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Why I Use Double-Cylinder Deadbolts in My Home
As I write this, there are keys on carabiners in the deadbolt locks on my exterior 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, 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, I think you should be using a double-cylinder deadbolt on all exterior doors. 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. 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 being unarmed. 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, on caribiners, 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. When I remove a key from the lock, I clip it on a belt loop. 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 small gun in my pocket during the day. As always, you do what works for you.
Ask your security professional if double-cyclinder deadbolts, or small pocket guns, are right for you!
MailDealer763