Rotherham uPVC door handle advice

A locksmiths guide to door handles

Right, it’s not long until Christmas, and I’ll let you into a secret. Sometimes I try to compose blogs that are relevant to the time of year – you may remember I’ve done specific Christmas blogs the last few years, and sometimes I already have a subject in mind, and just try to crowbar in a reference to make it seem as if it’s relevant to the time of year. See if you can spot which one I’m doing today.

Christmas is all about the Messiah, agreed? Jesus, and the wise men, and the stable and that. A child is born, and all that jazz. Well, who wrote a famous oratorio called Messiah? That’s right, it was Handel.  In 1741, if you want to be precise. And if we transpose the last 2 letters of Handel’s name, we get Handle. Which brings us to the subject of today’s blog – handles. Seamless see! (Yes, it’s the second kind of blog today).

uPVC doors

I know you’re dying to know what sort of handles I’ll be looking at today, so I will keep you in suspense no longer – it’ll be handles for uPVC doors. These can be found on a wide variety of uPVC doors – front, back, patio, bi-fold etc, and the choice will also come down to the level of security they provide. I know I bang on about locks and doors a lot, but handles are an important aspect of home security, and one that often goes neglected.

Let’s get the technical stuff out of the way first, though it is important stuff. For any external UPVC door, your best option is a handle that has TS007 2-star approval, with Secured by Design accreditation (the latter means it is approved by the police). Also look out for the BSI British Standard Kitemark which should be present, and if the handle is part of a door set, check that it has been approved to PAS 24.  At this stage you may be wondering what on earth PAS 24 is. Simply put, PAS (Publicly Available Specification) 24 is a minimum standard to which doors are tested. PAS 24  requires all doors to withstand a certain level of attack, so if it’s present there is at least some reassurance the door assembly is fit for purpose.

But why should you insist on a uPVC handle of high security for your door, when cheaper, less secure models are available? Well, I appreciate it’s not the most glamorous of purchases on which to spend your money, especially with Christmas on the horizon, but let me offer three good reasons why you should insist on a decent handle.

Invest in a top notch handle

Firstly, a top notch door handle will come with a cylinder guard – this has the important effect of protecting the lock cylinder against lock snapping. I don’t need to go into the scourge of lock-snapping again as I’ve probably bored you all to death with it over the last few years, but needless to say, it remains the most common way of burglars quickly gaining access to properties. Using the right tool, they can snap the lock off in a matter of seconds. In addition to my recommendation of getting anti-snap locks fitted, the cylinder guard is an extra defence against the lock snapping menace.

Secondly, it’s not just locks that can be snapped. Handles can be too. Weaker handles are very much at risk of break-ins where the burglars use mole grips (locking pliers) to snap the handle. But by fitting high strength handles that have chamfered edges (a chamfer edge is a transitional edge between two adjoining right-angled faces of the handle, and is used to prevent damage) the threat of this can also be lessened.

Thirdly, the stronger uPVC handles have a greater thickness than the standard ones, sometimes double the size. Some handles for uPVC doors are actually made of solid metal, which obviously gives greater robustness.

Do remember that handles on their own will not protect your property. They should always be used in conjunction with a high security, anti-snap cylinder lock  – one that also meets the security standards mentioned above. You’ll find advice on buying cylinder locks elsewhere on these pages – needless to say if you combine the strongest lock you can afford with the strongest handle, you’re half way there in making sure your property is secure.

Invest in a new handle

If reading this has made you realise that, like a novice pianist, your handle/Handel could be improved,  it is worth contacting your local locksmith to beef up your security. Fitting a new handle should only take 20 minutes to half an hour and the investment will truly pay dividends if your house is targeted by burglars. There is never a good time to suffer a break-in, but it seems even worse in the lead up to Christmas, so any preventative action you can take is well worth it.

A word of warning – handles can be bought from ebay and the like, and you may be tempted to fit them yourself. I’d try and persuade you away from this course of action though – a badly fitted handle will be more vulnerable to break-ins, and you may find that you’re stuck with a door that can’t be open or shut, resulting in a call to the emergency locksmith. I’ve found trying to save money like this can often end up costing more than getting a professional out in the first place.

So anyway, that was very Christmassy, I’m sure you’ll agree. And I must apologise if, when you hear Handel’s Messiah over the festive period, you’re transported back to these words, and start worrying about your door handles.