It seems as though the fight to keep your home secure against burglary never ends. You must know all the latest techniques thieves use to enter your house. Lock snapping is one and your house may be at risk if you have a euro cylinder lock.
What is Lock Snapping?
Lock snapping is a method burglars use to disable euro cylinder locks. As its name suggests, they use pliers to apply pressure to the outer area of the lock until it snaps off. From there, they can access the exposed inner mechanism of the lock.
Lock snapping has become a popular entry method because of homeowners’ increasing use of UPVC doors. These doors tend to have euro cylinder locks.
Why does lock snapping happen?
This technique is being used because it requires no special equipment or skill. Once pliers are applied to the lock, all that is needed is strength. The exposed lock mechanism can then be broken with a hammer and screwdriver.
This is much easier if your lock is badly installed. Euro cylinder locks are supposed to lie flat along the door’s surface. Due to incorrect installation, the lock’s cylinder may extend a few inches outward. This gives the burglar much more surface area to work with.
What You Can Do To Prevent Lock Snapping?
If you have euro locks, the first thing you can do is check to see if they meet modern security standards.
There are two for euro locks. The first is the SS312 Diamond Standard, the second is the TS007.
Check to see if your current locks are rated under either of these systems. If they’re not, or they have poor ratings, it may be time to replace your locks.
Locks with higher ratings tend to have anti-snap features. For example, several of these locks have a dummy feature that prevents the burglar from snapping the real lock.
Many are equipped with anti-tampering mechanisms as well. Even if the burglar gets past the outer dummy lock, their cams are designed to lock into place.
When you select a lock, make sure it is installed correctly. If you’re unsure about how to do this, contact a professional locksmithing service.
At the Security and Lock Corporation of Miami, we have experienced staff who can advise you on the best choices to keep your home safe. Contact us at (305) 846-9360 for more information.
