Now that you have secured your front doors and your windows, your attention may have turned further down your home, to the very end of it, in fact, and rested on your back door. Ours has, and so we have written for you our tips for the optimal back door security.
The Back Door
While it is true that a large number (about a third) of burglars break in using the front door, at least 22% of burglars enter through the back door. A back door entry has its perks:
- Intruders are less likely to be spotted picking your lock or breaking the door
- Intruders can spend longer breaking in
- Intruders have an escape route if interrupted
- Back doors are more often left unlocked than front doors
- Back doors are often less solid or secure than front doors
A back door gives a burglar more time and more privacy to break into your home. Along with unsecured windows and the front door, your back door is a key target for the would-be intruder.
With all this in mind, we present to you our product recommendation for the ultimate in back door security: the Lockwood 001 Double Cylinder Deadlatch.
Back Door Security From Either Side
If your back door is panelled or is next to a pane of glass, the Lockwood 001 Double Cylinder Deadlatch is the safest option. The double cylinder means that access to the door requires a key from either side. This means that if an intruder smashes the nearby glasses to gain access to the inside of the door, they will still be no closer to unlocking the bolt – they still need a key. Remember, it is important not to leave the key in the lock, even if it is on the inside. For fire safety, we recommend having the key in an easy-to-reach place by the door but not accessible, for example by a window or breakable glass. For ultimate fire safety, we recommend keeping the key on a nail near the door and low to the ground. Keep it near the door but away from the outside.
You Just Can’t Pick ‘Em
Not being able to unlock the door from the inside, if the burglar is set on accessing your home through the back door, they will have to try to pick the lock. The Lockwood 001 Double Cylinder Deadlatch will make this task no easier for them. Deadbolts and deadlatches have two locking mechanisms, meaning that it takes longer for burglars to pick them. Research has found that if it takes a burglar longer than fifteen minutes to break in, they were less likely to try. The longer it takes, the more likely the burglar will give up out of fear of being caught. The average burglar aims to spend only minimal time in your home for the same reason. They would rather break into a more easily-accessible home than waste more than fifteen minutes gaining entry for an eight-minute raid. This means that the better your back door security, the safer your home.
Resistance to Force
Smashing the lock is also not an option. A deadlatch is more resilient to pressure because the lock is not held in place by a spring. In an ordinary key-in-knob situation, if enough force is applied, the spring may malfunction and release the lock. This is not the case with a deadlatch. The bolt also extends further into the socket than a less secure spring lock by about an inch (2.5cm). This means that the door itself is more resilient to force – it can’t just be kicked in.
To recap, we recommend the Lockwood 001 Double Cylinder Deadlatch as the best in back door security. This lock is more secure than a key-in-knob situation. Needing to be keyed from either side adds security in back doors with panes of glass in or next to them. The deadlatch bolt goes further in than ordinary locks, making the door more secure against force. The lock itself is also more secure against force, not relying on a spring mechanism. Deadbolts are also harder to pick. This means that it is harder for your lock to be undone without a key, by force or cunning.
If you have any concerns about your back door security, or home security in general, contact us today for a free on-site quote, and don’t forget to check in next week when we discuss with you our tips for keeping your side doors secure.
