Keeping a key in the door lock does not necessarily make it harder for burglars to pick it. In fact, leaving a key in the lock can actually make it easier for intruders to gain access to your home.
While it is very important to not leave your keys in the back of the door or near the entrance, it is equally important to make your doors burglar-resistant since they are your first line of physical defence against burglaries and intrusions.
To Prevent Burglary
Burglars will always choose the easiest opportunity to gain entry to a house and what's better than a non-locked house with sleeping household. 61% of burglaries take place within the hours of 6pm and 6am, so your overnight security is paramount to the security of your home.
We often see homes that we visit during surveys with keys in all of the locks. The usual reason that people give is that in the event of a fire at night they are not hunting around for a key to open a door. This is a perfectly understandable precaution, but it is not good from a security standpoint.
Why should I lock my doors? The harder you make it for a burglar to enter, the less likely a break-in will occur. When you decide to keep your home locked up at all times, you are making a strong effort to protect your family, self, valuables, and privacy.
Home and garage doors should always be locked. Almost 50% of burglars enter homes and property through unlocked doors and windows. Use your locks. Never leave keys outdoors.
It is essential to realize that you should put your keys somewhere safe where no outsider can reach out. Your master bedroom is the best example of a safe place. It is a lot easier to access as well. Any corner in the north or east would be fine for placing your key holder in your bedroom.
Keeping your spare keys safe.
Sometimes, it seems as though some homeowners believe hiding a key from plain view will outsmart a potential burglar. This is not the case. Any place you might think to hide a key outside, your average burglar has probably thought of it. In fact, burglars count on us to underestimate them.
The most common place for keys that are used every day, is usually by the door or entranceway. Wall hooks or hanging key organizers are great for keeping keys together neatly by the door. Group them by priority, label, and hang them up!
It may seem unnatural at first, but opening the door even a little bit could help you to sleep better, and keep your bedroom environment more hygienic according to sleep experts. It is certainly one of the simplest ways to improve sleep that we have come across.
By limiting a fire's ability to spread, closing your bedroom door at night also gives you more time to react when the smoke alarm goes off. And these days, every second counts. Because of the plastics in most modern furniture, house fires are more toxic and spread faster than ever before.
Keeping your bedroom door closed can slow the spread of a house fire, as well as reduce toxic smoke levels. Having the right kind of fire extinguisher nearby can help. But when it comes to fire-related deaths, it's usually not the flames that are to blame. Smoke is actually more likely to cause suffocation and death.
Wrapping the fob in tinfoil decreases the strength of the signal and the range of the fob. This means you'll need to be closer to your car to start it. But it also means potential thieves can't steal the signal from an inconspicuous distance.
Burglars will check the obvious places first, so avoid hiding your extra key in plain sight in one of these common locations: Under your door mat. Under a potted plant or in a flowerpot by the door. Under a garden statue.
Outside-facing doors in the front of your house must use solid core materials. Solid core wooden, fiberglass, or steel doors are excellent for this purpose because they are much harder to kick down.
Typically you'll install it on an outside wall in an area that is easy to access, but ideally not easily seen by or obvious to people passing by on a public street. You also need to consider if the chosen location will allow the unit to be easily operated when it's dark outside.
1. Contact a Local Locksmith and Ask Them to Assist You. The easiest way to get back into your home when you're locked out of it without a key is by contacting a local locksmith service and asking them to help.
The safest place to keep car keys at home is as far from the front door as possible. This will reduce the risk of them being grabbed and, in the case of modern car keys, prevent the wireless signal from being easily amplified in a relay theft. Likewise, always keep fobs in RFID bags/Faraday cages when not in use.
Keys symbolizing luck date back all the way to the ancient Greeks. They referred to them as the “Key of Life” and gave them power that allowed their prayers to reach the gods. Keys symbolize good fortune and freedom. Keys are very popular lucky charms to wear and can fit in with any style or outfit.
Store your keys in a safe place, out of range of your car. Store your keys in an aluminium tin or signal blocking box when at home. Carry your key fob in a shielded wallet or Faraday pouch when out and about. Turn off your key fob's wireless signal, if applicable.
Home security expert Michael Fraser advised listeners that they were safest keeping their keys somewhere close to the door. "Don't leave keys in doors, but keep them somewhere local to it. If people leave keys in windows locks or doors [a burglar] could get to them easily," he said.
SECURITY EXTERIOR DOORS FOR RESIDENTIAL HOME
If the risk of burglary in your area is relatively low, a class 2 door (RC 2) is sufficient. The door frame, regardless of the security class, should be made of steel, extruded aluminum alloy or hardwood reinforced by steel plates, and have at least 3 hinges.
Always keep all your doors and windows locked when you are not home. Install surveillance cameras, especially those that alert you if motion is detected. Never leave items of obvious value in view of the public. Don't leave bags or items of value in your vehicle when it is parked in the driveway and lock your car!
“Most people's back doors are the ones that are the least sturdy, and a burglar can kick the door open with one well-placed kick,” warns Hall. Make sure your back door is as sturdy as possible, with a deadbolt in place. Windows, too, can provide easy entry for a burglar foiled by the front door.