DIY Locks and Latches
Make sure you have the right lock as far as your insurance company (and the Police) concerned to help save you stress and heartache if you are unlucky enough to have been targeted by burglars.
We have loads of information on DIY Doctor including different types of locks that you can fit at home. Information on mortise locks, barrel cylinders, bolts and lock barrels. We have instructional videos on all sorts of Do It Yourself projects including how to change a Yale lock to help you secure your home.
Speaking of Yale locks did you know that Yale is a brand name and not a type of lock – the correct name for that sort of lock is a cylinder night latch. Somehow that doesn’t sound quite so secure does it?
Home security is important and you will want to get the right sort of locks to secure your home. Your insurance company is likely to give you better rates of insurance if you have good quality locks on you doors and windows, and you may even find that it is a requirement fro you to have what are known as 5 cylinder locks to comply with your insurance companies terms and conditions. If you don’t have the right sort of locks your insurance company may refuse to pay out if you need to claim.
Most insurance companies insist on either a five-lever sashlock, or a rim cylinder nightlatch coupled with 5 lever deadlock, and make sure that it is BS Certified to make sure it is the quality you need. British Standards are set by the British Standards Institute (BSI) find out more on their website. This information will be stamped or engraved on the lock itself, if you are not sure what sort of lock you have got.
James Gumersell of specialist online door handle and door lock retailer simplydoorhandles.co.uk explains: “You’d be surprised how many people aren’t aware that even though they have an insurance policy if they are unlucky enough to be burgled they could run into difficulties claiming because their door locks simply aren’t up to the required minimum standards.
An English man’s home is his castle
We all like to feel secure in our own homes don’t we? Locks are also useful for keeping areas private – like bathrooms and toilets for instance and to keep dangerous things away from children. Child locks can be fitted on kitchen cabinets to help keep small hands away from chemicals, although really dangerous chemicals, like bleach and corrosives, should be stored up away from their reach entirely. Locks can also be fitted on doors and drawers to prevent children from scattering crockery all over the floor!
You don’t need a locksmith to change a barrel or change a lock, you can do it yourself, or at least you can if you have the keys. It is slightly more complicated if you have locked yourself out and lost all the copies of the keys. If this is the situation the lock needs to be drilled out, in which case you may need to use our find a tradesman section to a find a locksmith in your local area.
We also look at gate latches for use on, erm well, gates and sheds, and magnetic catches to fit to cupboard doors. You can match locks and latches with other door furniture to give a more coordinated look.
Fitting a Lock – A DIY Guide
When fitting a lock in a modern (hollow) door you need to make sure you place it correctly, as these doors have a block to fit the handle and lock to make sure you maintain the integrity of the door and that the fittings are fixed securely to the door. We have a project about fitting a door too which also explains about fitting locks, of course!
See our Other Great Content
