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Why I Use Double-Cylinder Deadbolts in My Home
The security professionals I have spoken with recommend double-cylinder deadbolts for the home. This type of lock requires a key on both sides. As I write this, there is a key on a carabiner in the inside lock on my front and back doors. When we leave the house, we take the keys with us. I clip mine on a belt loop. It takes less than ten seconds.
Decades ago, before I "wised up", I was burglarized by someone who simply broke a window, reached in, and unlocked the door. If your deadbolt is within arm's reach of a window, you should be using a double-cylinder deadbolt on that door. What good is a deadbolt if, while you're away, someone can break the window, reach inside, and unlock your door? Useless, except for the false sense of security it gives you. You should have double-cylinder deadbolts on all exterior doors. That's my opinion, anyway.
There are other reasons I have a double-cylinder deadbolt on my exterior doors. First, it is not uncommon for experienced burglars to unlock the exterior doors once they are inside the home. If the homeowner or police arrive, they want multiple escape options. Doors that can't unlock limit those options to the window through which they entered, or other windows.
Second, if someone enters my home through a window, that's the way I want them to leave. Well, in the back of a police car would be best, but second best is for them to go back through the window. I don't want the burglar to be able to unlock my door, making it easy for them to remove large items like my big-screen TV. Whatever they take, they'll have to get it through the window because, if I'm not home, the inside key will be with me.
Some of you might be hesitant about having a burglar feel "trapped" inside your house, with no easy escape route if you should arrive. That is certainly a legitimate concern. If I enter my house and a burglar or assassin is there, there's a 50-50 chance he is between me and where my gun is stored. Well, it would be 50-50 if I hadn't reduced it to zero by never entering my house without a weapon. You have to figure out what's best for you.
Of course, double-cylinder deadbolts don't solve all problems. For safety reasons, I keep the keys in the lock when we're at home. We don't want to be locked in the house when a fast escape is necessary. This setup means someone could break a window, if one is near the door, reach inside, and unlock that door while we're at home. They can do that with single-cylinder (knob on the inside) deadbolts, too. I've rehearsed that scenario many times with a solution that I'm comfortable with. You figure out what's best for you.
I'll never forget the story of a couple who entered their home while a burglar was inside. They ended up bound, gagged, and their throats cut. Or the person who was bound, and then had duct tape placed over their mouth and nose. That thought alone keeps a tiny gun in my pocket.
Ask your security professional if double-cyclinder deadbolts are right for you!
KHT 0496