Security escutcheon installation

Look at the lock on your door from outside. If the lock cylinder sticks out a few millimetres from the door and there is only a round trim around it, you have a weak point. A protruding cylinder can be gripped with a tool and snapped with one pull. Security escutcheons exist to prevent that.

What a security escutcheon is

It is a steel part fitted on the outside of the door, around the cylinder, and screwed on from the inside. It does three jobs at once: it covers the cylinder so it cannot be gripped, protects the cam area against drilling and spreads the force if someone tries to lever it.

It should not be confused with the rose, the decorative ring found on almost any door. The rose only covers the hole. A real escutcheon has thickness, is anchored with bolts that go through the door leaf and cannot be removed from outside.

Types of escutcheon we fit

Fixed escutcheon

It leaves only the mouth of the cylinder on show, just enough to insert the key. Many have a rotating cover in front of the cylinder that spins freely if someone attacks it with a drill bit or a gripping tool. It is the most usual option for the front door of a home.

Magnetic escutcheon

It covers the cylinder completely. To open, you first hold a magnetic key against it, which slides the cover aside and frees the cylinder entrance. From outside you cannot even see the keyway, so there is nowhere to start tampering. It is very practical in homes that stand empty for long periods, because it also protects the cylinder from dust and salt.

The escutcheon and the cylinder go hand in hand

An escutcheon does not turn a poor cylinder into a good one. If the cylinder is easy to open with manipulation techniques, the escutcheon can do little about that. What the escutcheon does is protect against attacks by force. That is why it is best combined with a security cylinder.

If your cylinder is old, we will tell you honestly. Sometimes the sensible thing is to change the cylinder first and then fit the escutcheon, or do both on the same visit.

The measurement that matters

For an escutcheon to work, the cylinder must not stick out further than the escutcheon covers. If the cylinder is too long, however much escutcheon you fit, a piece is left exposed. Before fitting, we check the cylinder size on both sides of the door. If you want to check it yourself first, there is a guide on how to measure a lock cylinder.

On many doors in the area we find cylinders fitted in whatever size the shop had, not the one the door needed. It is one of the most common faults and one of the easiest to put right.

Escutcheons and salt air

An escutcheon is always out in the open, facing the street or the terrace. On the coast that means salt and damp all year round. An escutcheon with a poor finish ends up pitted, the rotating cover seizes and the magnetic cover stops sliding.

That is why in Torrevieja and the surrounding area we suggest escutcheons with finishes designed for outdoor use. And a piece of advice we always give: wipe the escutcheon with a damp cloth and then a dry one from time to time, especially in summer. It may sound trivial, but it greatly extends the life of the part.

Which doors it can be fitted on

• Security doors and armoured doors. This is where it makes most sense and looks best.
• Solid wood doors. As long as the leaf is thick enough for the through bolts.
• Shop doors. Highly recommended, because they are usually on the street and in full view.
• Aluminium doors. It depends on the profile. It needs checking first, because not every profile takes a thick escutcheon.

If your door is one with the lock flush with the edge or the cylinder very close to the edge, a narrow model may be needed. A photo will tell us.

How we install it

We remove whatever trim you have, check the cylinder and offer up the escutcheon so it sits centred. We drill the holes for the bolts, which run from the inside outwards, and fix the inner backplate. Finally we test the key several times so it goes in straight and turns without rubbing.

The escutcheon is one improvement within a whole. If you also want to reinforce the door at other points, have a look at door reinforcement.

Ask for it on WhatsApp

Take a side-on photo of the cylinder, with the door closed, and another of the inside face. With that we give you a fixed quote before we start. If we see something different when fitting, we tell you before carrying on. We work 24 hours in Torrevieja and the Vega Baja and you can pay by card, Bizum or cash.