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Default Front door security

The front door on my house, which was built in 1997, is made of metal.
I'm not sure what metal exactly, but a magnet sticks to it.

Although the door structure is metal the complete side edge section,
where the lock protudes, is a wooden insert. Presumably there is also
some insulation inside the door.

The lock is stamped ERA, and looks identical to the 5 lever deadlock
shown on their website he http://www.era-security.com/Mortice.html

There are door handles on both sides, as shown. For slightly better
security, there are also top & bottom rack bolts and a door chain.

There are no hinge bolts, or London/Birmingham bars fitted, and it
opens inwards.

The one advantage with this arrangement is that it is impossible for
me to accidentally lock myself out. The main disadvantage is that
during the day, when the front door is unlocked, anybody can simply
open the front door and walk in!

Is there a simple method for me to solve this disadvantage and
possibly improve the security of the door?

DJ
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Default Front door security


"David J" wrote in message
...
The front door on my house, which was built in 1997, is made of metal.
I'm not sure what metal exactly, but a magnet sticks to it.

Although the door structure is metal the complete side edge section,
where the lock protudes, is a wooden insert. Presumably there is also
some insulation inside the door.

The lock is stamped ERA, and looks identical to the 5 lever deadlock
shown on their website he http://www.era-security.com/Mortice.html

There are door handles on both sides, as shown. For slightly better
security, there are also top & bottom rack bolts and a door chain.

There are no hinge bolts, or London/Birmingham bars fitted, and it
opens inwards.

The one advantage with this arrangement is that it is impossible for
me to accidentally lock myself out. The main disadvantage is that
during the day, when the front door is unlocked, anybody can simply
open the front door and walk in!

Is there a simple method for me to solve this disadvantage and
possibly improve the security of the door?


Personally I'd fit a simple Yale Nightlatch lock


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Default Front door security

David J wrote:
The front door on my house, which was built in 1997, is made of metal.
I'm not sure what metal exactly, but a magnet sticks to it.

Although the door structure is metal the complete side edge section,
where the lock protudes, is a wooden insert. Presumably there is also
some insulation inside the door.

The lock is stamped ERA, and looks identical to the 5 lever deadlock
shown on their website he http://www.era-security.com/Mortice.html

There are door handles on both sides, as shown. For slightly better
security, there are also top & bottom rack bolts and a door chain.

There are no hinge bolts, or London/Birmingham bars fitted, and it
opens inwards.

The one advantage with this arrangement is that it is impossible for
me to accidentally lock myself out. The main disadvantage is that
during the day, when the front door is unlocked, anybody can simply
open the front door and walk in!

Is there a simple method for me to solve this disadvantage and
possibly improve the security of the door?

DJ


David,

Is this the sort of door that you have?

http://www.igdoorsltd.co.uk/original_doors.htm

Cash


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Default Front door security

On Jun 28, 4:48*pm, David J wrote:
The front door on my house, which was built in 1997, is made of metal.
I'm not sure what metal exactly, but a magnet sticks to it.

Although the door structure is metal the complete side edge section,
where the lock protudes, is a wooden insert. Presumably there is also
some insulation inside the door.

The lock is stamped ERA, and looks identical to the 5 lever deadlock
shown on their website he *http://www.era-security.com/Mortice.html

There are door handles on both sides, as shown. *For slightly better
security, there are also top & bottom rack bolts and a door chain.

There are no hinge bolts, or London/Birmingham bars fitted, and it
opens inwards.

The one advantage with this arrangement is that it is impossible for
me to accidentally lock myself out. *The main disadvantage is that
during the day, when the front door is unlocked, anybody can simply
open the front door and walk in!

Is there a simple method for me to solve this disadvantage and
possibly improve the security of the door?

DJ


A nightlatch would solve the immediate problem.
Door security in more depth:
http://www.wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index....=Door_Security


NT
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Default Front door security

David J wrote:
The front door on my house, which was built in 1997, is made of metal.
I'm not sure what metal exactly, but a magnet sticks to it.

Although the door structure is metal the complete side edge section,
where the lock protudes, is a wooden insert. Presumably there is also
some insulation inside the door.

The lock is stamped ERA, and looks identical to the 5 lever deadlock
shown on their website he http://www.era-security.com/Mortice.html

There are door handles on both sides, as shown. For slightly better
security, there are also top & bottom rack bolts and a door chain.

