GRP v solid wood external

[JohnD]

Shockingly, some people have a plastic door that can be opened from outside without a key, unless the occupants go to the trouble of locking it from inside, which they often don't.

Chancers will open the door and snatch whatever handbags, keys, phones and wallets are on the hall table or in the pockets of jackets slung over the banisters.

No forced entry = no insurance payout.

 

[graemezz]

Odd/dumb!
Best not leave car keys at the door.

 

[crank39]

Early in your career, it's possible that the majority of homes had wooden doors, and so would have been the majority of break-ins.

Today, any 12-year-old can be shown a few ways to defeat a Eurocylinder in less than a minute.

Not so, I started in 1990 and upvc had been around for at least a decade by then, obviously I didn't keep an exact record of the split between timber, pvc and aluminium but thinking back I would say it was an equal split between timber and upvc with the odd aluminum door thrown in, even the aluminium doors with oval Union euro cylinders were being crow barred open, timber doors weren't picked they were kicked open, upvc doors weren't drilled, bumped or drilled, they were kicked in or an automatic centrepiece used to pop the toughened glass and walk in

 

[graemezz]

Not so, I started in 1990 and upvc had been around for at least a decade by then, obviously I didn't keep an exact record of the split between timber, pvc and aluminium but thinking back I would say it was an equal split between timber and upvc with the odd aluminum door thrown in, even the aluminium doors with oval Union euro cylinders were being crow barred open, timber doors weren't picked they were kicked open, upvc doors weren't drilled, bumped or drilled, they were kicked in or an automatic centrepiece used to pop the toughened glass and walk in

Stopping this is hard. Perhaps 5x 5 lever mortices, 10cm screws and 4 hinges to reduce kick ins!

 

[JohnD]

I am lucky enough to have solid hardwood doors. I believe the use of tropical hardwoods is mostly restricted to veneers now. You can sometimes get a metal lock guard which reinforces the wood around the lock.

My back door has a BS sashlock, plus rack bolts top and bottom, and the rear personal door to garage has two BS locks, one at waist height, one at shoulder height. I have suited all of these to the same key, which is very convenient.

My back gate used to have the same, but I have changed it to an Asec rimlatch, which from the outside can only be opened with a key. It also has bolts as it is not often used, and a lock guard.

The front door has a mortice deadlocking latch, which is not common now, but used to be fitted to banks in the days when they had wooden doors. They are remarkably expensive.

Most people would do better with a BS nightlatch. Lots of people have a deadlock on their front door and never use it.

 

[graemezz]

All sounds good.
Just that wooden doors shrink/expand a little in cold/wet weather.
My last door was this https://www.doorstoyou.co.uk/external-doors/hardwood-external-doors/hardwood-hayes-door. Good price and seemed heavy/strong to me.

 

[JohnD]

A very good price if its really solid hardwood.

I have a friend in Australia where some splendid timbers are still available. He has a small historic house, and sometimes makes his own doors, though he uses dowels now.

 

[graemezz]

Seems real and solid to me. Came plain so had to prime, paint or carpenter from Romania did.
Aus is a bit far to buy a door from!

 

[Screwsloose]

a lock guard.

Kickstop sells a range of door frame and lock reinforcement options. I was impressed by the various various Kickstop products that I fitted to friends and family’s homes. Undoubtedly, they make a wooden door and frame considerably harder for thieves to force. Highly recommended!

Aesthetically, I found a lock guard looked surprisingly good when it matched the door colour. But I felt that full-length London and Birmingham bars didn’t always look as appealing. YMMV.

 

[graemezz]

Thank you and prices are not bad - saves changing entire frame or door

 

[JohnD]

I think mine is similar to these, but a version with more bolts. On the gate I painted it black. I have another for the shed. I happened to pick up a number of various types at a clearance sale.





If appearance was less important, for example on a gate or shed, you could probably make a more economical version with steel strip on both sides of the door, bolted through.

To my annoyance, some scrote tried to barge my gate in, one summer night after I had just painted it, with the furniture removed. Perhaps he hoped I had left valuable tools inside.

 

[JohnD]

Here it is



One of my stalkers went to the trouble of following me onto the woodwork section so he could call it a "crap door."

 

[graemezz]

Looks like a giant key escutcheon and some key escutcheon are 2* but for normal keys not 5 levers

 

[JohnD]

Yes, but it's quite thick metal, and bolts through to a similar one on the inside of the door. It resists a barge or kick.

Chubb use to do one, but IMO even less attractive.

 

[graemezz]

Nice. I am waiting to get access to the new home to see how the upvc door is.
If a new handle and lock still leaves a gap in door I will swap all to wood or grp