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UK diy (uk.d-i-y) For the discussion of all topics related to diy (do-it-yourself) in the UK. All levels of experience and proficency are welcome to join in to ask questions or offer solutions. |
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#1
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Key Safe - choosing and siting.
Social Services have asked me to fit a Key Safe at the home of an
elderly relative. Anyone got any experience - good or bad - of either of these from Toolstation? http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p18696 http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p18917 They've said they want it by the front door as they don't like going to the rear of the house in the dark --- which seems reasonable. Also, I guess a scrote could work unobserved at the rear. But putting it near the front door leaves it visible from the road. Any suggestions for making it accessible but unobtrusive? Thanks in advance for any advice. |
#2
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Key Safe - choosing and siting.
"mike" wrote in message ... Social Services have asked me to fit a Key Safe at the home of an elderly relative. Anyone got any experience - good or bad - of either of these from Toolstation? http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p18696 http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p18917 They've said they want it by the front door as they don't like going to the rear of the house in the dark --- which seems reasonable. Also, I guess a scrote could work unobserved at the rear. But putting it near the front door leaves it visible from the road. Any suggestions for making it accessible but unobtrusive? Thanks in advance for any advice. Don't put it in a porch as nobody takes any notice of people in porches so they can spend as long as they like "guessing" the code. Put it where the user will be in full view of passing people and/or neighbours. You can hide it behind a down pipe or similar. You can fit a code lock on the door instead. |
#3
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Key Safe - choosing and siting.
On Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:06:05 -0700 (PDT), mike
wrote: Social Services have asked me to fit a Key Safe at the home of an elderly relative. Anyone got any experience - good or bad - of either of these from Toolstation? http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p18696 http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p18917 They've said they want it by the front door as they don't like going to the rear of the house in the dark --- which seems reasonable. Also, I guess a scrote could work unobserved at the rear. But putting it near the front door leaves it visible from the road. Any suggestions for making it accessible but unobtrusive? Thanks in advance for any advice. Know of someone with the 2nd one, it's prone to jamming with just a single Yale mortice lock key inside. -- |
#4
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Key Safe - choosing and siting.
On Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:06:05 -0700 (PDT), mike wrote:
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p18696 http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p18917 Late father had the second type for social services. It worked. Also, I guess a scrote could work unobserved at the rear. But putting it near the front door leaves it visible from the road. Having it's location if not it visible from the road or passers by is a major part of the security. They are only diecast metal, any half decent pry bar will have it open very quickly... Making access for a pry bar difficult would help so the top against an overhang and in an internal wall corner. Can't decide if having it firmly fixed to the wall is good or bad. If it's firm then the pry bar will have something to work against, if it falls off the moment any significant force is applied it will be harder to hold to pry open. -- Cheers Dave. |
#5
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Key Safe - choosing and siting.
On Mon, 16 Apr 2012 23:06:02 +0100, dennis@home wrote:
You can fit a code lock on the door instead. But be aware that many of those just need the correct numbers pressed in any order to open. So 2578 or 5287 or any other combination of the four numbers will open the lock. -- Cheers Dave. |
#6
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Key Safe - choosing and siting.
On 16/04/2012 23:28, Dave Liquorice wrote:
Can't decide if having it firmly fixed to the wall is good or bad. If it's firm then the pry bar will have something to work against, if it falls off the moment any significant force is applied it will be harder to hold to pry open. True but one can scarper with it to somewhere with tools then come back later with the now-extracted contents. |
#7
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Key Safe - choosing and siting.
"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message ll.co.uk... Can't decide if having it firmly fixed to the wall is good or bad. If it's firm then the pry bar will have something to work against, if it falls off the moment any significant force is applied it will be harder to hold to pry open. But easy to take away and anglegrind. |
#8
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Key Safe - choosing and siting.
On 16/04/2012 22:06, mike wrote:
Social Services have asked me to fit a Key Safe at the home of an elderly relative. Anyone got any experience - good or bad - of either of these from Toolstation? http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p18696 http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p18917 Those do not appear to be part of the Secured by Design initiative. This one is, there may be others: http://www.keysafe.co.uk/ They've said they want it by the front door as they don't like going to the rear of the house in the dark --- which seems reasonable. Also, I guess a scrote could work unobserved at the rear. But putting it near the front door leaves it visible from the road. Any suggestions for making it accessible but unobtrusive? Very difficult to give specific advice without seeing the site and you ought not to post pictures for us to do that. The best option would probably be to call in a proper locksmith to advise, supply and fit. It won't be as cheap as buying one from Toolstation, but a locksmith will have a lot of experience in making it at least as secure as the front door itself. Colin Bignell |
#9
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Key Safe - choosing and siting.
