Improving your home locks.. how many of you have......

[ckc123]

Ok.. general question to everyone..

How many of you have "improved your home locks based on what you have learned about lock picking?"

Eg..

I have 3 different types of locks on the outside of my house, and after learning more about lock picking, I have decided that maybe I should do something to improve them. BUT. there is also the reality that IF they really want to get in, they are going to break the glass panel on the door. Also there is the Cost.. Should I spend $200 (random number not an actual cost) in new locks when again the glass door is "easier"?


What I was thinking of doing was just keep the same locks with same keys, and just replace the driver pins with more "secure" ones (eg spools).. it would seem like the "best bang for the buck" to just do this then change locks or spend $$ on things that can still be easily bypassed.

what do you think?

[Oaklandishh]

Don't bother. Unless your worried about surreptitious entry of a landlord or disgruntled family member, or there have been a string of recent bump key robberies, no one will pick your lock when they can just break the window. If you live in a bad neighborhood, invest in iron window grates.

[Shivahn]

I haven't done anything to improve my house since I learned more about locks, but my house is very isolated up a mountain and has something like a hundred and ten windows and two sliding glass doors, so I somehow doubt changing my locks is going to increase my security.

As for your situation, putting spools on the pins in the locks will certainly make the locks themselves a bit more secure, but the effect this will have on the security of your house will be marginal at best. I can't imagine spools making even the door itself much more secure if it has a glass panel.

[Poff]

I have a shotgun for when I am home and homeowner's insurance for when I am not.

[edsmiley]

I commented on another thread that talked about choosing a lock that good against picking and cutting with similar thoughts that have been posted here. Evaluate your total physical security before you drop the $200 on better locks. I think you eluded to that in your first example.

Yes, replacing pins with security and anti-bump pins might help. However, you should keep in mind that when you go from the ranks of practice locks to in use locks, you need to be sure that you understand just what you are doing. You would not want to actually make that lock more susceptible by making a small mistake that a trained locksmith would not make.

So I would say yes, adding security pins might be the best "bang for the buck". But the overall added "security" you get from that needs to entail the chance that someone would try to pick the lock rather than busting a window or kicking the door in. While you might be getting lots more security in the picking arena, you are probably getting very little actual overall security of someone breaking in via another, probably easier, process.

Hope this helps,
Ed

[WolfSpring]

For 200 bucks you could buy a couple motion lights(50 a piece) a fake video camera, a couple security signs and save the rest, you could even put a real security cam in for that much. You'll find thievs go after the easiset target, security sign can equal alarm, that's a point off, high fences with a dog in the back another couple points off, lots of ligthing or motion lights, a bunch of points off, back yark lighting, you see my point. The lock it self is the very last thing a thief will ever even see, especially if you have a screen door obscuring his view, and if he's already decided to attempt your house, ti's all over crow bar the door, jump the fence break a window in the back, basement windows. I've still got the kwikset that came with the house on my door, an ADT sign, with active alarm, and two huskies, one in the back one in the house. Lights are on when we are going to be gone long periods of time at night. Timer lights for vacations, the neighber will move my cars every couple days if we are gone for more than a week, you have to make the theif not want to take a chance on your house.

[ckc123]

For 200 bucks you could buy a couple motion lights(50 a piece) a fake video camera, a couple security signs and save the rest,

Got all those, except the video cameras are real



on a side note.. Alarm signs.. are they effective at all?? I figured that rather then have a sign advertising it (so they just take an extra 30 seconds to cut the phone lines) that I'd rather have the alarm go off, and notify the monitoring center etc..

[WolfSpring]

my alarm is actually done by a cellular sender, I don't have a hard line to the house. And even if they cut the phone line, if your alarm is set up to be audible it will still go off and attract unwanted attention.

[yono]

Burglars have a lot of deviant common sense when approaching their targets. the most dangerous one is the planned type burglars that strike in the right time. However, delaying their opening time by simple means, will help a lot. fake signs and cameras does help in some ways. but th most effective ones are the security health of our doors and hardwares.
In your case(just in my opinion) three locks in one door? that is fine. the glass portion is your weakness right? if i am a burglar, sure it will come to my mind to hit the weakest, so i will approach the glass option. And in this part you can take advantage of that too. install a decorative metal grill from the inside, and a few bucks $ for a glass breaking alarm..in that way you turn that weakpoint to be a tempting bait to point there attack, not knowing that it is security alarm covered. please criticise me if this is not one of those solutions.

