[Buck]

I locked myself out of the house the other day, but I have a Sparrows Shove Knife Card in my wallet. I was able to use that to “loid” the side door and get in… but that got me to thinking: I need to upgrade that lock so I CAN’T do that.

Have you tried breaking into your own home to see how vulnerable your locks are?

Discussion

[TJ]

I don’t think the card method will work on the dead bolts on my doors. I used to be pretty decent with a lock pick. Many years ago I worked in an area that was publicly owned open range but some of the nearby locals would put locks on the gates to keep trouble makers away. I preferred to pick the locks when I could instead of cutting them. Unfortunately I lost my picks somewhere along the way and haven’t found a new set I like. I have a spare key basically built into an exterior wall of the house that I could get into if I ever lost my key. Good luck to the criminal trying to find it and get it out without a neighbor noticing. It would be much easier for them to just break a window.

[David]

Good post TJ. I never mastered the lock picking skill set. I've got some tools, but I don't think they're very high quality. If you should happen to come across a good source at a reasonable expense, be sure and let us know. Thanks for your input – be safe and well!

[David]

Unfortunately, lock picking videos and equipment abound via the internet. If someone wants badly enough to get into your house, they will. Hardening the measures you already have to the best of your ability, probing for potential weaknesses and using multiple/overlapping security tools and tactics is about the best you can do. Most of us can't afford the repair costs of actually testing our physical security devices against brute force/destructive level attacks. With higher quality deadbolt locks installed, TJ makes an excellent point about having a spare key somewhere outside your home that's much tougher to hack than “under the doormat”. I personally leave a key with a highly trusted neighbor so that they can gain emergency access if needed. Either of these solutions will save you the expense of a qualified locksmith service visit to regain entry to your own home.

[TJ]

Most of the lock picking tools I see advertised look really cheap and flimsy. I haven’t been able to find anything like the set I got a long time ago that were nice and small but fairly sturdy. It only took me a little practice to learn to open cheap padlocks and the cheap Kwikset home lock that was on my old cabin. I hear that Schlage locks are more difficult to pick but have never tried. It seems that most home break ins are smash and grabs if they can’t find an open window or door. Guess many criminals would rather risk making a little noise than taking the extra time to pick a lock. A good alarm system or loud dog is probably a good investment.

[Author]

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