A UPVC Front Door can be quite insecure, your front door is the primary route of entry and exit into the house, and can also be the most vulnerable point of the home too! However you can make some simple adjustments to your UPVC Front Door that will greatly improve home security.
UPVC Front Doors are generally unsuitable for retro-fit security devices, not only is the material not strong enough to support devices fitted with steel screws unless secured into the internal metal framework, but such changes to the original design may invalidate an existing warranty or possibly damage the integral locking assembly. Modern designs will usually incorporate deadlock shoot bolts or a multi-point locking system, both throwing a number of bolts from the door into the frame.
However locks fitted to a lot of UPVC doors are vulnerable to a technique called “lock snapping” this is where the door cylinder is snapped, allowing an intruder to easily gain entry to the home. More about the lock snapping technique used by potential intruders can be viewed in the video below.
Do you feel that your UPVC Front Door might be vulnerable to lock snapping? if so the lock cylinder can easily be upgraded by yourself, or your local lock smith if you don’t feel that you want to attempt the upgrade.
The most secure cylinder on the market today is the Avocet ABS High Security Euro Cylinder, the ABS cylinder has special built in snap secure technology that ensures if the door is attacked the cylinder snaps from the outside and blocks access to the internal mechanism of the UPVC door lock. The ABS cylinder is the only cylinder recommended by the West Yorkshire police.
Upgrading a door cylinder yourself is a fairly easy task which you should be able to accomplish yourself. To accomplish this you must measure the existing door cylinder.
Once you have got the measurements its simply a case of purchasing a replacement cylinder that matches up with the measurements you have taken, view: High Security ABS Euro Door Cylinders.
Finally it's simply a case of removing the old euro cylinder and fitting the new cylinder, after that you will have a secure lock in your front door.
