City of London Locksmiths in E1
FAQ & Lock Information

Q: Is there any call out charge or hidden costs?

A: No, if the locksmith is cancelled on arrival or work can not be carried out there is no charge. We will only charge for work carried out and you will be made aware of the full price of the work before any is started.

 

Q: Do my locks meet my insurance company's requirements?

A: Most insurance companies require thet you have a British Standard (BS3621) Mortice deadlock fitted to your front door.  Often having window locks fitted can be required or can reduce your premium.  It is always wise to check your policy or contact your insurance company to see if your security is adequate to be covered.

 

Q: Will gaining entry to my property damage my door?

A: No, there are many ways to gain entry to your property, most of which do no damage whatsoever.  In some instances it may be necessary to drill your lock and a new lock would be required.

 

Q: How long do I have to wait for a visit if I am locked out?

A: We are based in Central London on the border of E1, EC2, EC1 & E2, minutes away from E14, SE1, SE16, E3, E5, E8, E9, EC3, EC4, N1, N5, N16, WC1 and WC2. Our average response time for up to a 4 mile radius from Central London is 20min. Often we arrive sooner.

 

Q: We are in the congestion zone, will the congestion charge be added to the bill?

A: No, we are also based in the congestion zone. We operate in the Central London area all day, every day, and have no need to pass this cost on.

 

Q: I am at work all day, can I get a locksmith to attend evenings or weekends?

A: Yes, we can get a locksmith to you evenings and weekends and in most cases when booked in advance, will be at no extra cost.

 

Q: Where is your company based?

A: We are based in Folgate Street, Spitalfields, London E1, this means we are available for a quick response to all central London areas regardless of rush hour traffic, extreme weather etc. this also means we can provide excellent aftercare to all our customers.

 

Q: My key has broken in my bike lock, can you help?

A: We offer a 50% discount on the opening or removal of your bike lock in the following poscodes: E1, E2, EC1, EC2, E3, E8, E9, E14, EC3, EC4, N1, SE1, SE16, WC1 and WC2.

 

Q: Are you a 24 hour Locksmiths?

A: Yes, our locksmiths are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

 
 

Usefull lock information and glossary

Nightlatch:  A nightlatch, sometimes called by the brand name 'Yale' lock, is the most common front door lock. The lock is fixed on the inside surface of a front door and is opened from the inside by a knob or thumb turn, it normally has a catch, which will hold the latch back and stop the door locking when closed. It is opened from the outside by putting a key into the circular cylinder. It is the kind of lock that will close behind you and won't normally need an additional turn of a key. Most standard nightlatches do not provide high security, but high security BS Nightlatches are available. If you have lost the keys for your Nightlatch you will only need to replace the cylinder to have new keys and render the lost keys useless.

Rim Cylinder:  Often called by it's brand name 'Yale' cylinder. A rim cylinder is the common old fashiond cylinder, it is round, about 3cm in diameter and is usually brass or a silver colour. It usually operates a nightlatch on a front door and it is the part that needs changing if new keys are required.

Mortice lock:  A mortice lock or deadlock, sometimes called by the brand name 'Chubb' lock, is a lock that requires a key to be turned after the door has been closed. It is usually fitted to a front door in addition to a latch lock and is often required by insurance companies on houshold insurance policies. Mortice locks are available from 2 to 7 lever varieties, the more levers in the lock, the better the security of the lock will be. Insurance companies normally require a BS (British Standard) 5 lever mortice lock. 2 and 3 lever deadlocks are usually used on internal doors.

Sashlock:  A sashlock is similar to the Mortice deadlock but the sashlock has a latch built into it which will be operated by a set of handles, often 2 or 3 lever versions are to be found on bathroom doors but they are also found in 5 lever BS versions on external back doors.

Casement Mortice:  A Casement Mortice or Mortice Case is a mortice deadlock that is operated by a seperate cylinder. The cylinder, usually a Euro profile or an Oval cylinder is fitted through the casement mortice operating the bolt of the casement mortice from both sides of the door with a key or a thumb turn. If keys for a casement mortice lock are lost, you only need to replace the Euro profile or the oval cylinder.

UPVC door/window:  UPVC doors are inceasingly common. They are the white plastic doors on most new homes, normally a UPVC door will lock with a multi point locking strip, operated by a 'Euro Profile' cylinder and a pair of handles. If you have lost the keys for your UPVC door lock, you only need to replace the 'Euro Profile' cylinder.

London Bar:  The London Bar sometimes known as the Manchester Bar, is a strong metal bar that fits down the side of your door frame that your locks lock into, it re-inforces the frame to protect it from forced entry, Home Office statistics show that 71% of burglars target the doors of a property, usually by forcing a lock. If you have a nightlatch and a good mortice deadlock on your door, the frame will probably give before the locks will, having a London Bar fitted will strengthen your door frame considerably.

Birmingham Bar:  This is the same as the London Bar but is fitted to the hinge side of the door frame. When the locks and the London Bar are all fitted to one side of the door, the obvious weakpoint is now the side of the door secured by 2 or 3 hinges, the Birmingham Bar will strenghten the hinge side of the door frame.

Hinge Bolts:  Hinge bolts are metal studs that are fitted into the hinge side of your front door, they protrude out from the side of the door and when the door is closed they slot into holes lined up on the inside of the door frame. Like the Birmingham bar, these strengthen up the hinge side of the door that often gets ignored when adding security.

Escutcheon:  Is the keyhole surround plate.

Door Viewer:  A Door Viewer sometimes called 'Spy Hole' is a small viewing hole that goes through a front door to see who is outside before opening the door.

Mechanical Digital Locks:  Sometimes known as codelocks or digilocks, these are codelocks that require no power or batteries. A code is set, when the correct code is entered the lock will allow the latch or bolt to be opened with a handle or thumb turn. These are used for offices and store cupboards, where access is restricted but keys are not wanted.

Euro Profile Cylinder:  A Euro profile cylinder or Euro cylinder is the cylinder found in most multi-point door locks, which will in turn be found on most UPVC (white plastic) doors. It goes through the door, from the outside to the inside and is operated by a key on the outside and by a key or a thumb turn from the inside. A Euro profile cylinder comes in as many as 20 different sizes and in 3 finishes: brass, satin (or silver) and chrome. They are also used with casement mortices (see above). The advantage of the Euro cylinder driving the lock, is that if keys are lost only the cylinder and not the whole lock need be changed.

Overhead door closers:  Overhead door closers are hydraulic devices that drive an arm to allow control closure of a door, they are ideal for communal entrance doors where it is necessary for a door to close securely. They are also a legal requirement for Fire doors in public buildings. Popular brands include Briton, Dorma & Union.

Anti-thrust plate:  An anti-thrust plate is used on a door where the latch is visible through a gap between the door and the frame. The gap gives a potential intruder the opportunity to retract the latch with an improvised tool. Having an anti-thrust plate fitted solves this problem by covering the gap and protecting the latch from attack. They also protect from any attempt to 'slip' your latch by, again, covering the vulnerable area of your door. They are particularly useful on communal entrance doors where only a latch lock is often used.

If you have any other questions regarding locks or any locks you would like to see explained on this page, please email us from the 'Contact Us' page link at the top of the page.