Police advise letterbox cage

[Vicario]

We had a security survey at the house and he saw our UPVC door. Apparently there's a device that criminals are using to poke through the letterbox and push down the handle. He advised always locking with the key from the inside or getting a letterbox cage. Can I buy any cage to fit to these kind of doors or do they need special fixings? Any particular make you can recommend?

 

[^woody^]

Apparently there's a device that criminals are using to poke through the letterbox and push down the handle.

Its called a bent piece of copper pipe - with or without some washing line within it

But with lever handles on plastic doors .... if the door is locked, then they can't move the handles. If the door is unlocked, then who needs the letter box?

 

[squowse]

might be a pad/lever handle

 

[mleggatt]

I also have a uPVC front door and have just been informed by the police that 3 houses in the road were burgled last night (while owners were in bed). They haven't mentioned how it was done (for obvious reasons) but did mention "a tool" which as mentioned is some kind of hook that allows them to pull the inside handle down to open the door.

They did also mention locking the door from the inside when in the house. I do have a few questions though:

* I am going to look into getting a Letterbox cage or restrictor but would like to know if there are any other precautions I can take to prevent this happening to my door.

* Can anyone recommend a letterbox cage or restrictor?

* I have tried various methods of locking the inside handle but none seem to prevent the inside handle opening the door. This included pushing the handle upward so that it engaged the multipoint lock and turning the key. The door has a key hole on the inside so I assume it should be possible to lock the door from the inside?

As a side note I am in the process of replacing a wooden backdoor and was considering uPVC but think I will definitely go with a hardwood door, 5 lever lock and barrel bolts top and bottom of door. I am seriously considering swapping the uPVC front door for a hardwood door and frame.

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks
Martin

 

[squowse]

you should be able to lock it from the inside by pulling up the handle to fire the bolts, and turning the key.
only problem then is if you need to leave in an emergency. same problem with any lock though - including a standard mortice.
one way is to hide the key somewhere that will be hard to reach through the letterbox or broken window. put it on a string so it doesn't wander.

or leave the key in the lock but take precautions against reaching with a tool or magnet by using a letterbox cage. i would have thought that a solid one, rather than a cage would be best for stopping burglars using reaching tools. there appears to be a gap in the market.

on a new hardwood door i would install a multi-point lock in preference to several mortice locks or barrel bolts - easier to lock and unlock in an emergency, and means that it can be unlocked from the outside with the key. a good one with roller cams will also provide restraint against the door warping and help the draught proofing engage correctly.

 

[squowse]

i found these
http://www.mailboxmania.co.uk/product/indoor_white_post_box/

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LARGE-STEEL-L...ea5ed0430&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14#ht_2569wt_1165

bit ugly maybe but the certainly do the job. mind you they'd be full of pizza menus in a couple of days round here.

 

[mleggatt]

Hi squowse,

Thanks for the quick reply. Your comment about multipoint locking on a hardwood door was interesting.

When I got the quote for the hardwood door I did request if it was possible to install a multipoint lock (similar to uPVC) in a hardwood door but was told that the door needs to match the frame. The only method of doing this was to use a prehung door i.e. frame and door (not sure I have right terminology )

Would be interested to know if its possible to have multipoint locks in hardwood doors without having a prehung door.

I think it will depend on whether holes in existing door frame clash with multipoint latch points and if the frame is suitable for it.

Thanks
Martin

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

This whole thread confuses me, surely you lock the door from the inside and take the key out, Job Done? If you're too dopey to leave the key in one place so that it's easily accessible in an emergency its just Darwins laws of evolution cropping up and its good to remove you from the evolution chain anyway.

 

[masona]

* I am going to look into getting a Letterbox cage or restrictor but would like to know if there are any other precautions I can take to prevent this happening to my door.

I hate to say this but you're better off with a solid wooden door, I don't have any problem getting into upvc doors so far even if with no letter box

As a side note I am in the process of replacing a wooden backdoor and was considering uPVC but think I will definitely go with a hardwood door, 5 lever lock and barrel bolts top and bottom of door. I am seriously considering swapping the uPVC front door for a hardwood door and frame.

