Home Security Upgrades in Manchester
A quiet, honest assessment of how your home would be entered, and the fixes that actually make a difference. No alarm-company theatre.
- Ranked list, priced per item
- Most fixes fitted same visit
- Fee deducted if you proceed
Weak point foundMost home security spending in Manchester goes on the wrong things. A doorbell camera records the burglar; a three-star cylinder stops them. A dummy alarm box deters nobody who knows what they are looking at; a properly fitted window lock does. Our locksmiths assess a house the way it would actually be entered, and the list you get back is ranked by what makes a difference, not by what costs the most.
This page covers planned upgrades at daytime rates. If you have just been burgled and need the property secure now, the burglary repair and make-safe page is the one to read, alongside our guide on what to do after a break-in.
What we usually find
On the uPVC and composite doors of Sale, Cheadle and Worsley, the weak point is nearly always the cylinder. A basic euro cylinder can be snapped in seconds. Replacing it with a three-star anti-snap unit, or fitting two-star security handles over a one-star cylinder, removes the most common method of entry to a modern door. If the mechanism behind it is worn, the uPVC door lock repair page explains what we do first.
On the timber doors of Chorlton, Didsbury and Prestwich terraces, the weakness is often a two-lever mortice that a screwdriver will open, a nightlatch fitted alone, or a frame so thin around the keep that one kick splits it. A five-lever British Standard deadlock, a London bar on the frame and hinge bolts on the hinge side turn a weak door into a sound one without replacing it.
At the back of the house, patio doors without anti-lift blocks, ground-floor windows with no key locks, and side gates that open with a bolt from over the top are the routes we see used most. Every one has an inexpensive fix.
The assessment
A locksmith walks the outside first, then works through every door, window and outbuilding from inside. You receive a short written list with a price against each item. Most of it can be done from the van on the same visit, including changing the locks if that is on the list. If you are choosing new doors or windows rather than upgrading the ones you have, the security and locking options on our windows and doors range are worth reading first.
Our Manchester locksmith page has the rest of what we do, our guide on being locked out at night covers the other side of good locks, and 07343 065023 reaches a person who can book the visit.
How a burglar sees your house
Opportunist burglars, who account for most break-ins in Greater Manchester, are looking for a way in that takes under a minute and cannot be seen from the street. That means the back of the house, a side passage, a garage that connects to the kitchen, or a front door with a cylinder that can be snapped in the time it takes to bend down and tie a shoelace.
They are not looking for a challenge. A house where the obvious routes have been closed is a house they walk past. That is the whole principle behind the upgrades we recommend.
What an upgrade visit usually includes
Every item is optional and priced individually. Most are fitted from van stock the same day.
- 01TS 007 three-star anti-snap cylinders on uPVC and composite doors
- 02Two-star security handles where the existing cylinder is to stay
- 03BS 3621 five-lever mortice deadlocks on timber doors
- 04London bars and Birmingham bars to reinforce the frame
- 05Hinge bolts on outward-opening and older timber doors
- 06Key-operated locks on ground-floor and accessible windows
- 07Anti-lift blocks and secondary locks on sliding patio doors
- 08Door chains, viewers, letterbox guards and garage door locks
- 09Padlocks and hasps on gates, sheds and outbuildings
- 10A written specification of everything fitted, for your insurer
Standard fit against upgraded
What most Manchester homes have now, and what we recommend instead.
- uPVC front door cylinderBasic euro cylinder, snaps in secondsTS 007 three-star anti-snap, anti-bump, anti-drill
- Timber front doorNightlatch only, or a two-lever morticeBS 3621 five-lever deadlock plus nightlatch, London bar on the frame
- Patio doorOriginal latch, panel can be lifted from its trackAnti-lift blocks and a keyed secondary lock
- Ground-floor windowsCockspur handles with no keyKey-operated locks on every accessible window
- LetterboxOpen flap, keys within reach of a hookInternal guard, keys kept out of sight of the door
Related locksmith services
Frequently booked alongside a security upgrade.
- Emergency Locksmith24-hour emergency locksmith across Manchester and Greater Manchester. Lockouts, snapped keys and break-in make-safe, with a locksmith on the way within 45 minutes and the price agreed first.within 45 minutes
- 02Burglary Repair and Make-SafeMake-safe and repair after a break-in across Manchester: forced doors and frames re-secured, locks replaced, boarding up arranged, and paperwork your insurer will accept.
- 03Lock Changes and RekeyingLock changes and rekeying across Manchester for new homeowners, landlords and anyone who has lost track of a key. British Standard locks, keyed-alike options, insurer-compliant.
- 04uPVC Door Lock RepairuPVC and composite door lock repair across Manchester: multipoint gearbox replacement, realignment, snapped cylinders and floppy handles, usually fixed in one visit without a new door.
Ask me anythingQuestion 01 of 05Question 02 of 05Question 03 of 05Question 04 of 05Question 05 of 0501What is lock snapping and is my door at risk?
Lock snapping is a method of breaking a standard euro cylinder by gripping the part that protrudes from the handle and snapping it at its weak point, which exposes the mechanism. It takes seconds and needs no skill. Any uPVC or composite door with a basic cylinder is at risk. A TS 007 three-star cylinder, or a one-star cylinder behind two-star security handles, is designed to defeat it and is the first upgrade we recommend.
02Do I need an alarm or cameras?
Not necessarily, and we do not sell them. Our view is that physical security comes first: a burglar who cannot get through the door in under a minute usually leaves. Once the doors and ground-floor windows are sound, a visible alarm or camera adds a further deterrent. We will tell you honestly whether your home has reached that point, and if it has we can suggest what to look for from a specialist installer.
03What does a security assessment involve?
A locksmith walks the outside of the property the way a burglar would, then checks every door, window and outbuilding from inside. You get a short written list, ranked by how much difference each item makes, with a price for each. Most of the fixes can be done there and then from van stock. There is no obligation to have any of the work done, and the assessment fee is deducted if you do.
04Will upgrading my locks reduce my insurance premium?
It can. Many insurers price on whether the doors have British Standard or three-star locks and whether ground-floor windows have key-operated locks, and some ask for it as a condition of cover. We record the specification of everything we fit on the invoice so you can tell your insurer exactly what is in place. Whether it moves the premium depends on the policy, so it is worth a phone call to them afterwards.
05Can you improve security on a rented flat without changing the door?
Yes. Cylinder upgrades, security handles, door chains, viewers and letterbox guards can all be fitted without altering the door and are usually acceptable to landlords. In the apartment blocks of Ancoats and the Northern Quarter the door is often a fire door with its own requirements, and we fit hardware that keeps it compliant. Check your tenancy agreement and let your landlord know, and we will do the rest.
Book a security assessment
- Ranked by difference made
- Priced item by item
- Fitted from the van
Insurers ask for British Standard locks. We fit them, and you get the certificate to prove it.
