After a forced entry
Burglary repair Pilar de la Horadada, from a forced door to a stronger one
A door that somebody has forced is made to close and lock on the first visit, with a written note of what was found and done. When you are ready, it can be made much harder to force again.
Open 24 hours · 7 days
- Secured on the first visit
- Written note for the insurer
- Price agreed before any work
In the first hour: do not tidy up or touch the lock. Photograph the door, the frame and the lock from both sides, report it to the Guardia Civil, and ring us once you know whether they will come to look. What the locksmith’s note should say for your insurer.
Two visits
Secure it now, strengthen it later
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The same day: make it lock
The damaged cylinder or keep is replaced, or the door is made secure with what will hold, so the house can be left.
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A written note
What was forced and how, what was fitted, with photos. Insurers ask for it.
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Later: the stronger door
Once you have spoken to the insurer and decided, the high-security work is booked in normal hours.
Stronger
High-security upgrades, and what each one stops
| Upgrade | Stops |
|---|---|
| High-security cylinder | Snapping, bumping, picking and quick drilling of the lock. |
| Guard plate (escudo) | Gripping or drilling a cylinder that stands proud of the door. |
| Reinforced strike plate | Kicking the door until the frame splits round the bolt. |
| Extra lock or deadbolt | A door held at a single point being levered open. |
| Anti-lift blocks on sliders | A terrace slider being lifted off its rail from outside. |
Terrace sliders and profile doors are covered in more detail on the sliding door page; an ordinary like-for-like cylinder change is on the lock change page.
Here
Dealing with a break-in in Pilar de la Horadada
Reporting. The Guardia Civil has its barracks beside the old watchtower in Torre de la Horadada. A report (denuncia) is what an insurer will ask for alongside the locksmith’s note.
Owners who are away. In the 2022 register, four in ten residents of the municipality had been born abroad, and some find out about a break-in from a neighbour, by message, from another country. The door can be secured with your authority given by phone, and photos and the note sent to you.
Older doors. At Pinar de Campoverde, building began in the mid-1980s; a forced door there may have a frame and lock of that age, and is often worth upgrading rather than patching.
If a safe was attacked or carried off, safes has what you need. If you are shut out because of the damage, ring the round-the-clock line; photos go through WhatsApp or email.
Questions
After someone has forced the door
Should I wait for the Guardia Civil before the door is repaired?
If they are coming to look, yes: leave the door as it is and take photos. If they have told you they will not attend, or have already been, the door can be secured straight away.
We live in the UK and found out from a neighbour. Can it be dealt with without us?
Yes, if someone you trust can let us in or you confirm by phone and message who has authority. Photos of the damage before and after the repair are sent to you, with the written note.
What makes a cylinder high-security rather than ordinary?
Resistance to the usual attacks: snapping, bumping, drilling and picking. Fitted flush with a guard plate, it leaves nothing outside the door to grip.
The door frame itself is split. Can a locksmith fix that?
The lock side can usually be made secure the same day with a reinforcing strike plate. A badly split frame or leaf may need a carpenter or a new door; you are told plainly which it is.
Next
Other doors worth strengthening
Guides that point here
Door forced? Ring when you can
Take your photos first, then call. The door is made to lock the same day.
Open 24 hours · 7 days