How To Defend Your Home Against Lock Bumping

24 October 2017
 Categories: , Blog


Deep some burglars are resorting to increasingly sophisticated ways of gaining entry into your home. One of these involves lock bumping, a technique commonly used by locksmiths to open locks without a proper key present. It's a technique that's easily learned and leaves no trace of forced entry, which is why it's so important to safeguard your home against it.

The following offers a few ways you can discourage or even prevent lock bumping:

Choose a Safer Lock

There are plenty of locks available that are specifically designed to thwart most, if not all lock bumping attempts. These include light commercial grade locks with built-in design features that make it difficult to open via lock bumping. These locks can be identified through the "-" or "+" markings next to the keyway. Bump-proof locks that have undergone Underwriters Laboratories (UL) testing will feature the "UL" mark next to the keyway.

Since bump keys are readily available on the Internet, high-security locks go a step further by limiting key duplication to the manufacturer itself. Although this makes it a bit difficult to get keys duplicated whenever they're needed, it also prevents bump keys for those locks from being circulated.

A third option involves locks that take the traditional tumbler out of the equation. These include magnetic locks, electronic locks, and rotating disk locks. These locks are commonly used in office buildings and are sometimes tied to access control systems for enhanced security.

Add Security Pins to Your Current Lock

If you don't want to replace your current lock, you can instead have a retrofit it with security pins. These pins are designed to thwart lock bumping attempts by having the tumbler pins bind up along the tumbler's shear line. This stops the tumbler from turning, preventing the lock from being defeated.

Having security pins added to your existing lock can be a more cost-effective option than replacing the entire lock, in most cases. If you have an older lock, however, you may benefit from the features offered by a modern lock.

Invest in an Anti-Lock Bumping Device

For those on a tight budget, investing in an external device that physically prevents lock bumping may be the way to go. These devices are usually installed around or over the deadbolt lock. When activated, the device physically blocks the deadbolt latch from turning, thus preventing the lock from being opened.

Although these devices are quite effective, they can only be activated from inside the home. That means you'll need someone at home to actually use the device. Since anti-lock bumping devices block the deadbolt latch, they also prevent legitimate keys from being used.

Contact a company like CLINTS LOCK AND KEY for more information and assistance. 


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