There are no hinge bolts, or London/Birmingham bars fitted, and it
opens inwards.

The one advantage with this arrangement is that it is impossible for
me to accidentally lock myself out. The main disadvantage is that
during the day, when the front door is unlocked, anybody can simply
open the front door and walk in!


Then use the door chain.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk




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Default Front door security

David J wrote:

The main disadvantage is that
during the day, when the front door is unlocked, anybody can simply
open the front door and walk in!


Then lock it when you've come in. Not that burglars go round trying
front doors on the off chance - they go round the back. Only something
like 4% of burglaries are through the front door.

--
Scott

Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?
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Default Front door security

On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:45:50 +0100, "Cash"
wrote:

David J wrote:
The front door on my house, which was built in 1997, is made of metal.
I'm not sure what metal exactly, but a magnet sticks to it.

Although the door structure is metal the complete side edge section,
where the lock protudes, is a wooden insert. Presumably there is also
some insulation inside the door.

The lock is stamped ERA, and looks identical to the 5 lever deadlock
shown on their website he http://www.era-security.com/Mortice.html

There are door handles on both sides, as shown. For slightly better
security, there are also top & bottom rack bolts and a door chain.

There are no hinge bolts, or London/Birmingham bars fitted, and it
opens inwards.

The one advantage with this arrangement is that it is impossible for
me to accidentally lock myself out. The main disadvantage is that
during the day, when the front door is unlocked, anybody can simply
open the front door and walk in!

Is there a simple method for me to solve this disadvantage and
possibly improve the security of the door?

DJ


David,

Is this the sort of door that you have?

http://www.igdoorsltd.co.uk/original_doors.htm

Cash



Yes, that's very similar to the one I have. Possibly the same. The
developer would have bought scores of them in 1996/7.

I'm not too sure how I would go about fitting an additional lock into
a metal door. Is it still a chippies job?

I thought about removing the external handle, and fitting some sort of
blank end, but I'm not sure that they exist.

DJ

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Default Front door security

David J wrote:
The front door on my house, which was built in 1997, is made of metal.
I'm not sure what metal exactly, but a magnet sticks to it.

Although the door structure is metal the complete side edge section,
where the lock protudes, is a wooden insert. Presumably there is also
some insulation inside the door.

The lock is stamped ERA, and looks identical to the 5 lever deadlock
shown on their website he http://www.era-security.com/Mortice.html


Does your door have a lock like the top picture on that site or the second
one?


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk


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Default Front door security

On 28/06/2009 21:21 Scott M wrote:

Then lock it when you've come in. Not that burglars go round trying
front doors on the off chance - they go round the back. Only something
like 4% of burglaries are through the front door.


Heard something from the front door one afternoon a couple of years ago
and got up to investigate. As I did so I saw a car outside the house
with a couple or three yoofs inside it who, when they saw me, motioned
towards what turned out to be a fourth on the drive. When I got to the
front door it was off the latch and slightly open. Went outside and the
car load asked a pointless question about the route to town. Pointless
because the roads into our estate go nowhere but the estate. They left,
grinning.

Looks like they were after anything the could find in the hallway once
they had opened the unlocked door: bags, car keys. A call to the police
informed us they had had a bag from a house round the corner.

We now lock the door when we're in.

As an aside, previous 'events' with being locked out after a door with a
Yale lock has blown shut has led me not to use them.

--
F

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Default Front door security

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:00:10 GMT, "The Medway Handyman"
wrote:

David J wrote:
The front door on my house, which was built in 1997, is made of metal.
I'm not sure what metal exactly, but a magnet sticks to it.

Although the door structure is metal the complete side edge section,
where the lock protudes, is a wooden insert. Presumably there is also
some insulation inside the door.

The lock is stamped ERA, and looks identical to the 5 lever deadlock
shown on their website he http://www.era-security.com/Mortice.html


Does your door have a lock like the top picture on that site or the second
one?



It's like the top one.

But that picture does not show the 2 hardened pins - rather like the 4
shown clearly in the bottom pic.

I reckon that the lock is secure enough. The security chain system
looks a tad flimsy...

DJ



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Default Front door security

On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:48:05 +0100, a certain chimpanzee, David J
randomly hit a keyboard and produced:

The front door on my house, which was built in 1997, is made of metal.
I'm not sure what metal exactly, but a magnet sticks to it.

