1. What level of security do you need? Standard or High Security?
2. What type of door are you securing? Internal or External?
3. What key profile do you need?
4. Getting the correct length cylinder? How to measure your current cylinder.

What Level of Security do you need?

There are many different types of Euro cylinders available on the market today from £5 to £80 so whats the difference between these cylinders? Why would you want to spend so much more money on one compared to the other? The main difference between them is their security ratings and features. I have explained below the main differences between some of the ranges to help you understand the best lock for each situation.

5 pin Cylinders

The basic 5 pin cylinders are the entry level cylinder for doors and although they do the job to lock and unlock the doors they are cheaply made and dont have the same security benefits of the more expensive cylinders. These are suitable for internal doors but should never be used on external doors.

6 Pin Cylinders

The next step up from these 'basic' cylinders are the 6 pin ranges. These cylinders are ok but most are extremely basic without much in the way of security to prevent drilling, picking and snapping. These would normally cost around £12-20 and will offer some protection. These are very commonly used on the UPVC doors as they are extremely cost effective however a lot of them are extremely cheaply made so care needs to be taken when purchasing these cylinder. There are a couple of these types of cylinders I would recommend to customers as I have used them for years and found them to be very reliable.

There are a 'mid' range of cylinder we offer which is a Zone Euro Double, Zone Thumbturn , Zone 1/2 Euro Cylinders or the Zone Rim Cylinder all these cylinders are a standard 6 pin cylinder that we can supply keyed differ or make them all keyed alike for you.

The important thing to try to get with any Euro cylinder is the anti snap protection. This can be either the form of the anti snap lines on the cylinders or strengthening bars that prevent people from breaking the Euro cylinder and gaining entry. This is not essential on internal doors to bedrooms in HMOs or flats but always a nice idea for the main external doors to give that extra security.

Kitemarked Cylinders

 

There are 2 types of kitemarked cylinder on the market today and I have tried to explain the main differences between them.

BS EN 1303:2005 TS007  - 1 Star Kitemarked Rating

These cylinders are a older tested cylinder range that give all the security features internally within the cylinder, anti bump, anti pick, anti drill but they dont have the anti snap protection. If used in conjunction with PAS24 handles then these cylinders can meet the 3 star rating but not with the more standard of UPVC handles. It is recommended that the 3 star rating is achieved for all external doors.

BS EN 1303:2005 TS007 -  3 Star Kitemarked Rating

Cylinders with this rating are the top level cylinders, they have been tested for all the security features the 1 star cylinders have but also the anti snap as well. This gives them the 3 star rating on their own so there is no need to spend more money on additional PAS 24 handles.

LSW Recommendations

Most insurance companies requirements at this current moment layout the requirements for UPVC doors as: 4 more more locking points on the Multipoint lock. (this is dependent on each Insurance Company policy, please always check the policy first to make sure they dont require additional locks)  which is fine for most doors as they have nice high security multipoint locks in the doors. However they dont take into account that the easiest way to break into the house is through the Euro cylinder. This has meant that now there are Kitemarked Euro cylinders on the market that ensure that the cylinder you have is as secure as it should be and not a 5 pin style cylinder as explained above.

It is always recommended that you install 3 star kitemarked cylinders on all your external doors to get the best level of protection. We offer a few different versions of these cylinders. ABS Euro Double Cylinders, ABS Thumbturn Cylinders, ABS 1/2 Cylinders.

Alternatively we have the KABA 3 Star Euro cylinders which are a fantastic range of Euro cylinder with a high security restricted key section which means only you can control who can get the keys duplicated.

What type of door are you Securing?

The type of door you are securing is important as there are so many different types of cylinders as explained above.

External Doors

For all external doors its recommended that you install 3 star kitemarked cylinders however if you dont want to spend that much on the cylinders then there are other options that will give you a good level of security. We have a range of Euro cylinders to suit all budgets but I would strongly recommend not going for anything less than a 6 pin cylinder for your external doors.

Internal doors

Not many people have internal doors that use Euro cylinders and this is more for office blocks and very modern builds but with these doors this is the only time you may want to consider using the 5 pin range of cylinders. They are designed to be a lower security option but also available at a lower cost. We can offer the ISEO 5 pin range of cylinder on a masterkey system that will be tailored for your specific requirements and due to ISEO's outstanding build quality these will be a great entry level masterkey system.

What key profile do you need?

There are 2 main key profiles you can get:

Open Profile

The key profile is basically referring to the shape of the key.  There are many different shapes of keys that vary from manufacturer to manufacturer but most are all available to all Locksmiths and key cutters so there is no way to control the number of keys in circulation. This is called an Open Profile key and 99% of locks will be supplied on this as standard as they are easier to cut and more cost effective for the customer.

Restricted Profile

The Restricted profile keys are mostly unique to each individual locksmith, this is a lock that only they can offer so the keys can be restricted and controlled to certain individuals. We have a range of ABUS Pfaffenhain Euro cylinders and also ABUS Pfaffenhain Padlocks that are all available with keys that only we can supply. This way when you purchase these locks we can restrict your key number and then in the future only supply you with additional keys / locks.

Restricted profile  keys tend to cost more than the Open profile keys so if you are using them for trusted family or sole use you may not want to go to the expense, but if you have multiple users and you need to issue keys out then this system is perfect to hand out 'X' number of keys and know that there are only this many in circulation.

but also different ways to have the Euro cylinders made.

The great thing about Euro cylinders is their versatility, you can have locks for your front door, back door, shed, garage, padlocks and even your work vans built onto a Euro cylinder so you can have 1 key to fit all. This way you dont have to have a jailer set of keys for all your doors around the property.

Getting the Correct Length Cylinder

Its very important to measure the Euro cylinders correctly so that you purchase the correct length. If you have too much sticking out from the handles then this makes the cylinder easiest to grip and snap and on the other hand if the cylinder is recessed within the handles then this allows a build up of moisture and dirt to collect inside the door.

The easiest way to measure the euro cylinder is to remove it from the door. This can be done by following our steps in the Fitting Euro Cylinder guide. 

Once you have the cylinder out the door if you measure from the outside to the center of the fixing screw and then the inside to the screw you will get the 2 dimensions required. Its important if you are ordering the kitemarked cylinders to note the external side as this will need to have the snap line on. Most brands cylinders are only supplied with the snap line on 1 side (external).

If you would like any further assistance with ordering any of our range of cylinders or would to like to know more about them please don't hesitate to get in contact with our team.