I found a friend

 

[squowse]

This whole thread confuses me, surely you lock the door from the inside and take the key out, Job Done? If you're too dopey to leave the key in one place so that it's easily accessible in an emergency its just Darwins laws of evolution cropping up and its good to remove you from the evolution chain anyway.

i take it that includes the kids as well?? charming...
lots of people live in shared accommodation.
of course if it comes under housing for multiple occupancy or any other public type space then there would have to be a thumbturn or other way of escaping without a key.

 

[squowse]

Hi squowse,

Thanks for the quick reply. Your comment about multipoint locking on a hardwood door was interesting.

When I got the quote for the hardwood door I did request if it was possible to install a multipoint lock (similar to uPVC) in a hardwood door but was told that the door needs to match the frame. The only method of doing this was to use a prehung door i.e. frame and door (not sure I have right terminology )

Would be interested to know if its possible to have multipoint locks in hardwood doors without having a prehung door.

I think it will depend on whether holes in existing door frame clash with multipoint latch points and if the frame is suitable for it.

Thanks
Martin

if using roller cams then there will need to be about 13mm gap between the door and the frame. the existing rebate in the frame may not be deep enough, so a small piece would need to be planted on.

if not using roller cams then the adjustments to the frame should be not much more than if installing additional deadlocks, barrel bolts etc;

some joiners / fitting companies don't like this kind of bespoke work as it can be a bit time consuming. ie they like to rip the whole door and frame out and stick a new one in, fixings, silicone done.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

This whole thread confuses me, surely you lock the door from the inside and take the key out, Job Done? If you're too dopey to leave the key in one place so that it's easily accessible in an emergency its just Darwins laws of evolution cropping up and its good to remove you from the evolution chain anyway.

i take it that includes the kids as well?? charming...
lots of people live in shared accommodation.
of course if it comes under housing for multiple occupancy or any other public type space then there would have to be a thumbturn or other way of escaping without a key.

Yep, kids aswell!

 

[mleggatt]

Personally I don't think this hooking the door open through the letterbox is anything new to uPVC doors, I recall it happening to a relative many years ago on wooden door with a lock that had the release lever accessible from the postbox.

When the police mentioned it was specifically uPVC doors and a "tool" I thought they were doing something more complex than simply putting a coat hanger or pipe through the door and hooking the handle.

This is probably because I recall a locksmith once telling me he would much rather have to open a uPVC door without the key than a Wooden door with a 5 lever mortice lock and bolts but for obvious reasons didn't explain why.

My problem now is the inside handle doesn't seem to want to lock even when I push it upwards (I hear the multipoint log engage) and attempt to turn the key. I'll take a look and then I guess it's call a locksmith.

Thanks
Martin

 

[squowse]

yes any door with a yale lock or handle that can be tugged is vulnerable.
my friends got in to my house after they locked themselves out with an umbrella through the letterbox. (it was a yale / nightlatch).

about what your locksmith was saying - 5 lever mortice locks will need to be picked (as far as i am aware anyway), whereas there are quite a few tricks for the eurocylinders that nearly all multipoint locks have.

if your key won't turn in the locked position, then probably the mechanism isn't throwing fully.
it may need the keeps adjusting, or the lock mechanism may have dust etc; in it. in either case you will need a good joiner / upvc man.
a squirt of wd40 into the mechanism along the edge of the door may do the trick.

 

[squowse]

This whole thread confuses me, surely you lock the door from the inside and take the key out, Job Done? If you're too dopey to leave the key in one place so that it's easily accessible in an emergency its just Darwins laws of evolution cropping up and its good to remove you from the evolution chain anyway.

i take it that includes the kids as well?? charming...
lots of people live in shared accommodation.
of course if it comes under housing for multiple occupancy or any other public type space then there would have to be a thumbturn or other way of escaping without a key.

Yep, kids aswell!

ok change your username to charles darwin!