Using a blowtorch to melt out a door lock

uPVC windows and doors. They use a blowlamp to soften the plastic....Silent!

But surely these things are actually located within the extruded aluminium internals?

Would that work with multi-point locks ?

Also ... it strikes me that the sorts of properties that such scrotes would target would also have a decent alarm system including a smoke detector ? Surely the fumes of burning plastic would have tripped it/ them ?

That said, once the principle is established (cutting the lock out) maybe a decent circular saw and bit of skill could easily remove a door ?

If it gives them access to where the lock activates the multi-point mechanism/gearbox

Isn't that why deadlocks were invented ?

Also, just opening the door is of little value if you immediately trip an alarm as you blunder through ?

1. The alarm is tripped.

1. A minute or two later a guy from the monitoring station rings up to check it's not a false alarm. He waits on the phone for at least 30 seconds.

2. A minute or two after that, the police have the details from the monitoring station.

1. If it's high enough priority, a minute or two after that, a police car is on its way.

So, the scrotes have a good 5 minutes after the alarm is activated to grab what they can and leave. If they leave on a motor scooter, some police forces still have the policy of not pursuing them.

In Glasgow we prefer the old fashioned method...

Sounds a bit smelly and rather obvious to me. Surely somebody will sort of notice? Besides what about the multipoint locking doors? Brian

If going equipped is still an arrest offence a lot of people might be arrested who are decorators or some other kind of tradesman.

I think it is impossible to protect things well enough to stop the determined thief if they think it worth while. The main petty criminal stealing for a drug habit will take the easy option though. For those premises where there really is nick stuff then let them in with the minimum of damage to your property and use hidden cameras and silent alarms to try to make sure they get caught. Police won't do anything much these days unless you have pictures and almost give them the address of the crim. There was a case recently where the idiot criminal made a phone call on his mobile from within the crime scene and there was sound and video being recorded. I don't think a lot of them are that smart. Brian

No, there's generally no such thing.

Aluminium extrusion is only fitted if the frame has to be load bearing, and that's unusual because usually there's a separate lintel and the window/door isn't load bearing. It wouldn't be fitted in the opener in any case.

Some of the news items brought up by the search show two different techniques: melting the plastic around the lock and melting a gert big hole in the plastic panel below and to the side of the lock - then reaching up and turning the key conveniently left in place.

Nick