The most common methods burglars use for breaking in and their prevention
No matter whether you are staying out for the night, going to work or go for a longer holiday, the danger of being robbed is always there, no matter where you live and how much valuable you keep in your home. In this section we will try to introduce you to some of the most common methods burglars use to enter in your home uninvited. We will also try to enlist some of the best types of locks for windows and doors which can keep a burglar out.
1. Open windows or doors
There are still several people who won’t pay attention to the backyard section of their house and would simply leave their door or windows open because they face the garden. The majority of break-ins however occur through the backyard area for this very reason. It’s even more comfortable for a burglar to use these because this way they are out of sight as well. Make sure your windows can be all securely closed with a trusted handle lock.
Solution: Always keep your windows and doors closed, especially when you are not at home.
2. Doors which can be opened the simplest ways
There are several DIY and top tips articles which would give home owners several tips on where to hide an extra key around their home. The sad truth is, that burglars also watch these and they know exactly where to look for spare keys. There is no easier and simpler way to enter a home than with the door’s own key. The sad truth about this type of burglary is, that your insurance company may even turn you down as there was a free key lying around which the burglar used to his own advantage.
Solution: don’t keep your spare keys around the entrance area. If it takes more than a minute a burglar will stop looking for a key because it would become suspicious.
3. Simpler locks demand simple methods: the crowbar
If your lock is a simplified one or an older lock, especially if it’s in an older wooden frame which is not fortified then the burglars will simply use a crowbar to force the door open. Unfortunately this method is still one of the top methods which are used with a high success rate and it doesn’t require much time neither expertise to do it.
Solution: fortify your door, change it to a metal one (even if it’s wooden plated) use at least a Grade 1 deadbolt or a diamond category cylinder lock. The most important for the locks to be fitted well and for its part to be strong and reaching deeper inside the frame so that the simple methods would not work with them. If you don’t want to switch doors have a strong metal plate installed around the lock’s area to have it secured enough to withstand forced entry attempts.
4. Lock snapping
This method works with weaker euro cylinder locks which are not protected enough by a plate therefore the cylinder can be easily taken out, disabled and the door opens up easily.
Solution: buy a diamond grade anti snap cylinder lock or use a fortified deadbolt lock