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Frequently Asked Questions
What does the lock actually secure?
The handle, rather than the window directly.
It prevents the handle being turned.
That in turn stops the locking gear being released.
The window itself is held by whatever gear the handle drives.
So the lock is one component in the arrangement.
The glazing remains the weakest element regardless of the handle.
What attack does it prevent?
Breaking a small pane or reaching through an opening to operate the handle.
Against that specific attack it is genuinely effective.
It is why insurers require it on accessible windows.
Some policies make it a condition of cover rather than a recommendation.
It does nothing about the glass being broken entirely.
For that, the glazing specification matters more than the handle.
What is the escape problem?
A window that needs a key is not a viable escape route without one.
Fires have killed people in rooms with windows they could not open.
Smoke and darkness make finding a key difficult.
Where a window is a designated escape route, regulation generally governs.
That requirement takes precedence over insurance preference.
The rules differ between markets and are worth checking locally.
Where should the key be kept?
Close to the window, visible and reachable, but not in the lock.
Not in the lock, because that defeats the purpose.
Not where someone reaching through a broken pane could take it.
Reachable in the dark is the requirement people forget.
Everyone in the household should know where it is.
It is the compromise most people arrive at and it works if it is deliberate.
Are keyed-alike sets worth it?
On a house or a floor of a building, usually yes.
A drawer of unmarked window keys is how a lockable window ends up permanently unlocked.
One key that everyone knows the location of is simpler.
Where escape matters, that is considerably safer.
The security trade is that one lost key affects every window.
For most domestic situations the usability gain outweighs it.
Do the usual fitting dimensions still apply?
Fully - these are ordinary handles with a lock added.
Spindle size and length apply as always.
Backset matters where the gear requires it.
Fixing centres have to align with existing holes.
Handing applies to the patterns that are handed.
The lock changes the function rather than the fitting requirements.
Is a lockable handle enough on its own?
It depends what the risk and the insurer require.
Additional window locks are sometimes specified as well.
Laminated glazing resists attack far better than the handle does.
Restrictors serve a different purpose entirely.
Requirements differ by market, by policy and by risk.
Checking the policy wording rather than assuming is worth doing before relying on it.