[raimundo]

I think that mr burns on the simpsons has it about right, one mastiff can be handled with some drugged meat or whatever, but a pack of hounds is harder to social engineer, particularily when they are just released,


RElease the hounds

[Violaetor]

Anyone who is going to pick your lock, or bypass other measures of security are up to seriously no good ie. have been paid to kill you or something crazy, so locking your door is enough to stop the average person who just "tries" to get in, if your lock is harder to bypass, like everyone said, they're just going to smash the window. IMHO the extra effort and cost in physical security is not worth it, audible and visual deterrents are more effective.

[pin_pusher]

also, to save more money, take the pins out of your locks and set them in an electric drill--get yourself a file and make your own security pins. i rekeyed the apartment for my landlord, but as far as higher security...i just don't have anything worth stealing.

[Klaiviel]

I have improved my security situation significantly after picking up this hobby; however, I am going to warn you right off the bat I am a bit eccentric and enjoy overkill.

My situation is I live in a 2nd floor apartment with two doors, a patio and a main door. All hinges and bolt boxes are secured with Spax #10 3 1/2" Hardened Steel Wood Screws; use the bolt boxes that allow you to use 4 screws, luckily my jambs are steel with the studs behind them.

On all my glass I am using this security film http://www.diywindowsecurity.com/ its 9 mils thick, installs on the inside, basically will keep the window in place if its broken either due to forced entry attempt or bad weather.

Then I use two locks on my main door. For the deadbolt I use the Abloy Protec with expanding bolt from securitysnobs.com. The expanding bolt locks the bolt into the bolt box with ball bearings so that if someone tries to spread the frame, the bolt will not separate from the jamb. Reason I went with the Abloy Protec is its one of very few locks that have yet to be fully compromised and the key control is excellent, plus the key just looks cool on my keyring =).

On that same main door I have a Dexter by Schlage lever handle with a modified KIK in it. The reason for this is as I live in an apartment complex I legally have to provide my landlord with working keys so that in an emergency they can gain access to my apartment. I did not want to go with an expensive electronic audit trailing lock or with an alarm system so I created a lock using creative construction keying that can alert me when the office uses there key and I can check it without taking it off the door, I did a writeup of it here: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=49207&p=375709#p375709 .

Also on the main door I used permanent threadlocker on the peephole so no one can unscrew it from the outside. On the porch door for the lock I used a Schlage B60 and all I did was disable the tailpiece on the lock portion of it. I figured no one should ever have to unlock or lock this from the balcony so if you pick it or even use the correct key, it does nothing. However, the turn piece on the inside works like normal. This lock is also the one intentional flaw in my system, I used the cheap B60 because it has no drill protection. So in the event all keys to my apartment were lost including the office keys (very unlikely) I could use a ladder to get on the balcony and drill it out.

For document storage and such I have a Sentry Safe KS100B, which provides no real security at all except fire protection, somebody could just walk off with it. Although to prevent against surreptitious entry and mostly for shits and grins I put an Abloy Protec in it.

Basically the only things not protected are my walls, ceiling, and floors, although I highly doubt anyone is that motivated. My last line of defense is a Remington 870 with an 18" barrel and buckshot. Before you ask what I have that's worth all that protecting, I will tell you absolutely nothing lol. Also before you say it, no I am not paranoid. Here are some pictures:

http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac6/ ... /safe2.jpg
http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac6/ ... /safe3.jpg
http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac6/ ... rotec1.jpg
http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac6/ ... rotec2.jpg
http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac6/ ... rotec3.jpg
http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac6/ ... rotec4.jpg
http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac6/ ... rotec5.jpg
http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac6/ ... tlock1.jpg

[جاناتان]

Poff has the right idea.

[Poff]

I have a shotgun for when I am home and homeowner's insurance for when I am not.

All kidding aside, everything I have heard and read suggests that most residential burglaries are committed through and open or unlocked door or window. Doesn't matter how good your lock is if you don't lock it.