Although the door structure is metal the complete side edge section,
where the lock protudes, is a wooden insert. Presumably there is also
some insulation inside the door.

The lock is stamped ERA, and looks identical to the 5 lever deadlock
shown on their website he http://www.era-security.com/Mortice.html

There are door handles on both sides, as shown. For slightly better
security, there are also top & bottom rack bolts and a door chain.

There are no hinge bolts, or London/Birmingham bars fitted, and it
opens inwards.

The one advantage with this arrangement is that it is impossible for
me to accidentally lock myself out. The main disadvantage is that
during the day, when the front door is unlocked, anybody can simply
open the front door and walk in!

Is there a simple method for me to solve this disadvantage and
possibly improve the security of the door?


This is one of the jobs for which I need a round tuit. I've bought the
night latch lock, and read up how to fit it from t'interweb
(http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/d...cut/metal.htm).
Now all I need is the courage to attack my door with a hole cutter!

In the meantime, I always as a matter of habit turn the rack bolt.
This might not work if you're not the only one living in the house. If
so, you could lock the mortice lock from the inside if someone's out,
and take the key out of the lock (so that someone else can open it
from the outside).
--
Hugo Nebula
"If no one on the Internet wants a piece of this,
just how far from the pack have you strayed?"
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Default Front door security

David J wrote:
On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:00:10 GMT, "The Medway Handyman"
wrote:

David J wrote:
The front door on my house, which was built in 1997, is made of
metal. I'm not sure what metal exactly, but a magnet sticks to it.

Although the door structure is metal the complete side edge section,
where the lock protudes, is a wooden insert. Presumably there is
also some insulation inside the door.

The lock is stamped ERA, and looks identical to the 5 lever deadlock
shown on their website he
http://www.era-security.com/Mortice.html


Does your door have a lock like the top picture on that site or the
second one?



It's like the top one.

But that picture does not show the 2 hardened pins - rather like the 4
shown clearly in the bottom pic.

I reckon that the lock is secure enough. The security chain system
looks a tad flimsy...


Can't see what the problem is. "The main disadvantage is that
during the day, when the front door is unlocked, anybody can simply
open the front door and walk in!"

So, leave the chain on or leave the key in the lock, in the locked position.
That way nobody from outside can get in but someone inside can get out (in
case of fire).


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk



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Default Front door security

On Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:42:31 +0100, Hugo Nebula abuse@localhost
wrote:

On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:48:05 +0100, a certain chimpanzee, David J
randomly hit a keyboard and produced:

The front door on my house, which was built in 1997, is made of metal.
I'm not sure what metal exactly, but a magnet sticks to it.

Although the door structure is metal the complete side edge section,
where the lock protudes, is a wooden insert. Presumably there is also
some insulation inside the door.

The lock is stamped ERA, and looks identical to the 5 lever deadlock
shown on their website he http://www.era-security.com/Mortice.html

There are door handles on both sides, as shown. For slightly better
security, there are also top & bottom rack bolts and a door chain.

There are no hinge bolts, or London/Birmingham bars fitted, and it
opens inwards.

The one advantage with this arrangement is that it is impossible for
me to accidentally lock myself out. The main disadvantage is that
during the day, when the front door is unlocked, anybody can simply
open the front door and walk in!

Is there a simple method for me to solve this disadvantage and
possibly improve the security of the door?


This is one of the jobs for which I need a round tuit. I've bought the
night latch lock, and read up how to fit it from t'interweb
(http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/d...cut/metal.htm).
Now all I need is the courage to attack my door with a hole cutter!

In the meantime, I always as a matter of habit turn the rack bolt.
This might not work if you're not the only one living in the house. If
so, you could lock the mortice lock from the inside if someone's out,
and take the key out of the lock (so that someone else can open it
from the outside).


Thanks for the heads-up about making the hole in the metal door. I
might go for this solution myself now.

DJ

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Default Front door security

On Jun 28, 9:21*pm, Scott M wrote:
David J wrote:
The main disadvantage is that
during the day, when the front door is unlocked, anybody can simply
open the front door and walk in!


Then lock it when you've come in. Not that burglars go round trying
front doors on the off chance - they go round the back. Only something
like 4% of burglaries are through the front door.

--
Scott

Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?


My front door is around the back and my back door around the front.
Does that make me largely immune from burglaries????



Mark
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