Burglary protection for doors: Effective measures

HOW DO I RECOGNISE IF MY DOOR IS ADEQUATELY SECURED AGAINST BREAK-INS?

Many homeowners, flat owners, and tenants worry about whether their doors are adequately secured. These three questions can help you make an initial assessment of your door's burglar resistance:

1. WHAT SECURITY STANDARD DOES YOUR DOOR MEET?

Choose the best door security for your front door © ABUS

Find out the RC class
An initial indication of the door's security is its resistance class, which can be identified by a sticker on the inside of the door leaf. These RC (Resistance Class) ratings range from RC1 to RC6.

RC2 is the recommended resistance class
RC2 is highly recommended for private residences: doors in this class have additional mushroom head locks at a minimum of two further locking points, ensuring a higher level of security. This makes the door more resistant to common break-in methods such as forcing or prying open.

From class RC3 upwards, security requirements are higher
Doors with an RC3 rating or higher are primarily intended for public buildings. Anyone building a new house should definitely consider installing RC2 class doors.

RC1 doors do not offer sufficient resistance
Owners of RC1 doors, which are simpler and typically older doors, should consider upgrading. Retrofitting a door with additional security measures is generally much cheaper than replacing the entire door. Specialized security locking systems, reinforced door frames, or security glazing can significantly improve an existing door's security. Additional components such as security door bars, strike plates, or hinge locks can also be retrofitted to enhance resistance.

Conclusion: If your door is not classified as at least resistance class RC2 and lacks other burglar-resistant measures, you should seriously consider retrofitting burglary protection technology.

Glass inserts in doors
For glazed doors, double glazing is important for greater security. However, the main focus should also be on the quality of the selected door lock. Even if a front door has single glazing and is broken open, a burglar can be stopped by locked lock cylinders. Ideally, the door should be fitted with a high-quality door cylinder and additional security devices. It is always advisable to lock the door. A convenient option is a door deadlock with a knob, which can also be easily locked when someone is present.

2. DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY KEYS EXIST FOR YOUR FRONT DOOR?

Protection through additional security measures © ABUS

Tenants, in particular, often cannot say with certainty how many keys there are to their front or flat door. After all, a key can be easily copied.

Simply replace the door cylinder
It is advisable to replace the cylinder when you move into a new home. A door cylinder can be replaced in just a few simple steps, and it is no problem to reinstall the old cylinder when you move out. Find out what you should consider when buying a new lock cylinder here

3. ARE THERE WINDOWS IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY?

Windows near the door should also be considered when it comes to burglar protection. Burglars could reach through the window or use a tool to operate the door handle and easily open the door. Therefore, the security of these windows should also be taken into account. You can find more information about burglary protection for windows here.

THE FEELING OF SECURITY IS SUBJECTIVE

With a checklist for optimum door security for your home © ABUS

The feeling of security is subjective. Even if you already have an RC2 door, you might feel the need to install additional security technology. This can help protect the people inside your home and enhance your overall well-being. Protecting the people inside your home involves security devices both inside and outside a building that help residents decide whether or not to allow someone to enter.

Unlike burglary protection, which aims to prevent unauthorized access, protecting the people inside your home focuses on controlling who is allowed to enter the building when the occupants are present. This can be achieved through various security solutions such as door chain guards, door viewers, intercom systems, or smart home solutions. It is important to evaluate your own security needs individually and act accordingly.

HOW CAN I PROTECT MY FRONT DOOR AGAINST BREAK-INS?

In addition to choosing the right door cylinder, there are many ways to secure your front door against break-ins. Security door bars that extend across the entire width of the door, additional door locks for extra security, and security hinge locks that prevent forcible prying open are all good options. Door bar locks are particularly effective for securing older building doors. Each of these solutions addresses specific weak points and increases the overall security of your door.

We have summarised the different types of burglary protection measures you can take for your door:

1. SECURITY DOOR BARS

Your door secured by an security door bar © ABUS

Advantages of security door bars
Security door bars, also known as cross bars, offer effective burglary protection for several reasons: their robust metal construction makes them resistant to forced break-in attempts. They lock the door at several points simultaneously and across the entire width of the door, making it much more difficult to break open. Internal installation protects them from external attacks and makes tampering more difficult.

