Security door locks are essential for every business. Some businesses, such as cafes, rely on entertainment areas for customers and many others have similar areas for staff, and these can be hard to secure.

“If you have bi-fold doors that open out on to a large alfresco area, it’s not necessarily an enclosure and you’ve just got to make sure there are proper deadlocks in place,” says Helen Ferriman of Westlock Security.

It doesn’t need to look like a fortress

New technologies in security door locks mean your entertainment area no longer needs to be covered in ugly steel bars or grilles to be protected. 

“There are products like a clear film which covers the whole window or door and prevents thieves from breaking through,” Helen says. “Applying a film makes it much harder to get in and prevents damage to the glass.”

Be aware of rules and regulations

Proper security door locks, such as deadlocks and double deadlocks on doors, and bolts on anything that slides, top and bottom, are essential for insurance purposes.

“Standards also come into play,” says Helen. “If the door is a labelled exit door it has to open a certain way in case of fire. If it’s an area where large crowds gather, you need to be able to exit in an emergency.”

Usually exit doors will have an exit bar and the door will fling open when the bar is pressed. These doors still have to be lockable, but they must not be locked from the outside.

Choose a lock to suit your enclosure

Sliding doors to outside entertainment areas have to be held in place with bolts at the top and bottom of the door.

“The weakness in a sliding door is that it has to glide backwards and forwards, so it locks into a side jam,” says Helen. “Thieves know how to get around that, but if it is held in place at the back with bolts, that prevents them from jamming the door open.”

Double swinging doors need to be locked in the middle on both sides, says Helen. “If a thief knew where to kick a double swinging door it would fly open - the weakness is in the middle,” she says.

Stay safe

Security door locks work best in combination with other security measures such as well-placed alarm systems. It is worthwhile connecting your alarm system to your doors, so that if a thief is trying to get in, the alarm sounds while they’re still there.

“They’re an additional safety measure to slow thieves down,” says Helen. “Everything that you add to your security arsenal is slowing the thief down and protecting your premises.”

Security door locks will ensure you are in step with insurance requirements and standards - and one step ahead of thieves.