Improving Home Security in Your Basement Flat

BASEMENT FLATS

A common feature of the large Victorian house is a basement, many of which have been converted into flats. Often, the front door of the ground floor is approached across a bridge over a light well that provides access to one or more basement flats. A single set of steps connects the street level with the light well and is gated at the top. Because the light-well steps are frequently used for emergency escape, the gate is left unlocked during the day or at all times when the building is occupied.

Burglars find these places attractive because they allow them to work unseen from the street. They also attract street based drug users, offering shelter and privacy.

LOCK THE GATE

The simplest method of preventing an intruder from gaining access to a basement light well is to lock the gate at the top. This will be reasonably effective if the railings and gate are of a climb-resistant design. In this instance, the railings should have a finial top or simple blunted-rod extension, a height of around 1.2m (4 ft) and no footholds. If others share the same emergency steps, you won't be able to do this unless there is a fail-safe and easy method of unlocking the gate in an emergency. This arrangement must satisfy the local authority.

Even if no other households share the steps, you should still consider how you would unlock the gate in an emergency. Searching for a key in dense smoke is no joke. Locking the gate when you leave the premises unoccupied is not a problem, because the steps cease to be an emergency exit if there is nobody to use them.

At a basic level, you can provide a fail-safe means of unlocking the gate by protecting its (non-locking) bolt within a steel box that prevents operation from the street side. Unfortunately, this may then be used as a foothold, so it might be better if the gate could be unlocked automatically. This can be achieved with an electric deadlock or magnetic lock, both of which open when the electricity is cut. This could be arranged to occur with the activation of a fire alarm or manually by the operation of a switch at the bottom of the steps.

IMPROVE THE SECURITY OF THE DOORS AND WINDOWS

If you are unable to secure the gate at the top of the steps, your only option will be to increase the security of the doors and windows of the basement. Ideally, do this anyway. Because the basement is particularly vulnerable to burglary, your security improvements should be substantial.

Window locks alone are not enough, and you should consider fitting internal or external security grilles, or internal concertina gates to the windows. The entrance door should be upgraded to a PAS 24 or fitted with an outer gate. If the door is hidden under the bridge to the ground-floor entrance, you could consider bringing it out into view, but you will need planning permission. A high level of night-time lighting in the light well is essential.