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YES! I feel lots of benefits. However stressed I feel beforehand, a cold water swim is like a reboot for my brain. I always feel fantastic afterwards, and that good feeling lasts all day or even longer. Also, the combination of exercise and the outdoors generates its own feel-good effect. Cold...

Go for it—it’s surprisingly fun! However, I strongly recommend starting in the summer. The first swim is by far the hardest, then it gradually gets easier as your body acclimatises. Provided you swim at least once a week, you’d be amazed how much easier it is after a handful of swims. I...

Barnsley Lock & Safe are reliable and sell Astral S euro cylinders. Their website states: “Unique clutch cam as standard—keys still operate lock when another key is left on the other side.” https://www.barnsleylock.co.uk/cisa-astral-s-anti-snap-double-cylinder---individual-locks-4052-p.asp I...

You’re undoubtedly correct, but is the door robust enough to take a British Standard mortice lock? The Union lock (that Notch7 suggested) fits the door without removing some of the limited remaining wood. But regarding the top rimlock, provided it had the same backset, could it be swapped for...

@Possom If you fitted noise reducing glass, how much difference did it make?

I’d expect a thumbturn to work regardless of whether a key is in the lock’s other side. The Cisa Astral S euro cylinder is a solution for a lock that’s key-operated on both sides. The key on one side works even when there’s a key in the lock’s other side.

The Cisa Astral S euro cylinder can be opened from the other side even if there’s a key inserted in the opposite side. It’s a high-quality cylinder and would be my choice. Evva offers an external key override option for its premium products. However, these euro cylinders are pretty pricey...

Thanks. That’s a beefy looking lock. It could be a Banham rimlock’s younger cousin :) Would you consider the Yale BS1 adequate security on its own?

Forgive the thread resurrection, but why not? It's a British Standard rim lock. (I presume the OP meant the Yale BS1, as no other "No. 1" exists in Yale's current range.) Or did you mean a rim lock alone isn't good enough? If so, I wonder how often burglars force entry past a...

While letterbox cowls work well for security, I found they can hamper postal deliveries. How secure would a letterbox cage be instead of a cowl?

I, for one, wouldn’t start grinding off bits of the key. Instead, I would fit an Astral S euro cylinder myself.

Yes. There’s a simple solution via a new euro cylinder. The Cisa Astral S has a clutch cam fitted as standard, enabling the lock to be opened even if a key has been left in the other side. Regarding reliability, the Italian-made Astral S is a high-quality euro cylinder. Alternatively, Evva...

Unfortunately, shutters—when they’re open—won’t help with UV fade.

Does window film exist that’s resistant to UV and forced entry? Also, presumably, should security film be bonded to the frame for burglary resistance?

That’s brilliant—I’ve learned something, and I see that B&Q stocks it: https://www.diy.com/departments/d-c-fix-one-way-mirror-privacy-self-adhesive-window-film-1-5m-l-90cm-w-/4007386327765_BQ.prd

Regarding euro cylinders, it’s the recently revised Diamond 2024 standard: https://www.soldsecure.com/approved-product-search?standard_grades=47&keyword=&product_types=28

I never understood why sashlock handles were quick and easy to unscrew. It would be straightforward to use security screws—even if they merely added a little time to breaking in.

Image the celebrations and high fives at Yale after the Lock Picking Lawyer—working on his bench, not in the field—described this euro cylinder as “a very tricky pick”. Mere mortals aren’t going to pick that lock cylinder in the field. Also, I’d be more concerned about a lock’s resistance to...

While euro cylinder locks are rarely the most secure, how often do uPVC doors give us a choice? Sadly, the updates to euro cylinder security standards show how vulnerable they are. Many current 3-star cylinders won’t pass the incoming 3-star test. But are mortice lever locks ever an option for...

Evidently, burglary methods have evolved in the few years since the original post. But Sold Secure has updated its testing accordingly. In case it’s helpful, here’s the latest list of euro cylinders that pass Sold Secure’s new Diamond 2024 test (not to be confused with the old Diamond 2019...