Door security & advice
July 23, 2025
Old door? New door? Bad door?
Door repair service
The importance of a front door.
Doors are the focal point of our homes, especially our front door. The front door is what everyone walking past your house will see, what guests will see and what potential buyers will see. Just like your front garden, it has a chance to leave a lasting impression and will be the first to impress.
Besides being impressive, it is also the main entrance to your home, your place of safety, the place you keep your shoes and laptops. For these reasons, and many more, your front door should be of good quality and good finishing. It deters could be burglars by having good locks, makes someone think twice before attempting. Most burglaries we have seen happen through the front door, a minority from the back door and windows.
This means that the front door you have is largely responsible for your safety - Your phone, laptop, shoes, handbags, pets, jewellery and most of our worldly possessions. So it clearly makes sense to install a safe front door and some decent front locks.
Fitting good doors & locks.
Your home security is made up of two obvious options - Doors & Windows. Unless someones planning on going through your wall (which lets be honest, would be an extraordinary tale) if your windows and doors are secure it's going to be very difficult for someone to make it in.
We highly advise that you check the width of your front door, regardless of if your renting or own this one is a must. Your front door width needs to be at least 44mm wide. Keep in mind that the width of your door is what is stopping someone sticking their leg through your door. We've seen many burglaries and it does make us sad, it's our job to make people safe . A lot of burglaries we have seen the door has been kicked in, from what we've seen it hasn't been incredibly difficult, no tools were used, just kicked.
This can be secured by placing a London bar and a Birmingham bar, one sits on the frame and one sits on the door itself, both reinforce the door against kicking.
Make sure you have a Kitemarked 5 Lever BS3621 lock, this will be visible on the plate. This lock goes by a few names "Bottom lock" "Chubb lock" - Mortice deadlock:
For the best burglary deterrent installing an Anti drill Face-plate to the Mortice lock is advised, this not only looks impressive, but will deter attacks on your Mortice lock.
Checking window locks
If you have sash windows a single Sash-Jammer in the middle simply wont do. Especially ground and first floor windows, having just one on each window is very risky. The best is to have a key operated bolt from the inside of the house, that bolt should go straight into the frame. Attacks are very limited on these locks as its on the inside of the house and its a key operated bolt so without a key, slipping it just wont work.
If you have UPVC windows and the handles are key operated those are great, very hard to open from the outside. If they aren't key operated consider changing them out, it's a simple process and inexpensive when employing a professional to do.
At SMS Locksmiths we handle all theses aspects. We have an emergency door installation team on standby and a locksmith to attend to the locks. We take pride in every aspect of our work.
This is one of the top questions people ask before calling a locksmith. Rekeying what it means Rekeying resets the lock’s internal mechanism, so only new keys work. It’s cheaper and fast. Good for: Lost keys (but lock itself is fine) Moving house (if the existing locks are in good condition) Replacing when it’s better Changing the whole lock is best when: Locks are old or damaged You want stronger security You’re upgrading to smarter or multi-point systems A locksmith will recommend the best option after inspecting your hardware.
People searching for a locksmith often worry about cost before they call. So let’s break it down clearly. Typical locksmith pricing Costs depend on: Whether it’s an emergency call-out The time of day Type of service (e.g., unlock, change lock, install new security lock) Parts required Example ballpark figures Emergency opening (no lock change): £60–£150 Lock change (cylinder replacement): £80–£200+ UPVC multi-point lock repair: £100–£250+ High-security lock fitting: £150–£350+ These are typical ranges a local locksmith will confirm before work starts. Tips to avoid surprises Ask for a firm quote before work Confirm whether VAT is included Check if emergency call-outs cost extra Request parts costs upfront SMS Locksmith gives transparent quotes up front , so you’re never left guessing.
