Most locks nowadays rely on cylinders as the method that allows keys to open or close them. Unfortunately, almost all burglars today take advantage of the cylinder’s design weakness to open the locks. They make use of bump keys to pick the locks. What is a bump key? Well, this is a specially made key that is generally available to locksmiths or homeowner who need them. In the hands of an intruder, these types of keys can be used for gaining entry to most locks with cylinders and can be done in less than 30 seconds. As a matter of facts, the internet is awash with cases of pre-teens using bump keys to defeat target locks in less than a minute, meaning that anybody can use these devices.
Select strong locks with cylinders to minimize picking incidences
An excellent way to make it harder for intruders to break into your home is to have a strong lockset. Expert locksmiths suggest that strong locks with lock cylinders can either slow down or resist bumping when an intruder tries to pick them. Burglars don’t like locks that resist their attempt to pick them and often move on to another target.
Here are some of the features of strong locks with lock cylinders:
• They come with deadbolts with steel chips
A lock with a steel deadbolt can’t be easily sawed off. Note that intruders usually defeat locks by quickly drilling through the center. So steel chips come in handy in that they engage and mangle drill tips when burglars tries to penetrate through a lock or saw it off.
• Heavy gauge strike plate
Strike plates are perhaps the weakest link in any lockset. This is because many locks come with decorative strike plates which are made of plastics that can easily be kicked in or pried off. However, locks that come with heavy gauge strike plates offer maximum protection against this.
• One-inch throw on deadbolts
The length a deadbolt extends out from the lock is referred to as the throw. It is critical that a deadbolt extend fully into the door frame so as to offer a higher security level in case an intruder attempts to overpower the door.
• Double cylinder locks
With these types of locks, a user need keys to enter or exit a premises, may it be residential or commercial. These locks are helpful in burglary prevention in that most intruders break a door sidelight or window to reach in and open the door. With double cylinder locks, this can’t happen.
Avoid weak keyless digital locks with lock cylinders.
Some digital locks have lock cylinders in addition to some sorts of keys. Go for keyless locks that include fingerprint entry, remote-control entry or pushbutton entry. With these types, there is no key in the lock, meaning that the use of bump keys or lock cylinders is an issue.
Pros of lock cylinders
• Lock reconfiguration is easy and fast
Locks with cylinders are quite easy to access, meaning that they can be adapted quickly to become disc tumbler locks, conventional pun tumbler locks or wafer tumbler locks.
• Rekeying is much easy
Rather than having to take out the lock completely, the cylinders can be accessed with the removal of a few screws from the lock. This allows the locksmith to fast and easily rekey the lock, and all without the need to do away with the whole lockset from the door.
• Easy to create a master key
If you want all of your doors to be opened or closed by the same key, then locks with cylinders are perfect for your needs. This is because the mechanism in these locks can be quickly taken out and the locks set up to be opened by a single master key. The doors can similarly be set up to require different locks and keys to open or close.
• Easy to set up as double or single cylinder
Double cylinder locks require a key on either side of the door. This is much preferred by many homeowners as burglars are prevented from reaching the inside of the door through a window or sidelight. Single cylinder locks on the other hand can easily be opened by turning the inside knob of the door. All the same, any of these is easy to set up as the other as need be.
Cons of lock cylinders
• Bump keys can easily defeat these types of locks: A bump key is a favorite tool for lock picks or burglars.
• Lock cylinders are easily picked by the burglars: Intruders with the right lock pick tools can easily manipulate the pins inside these types of locks to similar position as a rekeyed lock and hence easily gaining entrance into a home.