Euro/Oval Sashlocks

[EvoRed]

Why are these becoming more popular, as opposed to your good old mortice lock?

In flats and the like, I know a lot of it is to do with the fire regs, etc. where thumbturns are required, but I'm seeing these being installed on new houses now rather than your lever BS sashlocks.

For BS, they don't appear any cheaper than a BS lever lock, so I can only think it's down to house owners preferring a smaller key and lock changes being simpler?

Is it just my area or are the days of the mortice lock being fitted to new houses and the like a thing of the past?

I know which I'd prefer on my door!

[cred]

know what you mean evo i did a job today same thing wooden doors front and back euro sash locks!
a lot of councils seem to be going for them as well
ray

[Rockford]

Think you've hit it on the head - cheaper/easier to replace a cylinder than the entire lock. Probably cheaper for the contractor too !.

Also in flats etc., easier to masterkey. This also applies to rented properties, where landlords like to have a single key that opens all their properties.

Many of the installations I come acrosss don't have the escutcheons fitted, and only a 5 pin cylinder - so not BS. They don't realise this, and the impact on their house insurance.

Rockford.....

[pinky]

dont write off the humble mortice lock yet, when the thieves pop them open easily, the insurers will start screaming. overall id say they are a dearer option.

until they strengthen euros from snapping, picking and bypassing then they will remain vulnerable, and a mortice case with euro doesnt carry the bs rating without an expensive kit.

[sledge-it]

It's a fire safety measure.
(I think it may be in the building regs. now)
The thinking behind it is to reduce fire deaths from people not being able to get out of their own home. If that means slightly less security then so be it.
The fire brigade in london are actively going out into the community fitting smoke alarms and giving advice on fire safety.
One of the questions asked is whether the owner has thought of how they would escape a fire in their home.
I think this is something locksmiths will have to take on board more and more when fitting extra security to potential escape routes in properties.
I will ask all of you who read this the same question. You wake up at 3am to your smoke alarm blaring(you've got one fitted,right?)The room is full of smoke,your coughing, you can,t see properly.
How would you get yourself and your family out?
Not the nicest thing to think about, but it might just save your life.

[pinky]

as as safe an alternative, their is a nice wellington 6 lever lock that also works with a thumb turn

[Rick-the-Pick]

I dont think there's anything to worry about yet!
People with half an ounce of sense knows that a thief wont get through the door if it's fitted with a lever lock! All the large house's around my way demand them and most have two per door!
Counsils and associations fit upvc through cheapness and low maintenance! The companies market these products baised on the multi locking mechanisms and promoting the security these doors portray!
What a load of twoffal! absolute crap!
All the private dwellings around me are shunning the plastics market and returning to solid wood door's/windows, im beginning to see more lever locks now than i ever did!

[jax666]

The only problem with the wellington is they are handed so even more stock to carry and can be by-passed admitedly with the aid of battery power. but no real damage.

Just a pain to try and fit a more reconised bs lock 'cos of the case size.

[jason]

Council's are using euros/ovals with thumb turns to ensure that the occupants can get out in case of fire.

The local authorities insist on the use of thumb turns in "multi occupied properties" this is where a number of households enter/exit the building through a common entrance (e.g. communal door to a block of flats or student bedsits). It's not so much the Building Control Officers who insist on it but the Environmental Health Officers following the advice of the Fire Brigade.

EHOs dealing with rented accommodation opt for the approach of telling every property to have them fitted as it is common for landlords to let one property to a number of people - illegal bedsits - (it increases the profit to around £150 per room per week, more depending on the area - a three bedroom house can house five lets - do the maths yourself).

Even when grants to privately owned properties are added into the equation it is considered sensible for the EHO to specify thumb turns in case further down the line it gets converted into private rented accommodation, then if/when there's a fire fatality and the EHOs name is drawn into the frame (all fire instances in rented accommodation is referred to the local EHO dept) they get dropped in the deep brown smelly stuff.

You are going to see an increase in euro/oval cases in many areas because of this - only those who are well off (or security aware) will continue to insist on the good old lever lock.

I have a BS mortice deadlock on the front door with a couple of decent tower bolts and the back door has a BS sashlock with rack bolts. At night I use the nightlatch on the front door with the bolts and a perimeter alarm(easy to open in the event of a fire and the alarm makes sure that the neighbours wake up!) the rack bolts get used when I go out along with the deadbolt to the front door.

[Peaky]

I have had 3 jobs last week that all wanted these, the reason i was given for 2 of them was because they wanted smaller keys and the 3rd one only wanted to carry 1 key that worked his front (upvc) door and his back door, so i keyed alike and stuck one in.