How to

Safety Tips

You can never be too safe, Mica Hardware has made it really easy to be security wise.

Some general tips

Be alert and secure your home at all entries and exits. Safety is so important, especially if you have a family – keep them safe at all times with Mica Hardware.

Ensure that if you have barricades in the front of your home, that you complete the circle right round your house to ensure complete security – this will help heighten the difficulty to get into your premises.

  1. Have a good alarm system installed, and preferably monitored by a recognised and present security company.
  2. Change the security codes and change the locks on all exterior doors when moving into your new home.
  3. Keep your home locked up at all times to prevent easy access, even if you go out for a short time, and even while you are at home, keep doors and windows secured; home invaders nowadays are increasingly targeting homes while they are occupied.
  4. Keep your home secured by ensuring that you don’t post on social media that you are leaving the country or going on a holiday, you never know who is monitoring your social media.
  5. A professional burglar looks for places where the security system can be disabled, so conceal the wiring.
  6. Use timers to switch lights, TV and/or radios on and off when you are not at home, so that your home appears occupied at all times.
  7. Make a point of keeping your neighbours aware of any suspicious activity you might see around the area. If you have a faulty alarm, get it fixed immediately.
  8. If you are going on a holiday, either have a house sitter come in, or arrange with a neighbour to have your mail collected daily and on rubbish collection day, that they put some of theirs outside your property. Also cancel newspaper and magazine deliveries.
  9. When you have finished gardening for the day, lock all your tools away.

Now for some simple security enhancers

  • Security Article 1

    Make sure that you never position anything in front of a PIR that will block its sensor and so not be able to detect a moving heat source. In this case, it is close to the curtain, but the latter will not cover it in any way.

  • Security Article 8

    A deadlock bolt is called deadlock because it is not spring-operated and has to be operated by a key from the outside or from the inside, by the occupant moving a knob or lever.

  • Security Article 11

    You don’t want to be searching for the right key in an emergency. So colour-code them; it will make selecting the right key for the lock much quicker.

  • Security Article 3

    Security gates employ a double-throw mortise lock that use a special double-sided key. The first turn of the key extends the bolt halfway, and the second turn extends it the full 22mm. The key cannot be withdrawn until the second turn as been completed.

  • Security Article 7

    Garage doors with electric open/close systems often have a disarm switch on them. Use it when you will not be using the garage for some time, but to enhance that, you can tie a brace into position as shown here; naturally adapt the idea for your own garage doors’ design. Just remember to remove the brace before arming the door opener and then trying to open the door.

  • Security Article 6

    A clamp in the runner also enhances your garage doors’ security; again, don’t forget to remove it before trying to open the door when you return from your holiday.

  • Security Article 9

    A simple brace like this – just a suitable length of 22×44 SA pine angled about 30º into the door and jammed under the handle, will stop the door being opened. For extra security, you can tie it into position as shown.

  • Security Article 5

    There are many types of combination locks. They are great in the sense that you don’t need a key to open them. The downside it that you need to remember the combinations or words, depending on the type of lock you select. When you can select your own code, don’t select the same code for every lock, because if a burglar stumbles across one, he will try it on the others. Rather select different codes, and then hide them in plain sight if you wish.

  • Security Article 4

    You can buy packs of locks – 2, 3 or even 4, which all use the same key. This is a good idea, because it saves you having to lug around four keys for four locks (even if you do colour code them).

A word about insurance and locks…

  • When you are buying a lock, do not skimp, but don’t overdo it either; select the lock according to the value of whatever it’s protecting and spend where you have to:
  • • Your valuable coin collection will be behind a very secure door with a very substantial lock.
  • • Your garden shed cupboard containing nothing more than packets of seeds needs only a light door with a light lock – freeing up the serious spend on the afore-mentioned coin collection cupboard.
  • • Locks on bedroom doors are generally two-lever, because they are protecting the occupant’s privacy.
  • • Also bear in mind that there is no point fitting a strong, expensive lock to a flimsy door; by the same token, there is no point fitting a weak, cheap lock to a strong door.

The more complex the lock, the more combinations it has and the more difficult it is for an intruder to have a key that fits it – or be able to pick it. The most common door locks are 2, 3 and 5 lever, and cylinder (5 and 6 pin). So don’t make it easy for the criminal:

Possible key combinations and likely applications:

  1. 2-lever = 12 (bedroom doors)
  2. 3-lever = 150 (inter-leading doors – separating passage from main bedroom, for example)
  3. 5-lever = 500 (outside doors)
  4. BS3621 5-lever = 1 000 (outside doors)
  5. 5-pin cylinder = 20 000 (outside doors)
  6. 6-pin cylinder = 100 000 (outside doors)

You can enhance the security even more by installing a deadbolt lock, and a chain.

Will your insurer settle your claim?

The features a lock should have – if the chance of an insurer settling your claim is to be enhanced, are as follows:

  1. The lock must be stronger than the door and should not give way before the door does if force is used.
  2. A crowbar or pry bar must not be able to make direct contact with the bolt; a striking plate and covered bolt must protect the bolt of the lock against being levered aside and cover plates should be hardened to resist a portable drill attack.
  3. A deadlock bolt must only be capable of being moved only by direct key action. These locks are called deadlocks because they are not spring-operated and has to be operated by a key from the outside, or, inside, by the occupant moving a knob or lever.
  4. The bolt must have special hardened insets (rollers) so that it cannot be sawn through from the outside.

If you are in doubt as to what sort of lock to have fitted – or fit yourself – get advice from a security company advisor.

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These materials are available at Selected Mica Stores. To find out which is your closest Mica and whether or not they stock the items required, CLICK HERE find your store and call them. If your local Mica does not stock exactly what you need they will be able to order it for you or suggest an alternative product or a reputable source.