Protecting Your Home From Lock Bumping

by: Steve Strong

There have been many incidents of lock bumping, wherein, the burglars used this method to enter the premises. Lock bumping allowed them to make a forceless entry into the premises. They opened doors with the help of a key by applying some force and ten removing the pins of lock resulting into a free way inside.

The outburst of such news in the local media and internet has created an environment of fear and insecurity among the people around. Though this technique has been practiced by burglars since ages, but recent spate of incidents and their overwhelmed publicity created an environment of shock among the masses. Moreover, this outburst in news and internet has also provided people the sufficient information on the availability of such techniques.

Besides the security concern, this is an insurance issue as well. If the insurance inspector does not locate any signs of forcible entry to your premises, he is more likely to suspend your claim for theft. Though such incidents are increasingly taking place all around now, but some bare minimal precautions can help protecting you and your property a hell lot of possible trouble later. You just need to upgrade the locks of your business and residential premises so as to prevent any unforeseen incident of door bumping. For such up gradation, you are required to replace your existing lock with bump proof locks or just replace the lock cylinders.

Generally, it has been seen that residential grade doorknobs are not provided with the lock cylinders. In case, you do not have such locks at your residence, you first need to get them replaced by commercial grade knob locks and put a high security cylinders in that. Somehow, in most of the houses the deadbolts do not comprise of removable cylinders. The Installation of deadbolt locks is highly recommended by the professionals so as to safeguard your home from lock bumping or for the added protection. If you have the deadbolt lock on your door, replacing the cylinders only will sort out the problem and existing deadbolts are not required to be changed.

While, putting a bump proof security cylinder in your door, just keep track of some specifications. Normally, you will find that the deadbolts of your lock measure 2 1/8 inch of diameter hole with a 1 inch hole from the edge of the door. The Measurements of “backset”, which is the measurement of the distance from edge of the door to the centre of the lock is 2 3/8 inches or 2 ¾ inches. However, some locks comprise of adjustable backsets and some others have fixed backsets. So, you will need these specifications when you go to buy a bump proof cylinder for your house.

The next precaution required is to safeguard your keys after you have replaced your ordinary locks to more secured bump proof locks. Although, most of the high security keys can not be duplicated by the local hardware shop without proper scrutiny, still it is better to prevent any such possibility by protecting your keys yourself. As, your security is your responsibility first, so be smarter than the prospective smart intruders.