Vaughan Lock Snapping

Vaughan Locksmith 647-866-0956

Vaughan Lock Snapping

Lock Snapping – Do Burglars Really Use This Technique? Or Is It Locksmith’s Taking Advantage?

Lock Snapping; it’s a relatively new way a would-be intruder applies pressure to break a lock, allowing them access to the locking mechanism, meaning the intruder can open the door in seconds, regardless of whether you have a multiple locking mechanism or not.

But is lock snapping a real technique, or are locksmiths using it to hoodwink people out of their hard earned cash to add additional protection to their home by fitting an anti-snap lock?

As a locksmith, I see on average 30 burglaries a week in the areas of the Ontario we currently cover. When we first started to see locks being snapped in Canada, it started in Leeds, rumoured to be by a gang of Polish burglars, as there are only euro-style cylinders locks in Poland, and locks snapping is rife there.

In the Toronto (GTA) area we started to see the issue spread and in the last two years have seen 1 in 10 burglaries in Toronto using this technique. This is mainly to do with the fact there are less euro-cylinder style locks down south as there are more wooden doors which usually have a night latch or rim-cylinder style lock that can’t be snapped.

In our experience as locksmiths, this really is an issue that you need to be aware of, but only if you have a euro-cylinder style lock.

How will you know if you have this type of lock?

If you have to lift the handle on your door to engage the lock, or your door is aluminum, uPVC or composite you’ll most likely have a euro-cylinder style lock that can be snapped. If you have a wooden door, you won’t have this style of lock and therefore need not worry about locks snapping.

If a locksmith tries to sell you an anti-snap lock for a wooden door, you know they are trying it on.

If you have a euro-style lock, should you change it? If you have 2 or more doors that you can gain access to your property and the euro is fitted to the front door, whilst we would advise you have an anti-snap fitted, 73% of burglars gain access at the rear of a property. Trying to break-in through the front door would arouse too much suspicion. However, we would advice it, but its your choice.

If you have a euro-cylinder lock fitted to your back door, we’d strongly recommend having it replaced. As a locksmith, all the external doors at my property have anti-snap locks fitted, front a rear. Now that may be going over board, its my personal preference to make sure my property is secure – after all I am a locksmith! However, if you have been broken into, the last thing you want is them returning and breaking in again. If they’ve done it once, a lot of burglars will go back as they know how to get in again and its an easy target. However, the choice should be down to you as the customer.

Once you’ve decided to change or upgrade you locks to anti-snap, there are several anti-snap locks on the market. Always as the locksmith for a choice of two. Why? make sure you feel the weight of both. A light-weight lock will usually have cheap aluminium internal and won’t last long. A heavier feeling lock will be higher quality and the one you should go for. Most of the top manufacturers make snit-snap locks, so choosing a Yale or ABS is a good choice.

In conclusion, locks snapping is an issue in Canada, but only if you have a euro-style lock. You can identify this if you have a door that requires the handle to be lifted to engage the lock, or if you have an aluminium, uPVC or composite door. Think carefully about where you want your locks replaced, at the front or the back. And make sure you go for a branded lock that you recognised, and if possible, get the locksmith to provide you with two choices of lock for you to choose from.