the DVR in a strongbox, and also have a backup UPS power supply to power it.
Nothing better than having some small resistant to vandalism CCTV cameras around.. just mount them out of reach on the exterior.. and hidden ones in the interior. A few "CCTV: signs/stickers will help as well.
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by EDT » 30 Apr 2009 2:34
In my country it's illegal to bear firearms, except of you are part of the security forces or a criminal.
There have been burglaries in my neighbourhood, and also in my building. So, I'm not the only target.
I said that I have a hidden camera and an alarm system that is connected to my cell phone. I know when the vandalisms and the break-ins took place, and it's appear to be in a random day and hour. I'm also don't know if it's the same guy.
I don't have something extremely valuable in my home, like a big screen tv or something like that. Perhaps, just my porn collection. I have a hidden safe, but I keep there just documents, backups disks of my computer and the alarm system (the sensors are wireless).
I thought about strengthening my front door area with concrete and steel, and buying a door with shatterproof steel. But, I don't know to which degree the steel should be shatterproof so it will be resistant to even expansive steel drillers (I don't want to trust just the seller who will tell me that his steel door is good enough). Do anyone happen to understand in steel shatterproof degrees? I'm thinking maybe to put a shatterproof steel sliding front door that will slide into a concrete wall in both sides, and assemble on it a hidden high security lock and some dummy locks. What do you think about it?
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by unlisted » 30 Apr 2009 2:40
EDT- where do you live? (country)
I also think your going to too far of lengths to secure your door for nothing- if I was a burglar, and noticed a reinforced door/locks/cameras and security, I would think there was something worth getting into that unit for.
It would probably be cheaper for you to move to a better neighborhood in the long run, than purchasing all this reinforced items.. and that includes peace of mind.
Plus I would find it really surprising in your current building if a neighbor would not call the police if they heard someone drilling/bashing your door down.. Regardless of the country,, unless its Somalia.
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by tballard » 30 Apr 2009 13:26
Seconding unlisted in two points: 1) Where do you live? (I'm really curious) 2) I agree that having "flashy" security is pretty much advertising "I have something worth stealing" even if it's not true. There is a reason valuables are generally transported in generic, unmarked vehicles. I'd consider something like: https://securitysnobs.com/DJArmor-Jamb-Armor-Combo-Kit.htmlFrom a hard-core do-it-yourself route, I'd personally get steel I-Beams, and have them cut so the are shaped more like a lowercase "h". (That is, one of the "wings" cut off) Then these are welded into a upside-down "U" shape to make a doorframe, the backsides set into concrete, and some serious bolts driven into the wall for good measure. Then I'd mount a good steel door inside that. Finally, I'd cover the steel with non-descript wood trim or moulding, since having a bank-vault front door is a little suspicious. I'll leave the locks to your imagination.  Of course, you're rapidly approaching the point where they just take a sledge hammer to your wall....
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