Selecting The Right Equipment

Look for Quality

When you are replacing doors and windows and talking to your installer - make sure you check the following:

Look for the kitemark logo.
Are they certified to British Standard (BS7950) This proves they are made to a high quality and standard for increased security.
Laminated glass on ground-floor and accessible windows is a good idea, as this is much harder to break.
If you are fitting or replacing a new door set, look for the kitemark logo. It should be certified to British Standard (PAS 024). This shows it has withstood a series of physical tests based on common methods of burglary.
Homeowners want to add value to their home which can be achieved by replacing the windows and doors.

Ask for these signs of quality from your installer - in plain english

Lock up your home

Windows:

Window locks can be easily seen from the outside and so may put burglars off - because to get in they would have to break the glass which would attract attention.

Fit window locks with keys to all downstairs and windows that are easy to reach. Even small windows with a gap that is larger than a human head are potential weak spots too.

You can buy inexpensive, key-operated casement locks from any DIY shop which fit most kinds of windows.

But talk to your installer before you fit them so your warrenty is not affected.

Doors:

Ideally fit five-lever mortice deadlocks (with the British Standard Kitemark). plus a rim lock for all external doors, including frecnch doors - ask your builder or installer to qualify that what they fit meets this standard!

If you have vulnerable French or patio doors, add mortice bolts at the top and bottom to make them more secure, as a minimum requirement.

Again, talk to your installer before you fit them so your warranty is not affected.

For added security, you can fit hinge bolts to your doors. These are cheap and help to reinforce the hinge side of a door against force. This is especially important if your door opens outwards.

Look at where your letterbox is located. If it is in the middle, you may need to fit a cage or restrictor.

The rise of 'mole-grips' and 'bumping' crime

A growing number of break-ins using the so-called 'bumping' and 'mole-grips' methods are threatening household security. According to police crime prevention experts, millions of homes in the UK are at risk because of a weakness in cylinder locks which are almost universally fitted to PVC-U doors throughout the UK.

The 'bumping' method uses a skeleton key readily available and bought cheaply over the Internet to gain access to the cylinder lock mechanism. There is a good chance that a householder's insurance won't cover the break-in if the lock has been 'bumped' as there will be no evidence that the householder didn’t just leave the door unlocked.

Another method uses mole-grips to smash open the cylinder lock once the handle cover has been removed. The forcing of cylinders which protrude from the lock is now beginning to rival the number of sneak-in burglaries.

The doors and windows industry is constantly looking for new security innovations to beat savvy burglars. Anti-bump cylinders are one of the most advanced new security measures developed by Swish in response to this latest household security threat. Previous advances to benefit consumers include the internal beading of windows to prevent burglars breaking it off externally and easily removing the whole pane of glass. Original window locks have also been improved by adding four locking points to each window frame instead of two, to make it harder to break or lever them off.

Whilst this is a concerning trend, householders can defend their properties from becoming easy targets by fitting cylinder guard handles and anti-bump cylinders which added to their overall security system put yet more deterrents in a burglar's way.

How can the mole-grips method be combated?

Ask your Swish Installer for new cylinder guard handles which have more advanced built-in technology to shield the cylinder and prevent smashing. These can be installed onto new PVC-U front doors, patio and conservatory doors but also retrofitted to existing ones by your Installer.

How can ‘bumping be prevented?

Ask your Swish Installer to specify an anti-bump cylinder into your door design and quote. These are growing in sophistication and should become approved by the British Standards Institute (BSi) in the near future.

Integrated hardware

Secure doors and windows as much as you can by choosing the most modern construction with in-built security features.

New PVC-U replacement windows and doors from Swish have integrated hardware, offering the highest specification locking mechanisms and an advanced range of special security features:

Internally glazed.
Additional chains and bolts available to enhance security.
Galvanised steel reinforcements within the structure provide ultimate strength and prevent burglars cutting their way in.
Multi-point locking system as standard.
Kitemarked certified to British Standard BS7950 (windows).
Kitemarked certified to British Standard PAS-24-1:1999 (doors).
Laminated glass on doors for additional strength.
Multi-point door locks including hook bolts, deadbolts and roller cams.