How To Guard Against Lock Snapping

29 September 2016
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If you have a UPVC door, you may be vulnerable to 'lock snapping'--a method of breaking into someone's home, usually via a rear entrance, without the intruder making a great deal of noise or looking particularly out-of-place as they gain entry. If you're not sure what this threat is or how to guard against it, read on; it's actually very simple to protect yourself against it, but there are a few things you'll need to know first.

What is lock snapping?

UPVC doors tend to use Yale-style barrel locks of a double-locking kind that necessitate pulling the handle upward upon closing the door to seal it properly. These locks are extremely secure and difficult to penetrate--but if they're improperly installed, a would-be intruder can simply snap the entire barrel in half from the outside and let it fall out of the door. There's no need to circumvent a lock if you can simply remove it, after all!

It's very easy to tell if you might be targeted for such an intrusion: a properly-installed lock in a UPVC door will be completely flush with the plate just as they are on wooden doors, while an improperly installed lock that is vulnerable to lock snapping will protrude from the plate. Many stick out by only a few millimetres, but some will be visible for an inch or more. The more the lock is protruding, the easier it will be to snap--and the more likely it is that a wannabe intruder will spot the snappable lock and target your home, too.

How can you protect yourself against lock snapping?

Obviously, the best way to protect yourself against this is to ensure that your locks have all been properly and professionally installed. A quality locksmith will be aware of the potential for lock snapping, and will always be careful to get your barrel locks completely flush with your door. They can also usually reinstall locks that have already been badly fitted, though depending on the exact type of your door this will be easier in some cases than others.

If this isn't an option, though--if, for example, you can't have the lock fixed without a landlord's permission and they're being slow to respond--you can temporarily increase security by purchasing bolts suitable for use on UPVC doors and installing them yourself. This is only a temporary measure, however; it's important to have your snappable locks returned to full working order as soon as possible.