Lock guide
Your policy says "a BS3621 lock" or "a TS007 3-star cylinder" and nobody explains it. Six grades, what each is, which door it belongs on, what the insurer wants, and what it costs fitted. Every invoice we write carries the grade so you can show them.
BS3621
The British Standard for thief-resistant locks on wooden doors: a five-lever mortice deadlock or a nightlatch with a deadlocking snib, with hardened plates against drilling and a bolt that cannot be slipped. Look for the kitemark on the faceplate.
TS007 1-star cylinder
The basic grade of euro cylinder for uPVC, composite and aluminium doors. Resists some attacks but can be snapped with grips in seconds. A 1-star cylinder with 2-star security handles makes three stars together.
TS007 3-star cylinder
A euro cylinder that resists snapping, bumping, picking and drilling on its own, with sacrificial sections that break away leaving the lock working. What we fit by default on uPVC and composite doors.
Sold Secure Diamond
The highest grade from the Master Locksmiths Association's testing house: a cylinder or lock that has survived the attack tests a professional thief would use, with time. Costs more and is worth it on a door that faces the street.
PAS 24 door set
A whole door, frame, lock and hinges tested together as a unit against the common attacks. New-build doors are usually PAS 24; older doors are not, and fitting a good cylinder to a weak door only goes so far.
Secured by Design
The police initiative that specifies the above for new homes and refurbishments. A product marked Secured by Design has passed the relevant standard and been accepted by the police scheme.
By door
What most home insurers in Britain ask for. Check your own policy wording; if it says something different, ring us and we will read it with you.
| Door | What insurers ask for | What we fit | Fitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wooden front door | A BS3621 mortice deadlock, usually with a BS3621 nightlatch | Five-lever BS3621 mortice; nightlatch with deadlocking snib | £135 / £125 |
| Wooden back door | A BS3621 mortice deadlock, or bolts top and bottom | BS3621 mortice, or a sashlock plus key-operated bolts | from £135 |
| uPVC or composite door | A TS007 3-star cylinder, or 1-star with 2-star handles | TS007 3-star anti-snap cylinder, three keys | £120 |
| Patio or French doors | Key-operated locks and anti-lift protection | Patio locks top and bottom, anti-lift blocks, a 3-star cylinder | from £45 |
| Ground-floor windows | Key-operated locks | Keyed handles or sash jammers; restrictors where children are | from £35 |
| Flat entrance door | BS3621 or a 3-star cylinder; fire-rated where the building requires | Whatever the building's fire certificate allows; we check first | quoted |
What have I got?
A BS3621 lock has the kitemark and the number stamped on the faceplate, the strip of metal on the edge of the door. No kitemark, no BS3621, whatever the key looks like.
A TS007 cylinder has one or three stars stamped on the face, by the keyhole. A cylinder with nothing stamped is almost certainly a basic one that can be snapped.
If the cylinder protrudes more than three millimetres beyond the handle, it can be gripped and snapped even if it is a good one. The fix is the right length, which we carry.
A picture of the edge of the door and the keyhole, by text to the shop number, and we will tell you what you have and what, if anything, it needs. Free, and no visit unless you want one.
Lock snapping
A standard euro cylinder has a weak point in the middle where the screw goes through. Grip the outside half, snap it off, and the door opens. It accounts for a large share of burglaries on modern doors in South Wales, and it is why insurers now ask for a 3-star cylinder, which has sacrificial sections that break away and leave the lock working. The upgrade is £120 fitted and takes twenty minutes.
Book the upgradeThe emergency line is answered by one of us, 24 hours a day, and a lockout is a fixed price on the phone before anyone leaves the van. For a lock change, a uPVC repair, a car key or a safe, the booking form takes two minutes and we reply within the working day with a two-hour slot.