OT: Door Locks

[JA]

I recently received my home insurance renewal notice which to my surprise now contains the following endorsement:

"It is warranted that the home must have the following security installed within 30 days of inception or renewal:

5 lever mortice deadlocks or locks conforming to BS 3621 on all final exit doors and key operated security devices on all ground floor and accessible windows and or existing locks plus key operated security devices at the top and bottom on all final exit doors **or** key operated patio door locks mounted internally on the centre rail for sliding patio doors **and** key operated security devices on all ground floor and accessible windows."

( ** denotes bold text ).

Does anyone know how the above is supposed to relate to uPVC doors that have euro cylinder style locks? There are no markings on my current locks so I presume they're not compliant to BS 3261. Also, trawling through the Screwfix catalogue it only mentions BS 3261 for mortice type locks but not for the euro style locks.

The other problem I've got is the bit about the patio locks needing to be mounted on the centre rail, but in my case there's no room to put the locks on the centre rail without damaging the glazing: there's only sufficient room along the far door edge!

[fred]

In article , JA writes

There is no way that UPVC fitted euro locks meet BS3261 but there is usually an (undeserved) exclusion for multipoint locks fitted to UPVC doors, give them a call and describe what you actually have and ask if they are prepared to cover for the same fee. If they agree then follow up your phone call with a written description asking them to confirm their agreement in writing, if they don't then assume you have no insurance.

Again, describe your measures and ask them to approve or reject with confirmation in writing.

Treating the ins co as a slimy wriggley thing something akin to a snake would not be a bad idea.

[EricP]

Welcome to Insurance City.

I have not had theft insurance for 20 years because of this, along with almost every other house with plastic doors and windows.

[The Medway Handyman]

Don't be mean to snakes Fred.

[judith]

Regarding the patio door - often there is a stipulation that if there are two locks - one bottom and one top - that they are diagonally opposite - this was a condition/restriction on my insurance and was not exactly clear in the documentation, so worth checking.

[Andrew Gabriel]

I took my insurance out before completing on the house purchase, and couldn't check. In declining that section, it only knocked the insurance cost up by £10, and that also removed the clause about the insurance being invalid if someone forgot to lock a window shut when we went out. Might be worth checking if you can pay a bit extra and have that clause struck out.