You’ve probably used the old credit card trick before to get into a door or used other tricks to open a door in which you can actually see the lock. These types of doors are lacking a latch guard and this extra little feature is what protects a door from getting broken into using the oldest tricks in the book. This inexpensive addition to a door could mean the difference between a break-in and a close call. Take a look at why you need to add a latch guard to your lock.
What is a latch guard?
A latch guard is intended to protect your latch from someone trying to pry it open. These are pieces of metal that go over your door’s latch to block it from being accessed while locked. When a person comes up to the door and wants to try to access, they can skip over the knobs and lever and go straight to your latch to try to break in.
The door latch is a spring-loaded piece reaching from the door to the door jamb. A burglar will want to try to release the latch from the jamb of the door by prying it open with any tool they may have. A latch guard over the latch will require the burglar to attempt to pry it open further from the latch which will typically leave them locked out, but also standing around long enough to potentially get a good look at them on security footage.
Why you need one
If you’ve ever worried about someone trying to use a credit card to open your door, it’s because you don’t have a latch guard to give you that extra security. Sometimes locks aren’t properly installed or they simply get worn down and more likely to get bypassed. When you can see the actual latch, that means you are at risk of lock tampering. A latch guard takes that possibility out of the equation now that you can’t see the lock and nothing can access the lock in the event that it’s vulnerable and able to be easily bypassed. This could be a major security risk for your office that has doors that open out.
When a latch guard is applied, a burglar that is trying to move the frame of the door to pop the latch out of the frame can no longer do so. They would normally try to do so with a break bar or a long, narrow object inserted into the exposed crack at the latch, but a guard prevents any access for something to be inserted and forcing the latch to pop out.
It’s the best way to prevent a break-in to your business after hours when you are carrying sensitive data or money that you wouldn’t want accessed by a burglar. In fact if you were to get broken into, it’s possible that the intruder could cut into the wall and gain access to a business next door causing even more damage.
Types of latch guards
Latch guards are typically just a sheet of metal to cover the latch on the door, typically installed on exterior doors of commercial buildings to prevent break-ins to a business at night. While there is typically a one-size-fits-all solution, you can get a custom-made, full-length astragal to run the entire length of your door. These are great if you need even better protection because they will fit your door like a glove.
If security is a high priority for your business, be sure to get a latch guard installed to those exterior doors by a professional locksmith today.