Keyless Egress and Why We Recommend It for our Doors

Why and How is this Secure?

One important question is whether having an interior lock that doesn’t require a key creates a break-in risk.

It is now a requirement for Modern doors to have safety and security glass. For us, we always use a glass unit that has both toughened and laminated panes . Therefore, it is incredibly difficult to smash through this. 3rd party security tests have shown equally successful burglary prevention, for both an internal thumb turn and a key lock .

If a person is turning the thumbturn, they are likely to be already on the inside. This can be incredibly convenient in some cases and can actually create a more secure environment.

Enhanced Safety in Emergencies

In the event of an emergency, the last thing you want is to be fumbling for a key. A thumb turn allows you to easily unlock the door, giving you a fast and safe exit route . This is especially crucial if you have young children, elderly family members or anyone with mobility issues.

According to UK building regulations, a window or a door suitable for fire egress in your home can have key locks and child-proof restrictors fitted (at the same time). We casually recommend considering whether that’s a good or bad decision for you and your family – these are not easy items to unlock in a stressful emergency when you know escaping quickly is required .

Convenience

With an old internal key lock, you’ve either left your key in the door or somewhere else. So, practically, you’ve either adapted the lock to work as a thumb turn already, or you have the extra annoyance of finding the key.

With keyless egress, you no longer need to keep track of a key when you’re inside your home. The thumb turn does save hassle on a lot of occasions. For example, heading out quickly to take out the bins or popping out to grab something out of the car.

Increased Security

While the exterior lock still requires a key, the internal thumb turn allows you to lock the door immediately. This reduces the risk of accidentally leaving the door unlocked. Again, it’s that convenience factor adding up. We all lead busy lives; having a simplified process for an important task can make a huge difference overall.

Warranty on New Homes

If you’ve bought or self-built your own new home, it’s very likely you have a warranty attached to the property. The NHBC provides the vast majority of new home warranties in the UK.

If you’re using a different firm, check through their conditions. They will likely have a good number of requirements when it comes to safety and security. The NHBC states, “Locking devices fitted to main entrance doors should permit emergency egress without the use of a key when the home is occupied”. In short, your front door must have a thumb turn internally.

Should you Go for It?

If you’ve read all of this, yet still would like a proper keylock on the inside…no problem! It’s still very much an option from our manufacturers. As long as you’re on the right side of building regs, we’ll happily provide you with your preferred solution. Some of our factories even offer double locks where you need two keys to get through one door. So overall, we really can offer anywhere on the scale.

If you are interested in thumb turn locks or would like more information regarding alternative keylocks contact us on 01608 684607. For further details about door styles, feel free to read our articles below.