How To Prevent A Burglar From Bumping Your Lock
Have you ever wondered how simple some burglary cases are? It is no longer surprising to hear that a thief broke into someone's house and bagged some expensive electronics without being noticed. Burglars have many techniques of breaking into homes and lock bumping is one of them. Lock bumping is an old technique used by robbers, but it is still quite useful even in the modern times. Most types of locks can be bumped, but the euro cylinder locks are more vulnerable because they are more standardized. These locks are also found in most Australian homes.
What Is Lock Bumping?
Lock bumping is a technique that was invented by locksmiths to open doors if someone lost a key or locked a key inside the house. In modern times, burglars use it to break into homes. It is a method that uses a bump key, which is a specially cut and designed key, to force the pins inside the lock to move to their shear line; when the bump key is inserted into the lock, it is tapped or bumped by an object, which forces the springs inside to jump and open the lock.
This technique does not harm the lock which might be a good thing in terms of repairs after a burglary. But it is also makes it hard to tell if someone broke in or not. For instance, if the burglar got scared and run away, you will never know if someone broke into your house. You can eliminate your worries and doubts by either changing your locks or upgrading them.
How Can You Prevent Lock Bumping?
There are basically two ways of preventing lock bumping; you can either replace your locks completely or upgrade the cylinder. To upgrade the cylinder, invest in a cylinder that meets the TS007 3-star standard. These cylinder locks can not only withstand lock bumping but they can also withstand other threats like snapping, drilling, and plug extraction. These cylinders are identified by the TS007 Kitemark feature and three stars. Alternatively, you can have a locksmith add security pins to your current cylinder locks. Adding more pins will increase the resistance of your lock to the bump key, which is a way cheaper option.
Or you can decide to replace the entire lock system with a high-security lock. High security locks are expensive but reliable, and there are many types of these locks in the market. A good example is the high security mul-T-lock cylinder lock. To learn more, talk to a locksmith from a company like Border Locksmiths.