Front door handle/lock - confused!

[GE90]

Hi all

Would appreciate some help!

When our front door is closed, the outside handle can open it, which is a security concern!

Is there a way of modifying the lock/mechanism to disable this? Cannot completely disconnect as needs to be raised to lock from the outside.

I could just lock from the inside every time we pass through the door, but kids forget!

Much appreciated.

Cheers

[Promised Land]

New builds have these split spindles, down side is you can lock yourself out if door shuts without the keys.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Upvc-Split-Spindle-Handle...

[spitfire-ian]

Don't you need to raise the outside handle to lock it when you leave?

[ARH]

Why worry? There will be nothing better than being able to get back in your when you forgotten your keys?

[GE90]

Thanks.

Just for security reasons really. Anyone can just open and enter unless whoever is in the house remembers to look from the inside.

Also the key tends to be kept in the lock on the inside, which I guess would be fished out through the letterbox. Very unlikely, probably not a thing nowadays I guess - probably over thinking!

Cheers

[Promised Land]

GE90 said:

Thanks.

Just for security reasons really. Anyone can just open and enter unless whoever is in the house remembers to look from the inside.

Also the key tends to be kept in the lock on the inside, which I guess would be fished out through the letterbox. Very unlikely, probably not a thing nowadays I guess - probably over thinking!

Cheers

As I said above a split spindle eliminates someone walking in, you can’t get a hand through a letterbox these days to get the key anyway.

But when you go out or go to bed you still need to snatch the handle up and lock the door to fully secure it with a split spindle.

You have the most up to date euro lock looking at the pic, if some scum bag wants in they’ll get in via the easiest route, usually a small opening casement.

That euro isn’t easy to snap off with grips either. As doors go, it doesn’t look an easy one to gain entry. I’ve fitted hundreds on new build as well.

[Zetec-S]

ARH said:

Why worry? There will be nothing better than being able to get back in your when you forgotten your keys?

Agreed. Years ago in our old place I managed to shut myself out the front door early one morning. Just a dressing gown and bare feet. Thankfully the patio doors were open, but unfortunately being a new build estate that involved legging it 2 minutes round the block to get to the back of the house, then climbing on my car to scramble over the garden wall. Any of the neighbours looking out their window would probably have got a nice view of my arse crack

Current place thankfully doesn't have this issue. Of course, the flip side is I'm always paranoid I've forgotten to lock the door when we go out...

[wolfracesonic]

It sounds like a split spindle as Promised Land said but fitted ass backwards. With one, the inside handle should operate the latch as normal but the outside one shouldn’t unless used in conjunction with a key.

Not a fan of them, as said you can easily lock yourself out not realising the outside handle won’t let you in, as they look like a conventional handle/lock set up. At least with a Yale type most people know not let the door shut behind them.

Google ‘split spindles’ and investigate if it’s some how been installed incorrectly.

[Sheepshanks]

GE90 said:

Thanks.

Just for security reasons really. Anyone can just open and enter unless whoever is in the house remembers to look from the inside.

Also the key tends to be kept in the lock on the inside, which I guess would be fished out through the letterbox. Very unlikely, probably not a thing nowadays I guess - probably over thinking!

Move to a nicer area? I shouldn't be blase about it, but we unlock ours in the morning to bring the milk in and lock it when we go to bed, and we don't always remember to to do that.

If you have a split spindle, so the door can't be opened from the outside, you can't open it with a key either if there's a key in the inside lock.

I think you need a latch (the mechanism bit) that's compatible with a split spindle. But they often are by default.

[Promised Land]

wolfracesonic said:

It sounds like a split spindle



Not a fan of them, as said you can easily lock yourself out not realising the outside handle won t let you in, as they look like a conventional handle/lock set up.

The amount of times on move in day or the following weeks after I have had to drill a barrel out because of what you said above.

Yes to the untrained eye it would look like a key is not required. That’s why an outdoor key safe hidden away somewhere or a plant pot in a discreet area is required.

[megaphone]

You should also think about how you get out in an emergency if the door has been locked from the inside. You should really have a thumb turn knob on the inside, not a key turn.

[chris1roll]

Sheepshanks said:

GE90 said:

Thanks.

Just for security reasons really. Anyone can just open and enter unless whoever is in the house remembers to look from the inside.

Also the key tends to be kept in the lock on the inside, which I guess would be fished out through the letterbox. Very unlikely, probably not a thing nowadays I guess - probably over thinking!

Move to a nicer area? I shouldn't be blase about it, but we unlock ours in the morning to bring the milk in and lock it when we go to bed, and we don't always remember to to do that.

If you have a split spindle, so the door can't be opened from the outside, you can't open it with a key either if there's a key in the inside lock.

I think you need a latch (the mechanism bit) that's compatible with a split spindle. But they often are by default.

People move to a nicer area, then make it look like a dodgy area by festooning their house in CCTV cameras, floodlights and an alarm (that goes off every time the overhead power lines get blown about a bit, i.e. at least weekly) - like the house at the end of our road, much the the bemusement of the rest of us who mostly lock our doors overnight, if we remember.

Tbh i'm confused, why would you want a door to behave as if it's locked, when it is in fact unlocked? Sounds like a right pain in the arse and recipe for getting locked out with frustrating regularity.

[Ardennes92]

I thought it would have a thumb action on the inside, as it is a fire egress, which makes it an easier action to lock/unlock?

[Mr Pointy]

megaphone said:

You should also think about how you get out in an emergency if the door has been locked from the inside. You should really have a thumb turn knob on the inside, not a key turn.

To counter the argument that a thumb turn can be operated through the letter box Ultion do a handle with a slide latch that locks the spindle:

https://www.ultion-lock.co.uk/product/ultion-secur...

[Red9zero]

Promised Land said:

wolfracesonic said:

It sounds like a split spindle Not a fan of them, as said you can easily lock yourself out not realising the outside handle won t let you in, as they look like a conventional handle/lock set up.

The amount of times on move in day or the following weeks after I have had to drill a barrel out because of what you said above.Yes to the untrained eye it would look like a key is not required. That s why an outdoor key safe hidden away somewhere or a plant pot in a discreet area is required.

We noticed the problem when viewing our house, so made sure we had a key with us all the time when moving in. First job then was a key safe with a spare front door key in it. Although we have inadvertantly solved the problem since by mainly using the back door which has a normal lock.