Insurance companies often insist on cylinder and mortice deadlocks conforming to British Standards, when used for external doors.

Check that the locks on your doors are strong enough to prevent unauthorised entry and ensure that they work efficiently.

Many exterior doors are secured by cylinder locks. These are very simple locks and operate by turning a handle inside or by a key from the outside. A knob holds the latch in place if the door has to be left open.

Moritice deadlocks are the best choice for front doors. To get past them without a key, the door frame has to be broken. The more levers on a lock, the harder it is to pick. A 5 lever, conforming to British Standards should be used for exterior doors.

Door security bolts give extra security on internal or external doors. These only undo from the inside.

For further security use a locking surface bolt.

Patio doors are often weak points in the security of a home. An adequate lock can be easily forced open or a sliding door lifted out. To improve security, sliding patio doors need key operated locking bolts fitted at both the top and bottom of each door.

Hinge bolts provide additional security to the hinge side of wooden doors. Suitable for both inward and outward opening doors.

Door chains can be a useful means of preventing an unwanted called forcing their way into your home. The concept is very simple - one end of the chain is attached to the door frame. The other end has a knob which runs in a metal plate secured to the door itself. When the chain is in place, the door can only be opened a few inches to allow a caller to be identified.

Another simple security device is the door viewer. This is basically a small peephole in the door, fitted with a lens allowing you to see who is outside the door. It is easily fitted and should be positioned to suit your eye level.

Windows should not be ignored when looking at the security of your home. Over 60% of all break-ins are mode through windows, especially ground floor windows at the back of a house. Breaking the glass and opening a window is a simple matter. So fitting window locks is an obvious and immediate deterrent. They should be fitted to all ground floor windows and to any windows accessible via drainpipes or flat roofs.

There is a wide range of locks available to suit all types of sliding or hinged wood, metal and uPVC windows.

The most popular types are staylocks and casement windows locks. Staylocks are very simple to install. They are fitted in place of the existing stay peg and the window is secured by means of a locking nut or bolt. For metal framed windows use a window stay clamp. This wraps around both stay and bracket being secured via a locking pin.

Key operated hinded window locks are added separately to windows. There are different versions for wood framed and metal framed windows so care must be taken to choose the right one. Also available with automatic locking when the window is closed. Most hinged window locks can be fitted easily with only a drill and screwdriver.

There are a variety of ways to secure sash windows. Bolts screwing into frames and simple action press bolts.

At night, a house in darkness immediately tell a wouldbe intruder that no-one is at home. There are a variety of inexpensive time switches that can be programmed to turn on radios and lamps when you are out. If you are going to be away for a few days, consider using an automatic timer to enable lights to be switched on and off each day.