The Scary Truth About Locks -- From Expert Lockpickers

(Photo courtesy of Sure Lock and Key)

First, let’s get something straight— for the most part, what’s inside your doorknob isn’t going to keep thieves at bay.

Kevin Grubb, the owner of Sure Lock and Key in St. Louis, has been in the lock business for some 30 years. Picking a lock requires two tools, he says: a wrench and a pick, plus the dexterity and practice to use them.

Someone that good probably isn’t looking to hit up a house, says Grubb, but looking for the places with far more valuable goods.

Most homes are instead broken into by thieves who kick down a door, breaking the door or the frame or both. And don’t think that more locks equal more protection — each extra lock is another set of holes in a door, which can weaken its structural integrity and make it easier to kick in.

If you want a safe house, focus on the lock installation and invest in a solid deadbolt, he says. The bolts come with a plate that affixes to the door jamb, and you’ll want to make sure the hardware secures the metal plate to the door frame well.

“You want a heavy-duty reinforced deadlock with a reinforced plate that goes on the doorjamb,” he says. “There’s really no security in a doorknob,” he adds. Want proof? Grubb doesn’t even have doorknob locks on his home.

Picking locks takes two tools, a lot of practice — and an easy doorknob lock.

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