Mike,
I have bought and fitted the second of those to a relative's bungalow. It's been in thrice-daily (or more) use by a variety of nurses and carers over the past few months and has proved entirely safe and reliable. Bert |
#10
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Key Safe - choosing and siting.
On Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:06:05 -0700 (PDT), mike
wrote: Social Services have asked me to fit a Key Safe at the home of an elderly relative. Anyone got any experience - good or bad - of either of these from Toolstation? http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p18696 http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p18917 I've come across a few of these and they have never impressed me as being particularly secure. The Squire version is better made http://www.squirelocks.co.uk/pdfs/squire_keykeep.pdf http://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/P...ey_Safe/971905 They've said they want it by the front door as they don't like going to the rear of the house in the dark --- which seems reasonable. Also, I guess a scrote could work unobserved at the rear. But putting it near the front door leaves it visible from the road. Any suggestions for making it accessible but unobtrusive? You could always go for a Squire Rim Combi http://www.saundersonsecurity.co.uk/...al_Keypad.html http://www.squirelocks.co.uk/pdfs/fi..._rim_combi.pdf Otherwise remember the key safe has to be found by different people so hiding it isn't always the best idea, especially given the abilities of some Social Services staff. Visible as you get near the door is usual. Make sure you have several spare keys cut. It isn't unusual for staff to wander off with the key in their pocket. I would avoid mechanical push button locks, as Dave has mentioned most open with the 4 numbers no matter what order they are pushed and after a short period of use the 4 buttons get sufficiently marked to make guessing the entry code very easy for scrotes. There are plenty of electronic such as http://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/P...ey_Safe/971905 but they are more expensive. |
#11
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Key Safe - choosing and siting.
On Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:08:52 +0100, Bert Coules
wrote: Mike, I have bought and fitted the second of those to a relative's bungalow. It's been in thrice-daily (or more) use by a variety of nurses and carers over the past few months and has proved entirely safe and reliable. Bert well you mean it's reliable... "entirely safe" seems unproven? Jim K |
#12
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Key Safe - choosing and siting.
"Jim K" wrote:
well you mean it's reliable... "entirely safe" seems unproven? I know what you mean, but I hold to what I said: in the months it's been installed the mechanism has worked flawlessly, its position has proved convenient for those who know it's there and not tempting for anyone who doesn't: there have been no attempts to break into it. I regard that as being entirely safe. I can't of course, comment on how it would hold up to a prolonged or particularly violent attack, but then exactly the same could be said of the front door to the property. Bert |
#13
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Key Safe - choosing and siting.
On Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:06:05 -0700 (PDT), mike
wrote: Social Services have asked me to fit a Key Safe at the home of an elderly relative. Anyone got any experience - good or bad - of either of these from Toolstation? http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p18696 http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p18917 They've said they want it by the front door as they don't like going to the rear of the house in the dark --- which seems reasonable. Also, I guess a scrote could work unobserved at the rear. But putting it near the front door leaves it visible from the road. Any suggestions for making it accessible but unobtrusive? Thanks in advance for any advice. Took us months to notice the old lady but 1 had one. Just by the door frame where a door bell would be. -- http://www.voucherfreebies.co.uk |
#14
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Key Safe - choosing and siting.
On 16/04/2012 23:30, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Mon, 16 Apr 2012 23:06:02 +0100, dennis@home wrote: You can fit a code lock on the door instead. But be aware that many of those just need the correct numbers pressed in any order to open. So 2578 or 5287 or any other combination of the four numbers will open the lock. Take care when setting the combination. My (paramedic) daughter used to encounter a lot of these when she was operational. If they hadn't been given the code, they would ask a neighbour when the person was born - old people are always telling others how old they are - and they would try the year first, then day/month. They had an 80% success rate. Problem is - the oldie needs a number they can remember easily if they get locked out. -- Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk |
#15
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Key Safe - choosing and siting.
Thanks for all the replies.
A code lock on the door would be more problematic for the relative, and really this is about Social Services having access to the key. I looked at CB's Secured by Design recommendation. It's tempting. It may well be good. But I like it less after seeing the cheesy promo videos and the OAP game. Our local crime prevention unit are recommending the Toolstation ones. So I'm going to go for one of the Toolstation ones or the Squire that PP suggested, depending on what's available en route tomorrow. Thanks again. |
#16
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Key Safe - choosing and siting.
In article
..com, mike writes Social Services have asked me to fit a Key Safe at the home of an elderly relative. Anyone got any experience - good or bad - of either of these from Toolstation? http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p18917 Just moved into a house where there was one of these fitted for the old lady who had previously lived there; I was able to crack it in less than a minute using a method shown on a Youtube video; -- Chris Holford |
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