The shock of a burglary is traumatic in itself. Repairing the damage caused by the criminal accessing your home might not be the first thing on your mind – but it should be worked on immediately.
Repairing burglary damage means your home regains its ‘secure’ state as soon as possible. This makes repeat break-ins or attempts from others much less likely.
A locksmith can help you make those repairs almost as soon as you find them.
This page explores some of the most common types of burglary damage and explains what you should do next.
What damage can a burglary do?
A burglary can do all sorts of damage. It’s forced entry to your property, after all.
Here are three of the most common ways burglars damage your home or business premises.
Snapped locks
One of the most common ways for burglars to gain access to a property is to force the lock. They use excessive force to literally snap the cylinder and render the locking mechanism ineffective, allowing doors (or windows) to open freely.
A snapped lock is a significant problem because you can’t relock the door. It’s permanently open, and any future burglar looking close enough would see this.
One of the best ways to prevent snapped locks is to use anti-snap locks. These do what they say on the tin. They’re more heavy-duty than standard locks and help secure your home or business.
Smashed windows
Smashed windows are also fairly common, although these tend to be impulsive rather than premeditated. For example, someone might have left a laptop out on the table in front of the front window.
A smashed window is a huge problem. It’s visible to everyone all around you and, even more to the point lets the weather straight in. If it’s winter or rainy season (and let’s be honest, it usually is), there’s nothing to stop all the cold and wet wafting in. As such, getting it repaired or finding a replacement window is vital.
Reinforced glass could be used to prevent smashed windows if you wanted to go down that route.
CCTV damage
You’ll find some criminals trying to cover the view of any CCTV cameras you might have with spray paint, hanging items or other similar items. Some will even cut the wires.
Damage could also be done to other security hardware, such as smashing outside lights or attempting to cut wires to the alarm box.
Of course, once these happen, your security measures don’t work. If the burglars inform others that your systems are down, you might be at higher risk.
By having a large arsenal of security hardware all working in tandem, you can ensure this kind of thing doesn’t happen. For example, CCTV cameras with overlapping view angles, working alongside security lighting and access systems, are a very effective setup.
Why should you get burglary damage repaired?
You should get burglary damage repaired because, if you don’t, you’re at much higher risk of it happening again, which would increase costs. It’s also all-around unsettling. That’s the last thing you want. Taking steps to prevent it is crucial.
How to get burglary damage repaired by a locksmith
As soon as you notice signs of a break-in, call the police. Once it’s established that nobody is still inside the property, you’ll need a locksmith to come in and assess the damage.
You’ll need all snapped locks replaced. It’s worth changing all the locks while you’re at it in case the thief stole spare keys or copied any. Consider replacing doors and windows with uPVC material options – these are much tougher.
Replacement windows can usually be sourced reasonably quickly unless they’re a unique shape or design. In this case, chat with your locksmith. They’ll figure something out for you in no time.
Finally, the locksmith will inspect all the existing security measures. They might identify damage and repair the item or items in question.
Grays Locksmiths Nottingham
Grays Locksmiths is based in Nottingham. As MLA-approved locksmiths, we serve the Nottinghamshire region and the nearby East Midlands area.
We hope you never have to experience a burglary, but if you do, we’ll be here for you. Simply give us a call, and our 24/7 emergency team will be out to you as soon as possible.
In the meantime, why not get in touch for a friendly, commitment-free chat about what security hardware you should have installed? We work with both homes and businesses and provide tailored solutions for everyone. We look forward to hearing from you.