My brother is converting his house into 3 flats and reached the point of wondering what sort of front door and lock to fit. It will be a common access point for all 3 flats. He started off considering a PVC front door but the need for everyone that comes in to turn the key to lock it after entering doesn't seem ideal. I don't think 'normal' front-door locks can be fitted to PVC, or can they? So PVC is probably out, in favour of a wooden door? Is there any other choice?
What are options for lock these days. I've been reading the "Replace a eurolock cylinder" thread, but are those applicable to wooden doors or only PVC? Why would I use one anyway, compared to one of the Yale types?
What about intercom electrically operated locks? I suspect these are weaker as well being unreliable.
I've never had a plastic door and I've been put off the idea after a friend was burgled: it seems that the miscreants did nothing more than run at the door very hard and the centre panel - the one inside the main frame with all the secure locking stuff in it - simply popped out and fell into the kitchen.
But I've been wondering about taking in a lodger and the idea of one of these mechanical keypad locks appeals since it would be possible to change the combination after changing the tenant. They _look_ very strong but could the experts tell me where they stand on the scale of invincibility?
Sure you must have seen the Police using The Enforcer on TV... Not many doors can stand up to that, well it's normally the frame and bolt recess or hinges that give. Plastic won't splinter like timber but if the panels are only popped in...
You mean the tall thin things with two columns of numbers and knurled knob that sit proud of the door? I suspect a well aimed blow or two would knock it off enabling acces to the drive to the motice latch in the door... Also be aware that some only need the correct numbers to be pressed, the order isn't important. So if 5682 opens the lock so will 2658, 8652 etc. Gently pressing each button it is sometimes possible to feel the latch for the corect code operate.
Combination lock is a good idea for your use but I'd go for a flush mounting electronic one. The really decent ones of those have a display for each number button and shuffle the position of each number for each use to reduce the effectiveness of shoulder surfing, that might be a bit OTT on a house though.
Eurolocks are quick & easy, and about =A36 for a 5 pin, =A320 for a 6 hardened pin cylinder. Yale style night latch cylinders are about =A32 for 5 pin, =A35 for 6 hardened pins, but take longer to change. House insurance policies often require 6 hardened pins.
Can't comment on the other points, but we've got an intercom release on the front door at work. It's used about ten times a day, and has been for sixteen years. The door has a powerful spring/closer thingy that slams the door mightily when people aren't careful. The lock mechanism has never let us down. They're not complex, but they certainly don't look very strong. I'm sure that if someone really wanted to gain entry then a good boot would see to that - more so than a simple Yale I would guess. Unfortunately it doesn't have a manufacturers name.
At most marinas I've visited security gates are held closed by very strong magnets. AIUI, these are released by applying a current to reverse the polarity of one of the magnets, the visitor then pushes only to overcome the closer mechanism. These magnet locks are incredibly strong, and I expect much stronger than regular release mechanisms. How secure does your brother want the communal area?
They are permanently powered to lock - they are rather strong without needing a lot of power, but are obviously liable to power failures, and battery backup options exist.
The magnets come in various strengths, some of which you will burst open by shouldering the door, others will hold until the door breaks by bending unless you use two of them to prevent the door bending when forced.
Mechanical locks are available in power to open or power to lock versions, depending how you want them to fail in a power failure.
Those locks are supposed to be strong.. however I have forced one open in the past. I would expect the door to break before the magnet releases on most doors.
You can slip a piece of sticky tape onto the magnet while they are open and reduce the force required to open them to a few tens of pounds.
Are the active pins ever hardened? It's something I look at regularly and the term hardened pins usually relates to narrow insert pins driven in at key locations to resist drilling, not the active pins.
Also, I've not seen an insurance policy that goes into that much detail on cylinder/lock security, usually just a BS requirement that can be negotiated down to multilocking if required, any examples?
For multiple occupancy buildings durability is at least as important as security and I think a solid wooden door is best for that. Beading can be added to the exterior to make it look like a panel door and a kick plate will cut down on wear.
If it doesn't need to be glazed then life is a lot easier. An exterior grade wooden 30min or 1hr rated fire door will be chunky enough to stand a lot of (general) abuse.
The norm on security (unless in a really dodgy area) is to concentrate the on the individual flat doors (solid construction, low mortice plus high BS rated cylinder) and go for just moderate security on the external door.
For only 3 flats, there is obviously a budget issue so a decent heavy duty cylinder based mortice latch mounted at waist height and combined with an electric strike (google) is probably best. Yes it will pop with sustained attack but surviving that is not really its purpose. Put a (sprung) lever operated handle on the inside (not thumbturn) to ease emergency egress.
Union mortice latches with oval cylinders are commonly used for this, they seem to have reasonable durability. Yale surface mounted stuff just isn't up to it. Don't waste money on secure cylinders as the place is more likely to be accessed by failure of the door to close properly due to negligence or oversight.
A flush mounted stainless panel fronted intercom with heavy buttons will make things look a lot classier and wont cost that much.
A heavy duty door closer is equally important to ensure that the door closes securely each time a visitor is admitted.
If the door must be glazed then again uses a fire rated one for weight with just 2 upper glazed panels and use wired opaque glass as a visual deterrent.
I didn't know that before so I played about with a lock we have at work protecting a secure area and found it is actually every bit as weak as you suggested. It looks so strong too. Hmmm... better tell some people at work tomorrow. Thanks for that.
Dunno about the door, but any decent locksmith could supply either a eurolock or a yale type where any of the three keys would open the front door, but the same key would only open an individual flat.
Sounds weird I know, but it can be done. That way each tenant only has the one key.
After 26 years of managing a house converted to four flats:
Intercoms tend to not work after a while. Intercoms mean visitors tend to enter and leave unescorted, and they tend not to close the door after them. So you need a door closer. Door closers encourage even residents to be lazy and assume the door will close itself. Door closers only close properly if adjusted. They need re adjusting with changes of temperature etc. Door closers that slam too hard, damage the door --and the noise gets really annoying. Door closers that don't slam hard enough mean the door is left open (see above re encouraging laziness)
I like locks with registered sections that are expensive to duplicate keys: it reduces the number in uncontrolled circulation.
Assume that the common entrance door will always be relatively insecure. Which means doors to individual flats need to be stonger. Once someone has got through the common entrance they wont be visible to passers by as the break down other doors.
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