External door with a knob cylinder

[JohnHanna]

Hello.
I currently have a front door with (what appears like) a Euro cylinder with thumb turn knob (picture attached)
I understood, after doing some research, that this kind of lock is not very secure, as a burglar may be able to open it from inside (if they sneak in somehow)
My question I how to make this more secure.
If I replace the cylinder with a full one (keys from both sides) then opening the door from inside would be less convenient so will need to add a door knob to the door. Is this possible?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Wayners]

Not my area.But...
I would either go find local locksmith store and ask.
Maybe they would sell a surface mounted lock you can fit on the inside.

Only other option is buy a new door

 

[ronniecabers]

That's a thumbturn cylinder barrel. Compulsory on new builds these days for fire escape reasons ( saves hunting for keys ), regardless of whether you have a 'slam lock ' or a standard handle. Yes a burglar could open it if they were inside BUT if they were inside already they could also just open a window! I don't see it as a security risk at all, you can't reach it if you stuck hand through the letterplate. My only complaint is they can be awkward for elderly or those with conditions such as arthritis

 

[JohnD]

Is it a plastic door?

In a house (with a back door and windows) or a flat with no other way out?

Show us the outside keyhole please

 

[justigator]

Tools are readily available to allow operating of an internal thumbturn from outside, for example using a letterbox. Eg see

. I won't have thumbturns on external doors in my house; just always make sure there is a set of keys not too far from the door (but obviously too far for a scumbag, tooled up or not, to reach).

 

[opps]

Tools are readily available to allow operating of an internal thumbturn from outside, for example using a letterbox. Eg see

. I won't have thumbturns on external doors in my house; just always make sure there is a set of keys not too far from the door (but obviously too far for a scumbag, tooled up or not, to reach).

If someone were able to reach the OP's lock using a tool like that, then, quite frankly, fairplay to them.

The OP could always just replace the thumb turn cylinder with one that uses a round knob.

 

[opps]

Hello.
I currently have a front door with (what appears like) a Euro cylinder with thumb turn knob (picture attached)
I understood, after doing some research, that this kind of lock is not very secure, as a burglar may be able to open it from inside (if they sneak in somehow)
My question I how to make this more secure.
If I replace the cylinder with a full one (keys from both sides) then opening the door from inside would be less convenient so will need to add a door knob to the door. Is this possible?
Thanks in advance.

Serious question- if someone snuck in via a window in the middle of the night, would you rather that they exited via the front door or came up to your bedroom to ask for the key?

BTW, many cylinder locks cannot be opened if someone has left the key in the other side. Eg, you get home and leave your key on the inside of the lock, your partner comes back later they cannot open the door from the outside- or you have a guest staying, you leave at AM, you forget to leave them a key, a fire starts at 6.30AM, they cannot get out.

 

[Mottie]

BTW, many cylinder locks cannot be opened if someone has left the key in the other side. Eg, you get home and leave your key on the inside of the lock, your partner comes back later they cannot open the door from the outside- or you have a guest staying, you leave at AM, you forget to leave them a key, a fire starts at 6.30AM, they cannot get out.

That’s why I changed my Mums lock - she used to leave the keys in at night in case she had to get out quick in a fire and she's not nimble enough to find them and unlock the door in a panic. You can get in from outside when the door is locked (both myself, my sister and her cleaner have keys) BUT only if the key is pulled out slightly from the inside. She was often forgetting to do that so hence the change to a thumbscrew.

 

[JohnD]

Long ago, I

Tools are readily available to allow operating of an internal thumbturn from outside, for example using a letterbox. Eg see

. I won't have thumbturns on external doors in my house; just always make sure there is a set of keys not too far from the door (but obviously too far for a scumbag, tooled up or not, to reach).

Long ago, I was shown how to do it with a piece of stiff wire through the lettterbox, by a builder who had let my front door slam behind him.

It took seconds. The wire was in my skip.

I am a British Standard 5-lever Mortice Deadlock enthusiast.

Better than which you will not find.

They are immune to the numerous techniques for defeating Eurocylinders.

I put emergency exit keys for window locks on a cup hook, out of sight, in the top corner of the frame furthest from the opening, out of reach or sight of children or visitors.

 

[blup]

Hello.
I currently have a front door with (what appears like) a Euro cylinder with thumb turn knob (picture attached)
I understood, after doing some research, that this kind of lock is not very secure, as a burglar may be able to open it from inside (if they sneak in somehow)
My question I how to make this more secure.
If I replace the cylinder with a full one (keys from both sides) then opening the door from inside would be less convenient so will need to add a door knob to the door. Is this possible?
Thanks in advance.

If a burglar’s inside it is probably an advantage that he can escape quickly. As said this is a fire safety measure.



Blup

 

[Mottie]

Tools are readily available to allow operating of an internal thumbturn from outside, for example using a letterbox. Eg see

. I won't have thumbturns on external doors in my house; just always make sure there is a set of keys not too far from the door (but obviously too far for a scumbag, tooled up or not, to reach).

That’s all very well but how does the burglar know from outside that there is a thumbturn? Is one of those tools and a mirror on a stick part of a burglars kit these days along with an eye mask and a striped jumper?

 

[blup]

I was shown how to do it with a piece of stiff wire through the lettterbox

Closed letterboxes are available.

Blup

 

[Mottie]

I put emergency exit keys for window locks on a cup hook, out of sight, in the top corner of the frame furthest from the opening, out of reach or sight of children or visitors.

There was a thread on here recently by someone who had bought a high-security Yale Eurocylinder and was sending it back as it was too much faff getting the square ended key in the lock. Imagine how he would fare in an emergency.

We always leave our keys in the front and rear doors overnight.

 

[JohnD]

Closed letterboxes are available.

Blup

And seldom seen.

 

[blup]

And seldom seen.

Many don't have letter boxes at all.

Blup