Additionally, you can fit a door guard to your security door bar, which allows the door to be opened by a small gap.

Selection tips
When choosing the right security door bar, consider the door type and size. Decide whether you want to lock the bar only from the inside (e.g., for a side entrance) or if you also want the option to lock it from the outside using an additional door cylinder.

ABUS offers a wide range of products to meet your individual requirements. Professional installation is recommended to ensure the full security effect.

Suitable for
Lockable from outside
Operation
For door leaf width
For door leath thickness
VdS-recognised

2. ADDITIONAL DOOR LOCKS

It can be challenging to navigate the numerous door security locks available for retrofitting. We have summarised the most important differences for you:

Series 7000
Our Series 7000 additional door locks can be easily retrofitted to the locking side of the door. These locks can be locked and unlocked with a door cylinder from both the outside and inside. You can also order our ABUS products with keyed alike locks, allowing you to operate both the main door lock and the additional lock with the same key.

Secure your door with an additional lock © ABUS

The additional door lock variants with an integrated door guard are particularly practical. They allow the door to be opened just a crack to see who is standing in front of it, offering significantly more security than a simple door chain guard.

These door locks are available in white, brown, or silver to match your door. You can also choose whether to lock the lock from the inside with a key or simply with a knob. Additionally, the locks are available with an optional alarm function.

Series 7500 - Extra Narrow
For doors with glass inserts, there is often less space to fit an additional lock. In this case, we offer our Series 7500 locks, which require only 8 cm of space on the door leaf. Otherwise, all locks in this series are also available in the versions mentioned above.

Security hinge lock
The burglary protection on the hinge side of doors is often neglected, as burglars can potentially lift the door off its hinges.

Your door secured by the TAS112 security hinge lock © ABUS

To prevent this, we offer security hinge locks, also known as anti-lift security locks.

We recommend our TAS112 security hinge lock, which is VdS-certified and equipped with the highest ABUS security level. The integrated claw bolting provides pressure resistance of over one tonne.

More about the TAS112 security hinge lock

3. THE DOOR CYLINDER

When considering burglars opening a locked door, the method of lock-picking often comes to mind. Special tools like lock picks or tensioners manipulate the pins within a lock to release the mechanisms holding it closed. However, this type of break-in is more common in movies than in reality. Learn more about break-in methods and how to protect yourself here

Since "cracking" the door cylinder is not commonly favored, relying solely on a door cylinder may not provide adequate protection against break-ins. Nevertheless, it's important to consider the following aspects for your door cylinder:

New tenants moving into an apartment are strongly advised to replace the cylinder to ensure no unauthorized copies of keys are in circulation. Door cylinders equipped with a security card, such as the EC660 or the XP20S, offer protection against unauthorized key duplication, requiring the presentation of the security card for any key copies.

Another critical consideration is proper installation: a cylinder should never protrude more than 3 mm from the door. Using door fittings or escutcheon plates with pulling protection becomes essential in such cases.

HOW MUCH DO BURGLARY PROTECTION MEASURES FOR DOORS COST?

The cost of burglary protection measures for doors can vary significantly depending on the chosen solution and your specific requirements. Here's a general overview:

Additional door lock: Starting at around €100, including installation.
Security door bar: Prices can range up to €500, depending on the model and including installation.

Interestingly, retrofitting with burglary protection products is often more cost-effective than replacing the door with a new RC2-rated door, despite both options providing substantial security benefits.

A valuable tip for buyers: When purchasing a security door bar, consider getting a matching door cylinder for the door lock at the same time. This allows you to have both locks keyed alike, enhancing convenience and security. We also recommend choosing a door cylinder that includes a security card to further enhance security measures.

The best advice for your security © ABUS

FURTHER MEASURES

Besides installing security doors, there are additional measures you can take to secure your front door against break-ins:

Instead of focusing solely on securing the front door, consider implementing the following burglary protection measures:

Whenever you leave your house or apartment, whether for a vacation or work, it's crucial to observe the following precautions. Ensure all windows are locked securely, not just closed. Particularly on the ground floor, windows should be well secured, as they are common entry points for burglars. Additional safety tips for when you're away on vacation can be found here

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