After a break-in, or an attempt
Burglary repair in Aspe, after the door has been forced
A snapped cylinder, a lock levered out of the door, a frame split at the strike, or just fresh scratches round the keyway and a key that no longer turns sweetly. First the door has to close and lock again; stronger locks can follow when you are ready.
Open 24 hours · 7 days
- First visit: a door that closes and locks
- Then high-security options, if you want them
- Price agreed before work starts
The first visit
Making a forced door secure again
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Report it and take photos
Police first, then pictures of the door, the lock and the frame before anything is moved.
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Ring and describe the damage
A photo on WhatsApp shows at once whether it is a cylinder, a whole lock or the frame.
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The door is made to lock
A new cylinder or lock where the old one failed; if the frame is split, it is secured so the door shuts, and a carpenter is suggested for the wood.
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Old parts kept for you
The broken cylinder is handed over in case the police or the insurer ask for it.
Stronger, later
A high-security lock and other upgrades
Once the shock has passed, it is worth asking what would have stopped it. The usual security upgrades, from the simplest:
- Anti-snap cylinder, so a snapped front no longer opens the lock.
- Guard plate (escudo) that shields the cylinder from being gripped or drilled.
- High-security cylinder, certified against drilling, picking and bumping.
- A stronger lock body or extra bolts on a door that was levered rather than picked.
Day-to-day cylinder changes on doors that have not been attacked are on the lock change page; a safe bolted down inside the house is covered on the safe page.
Aspe's quiet times
When houses and units stand empty here
August. The fiestas of the Virgen de las Nieves run from 3 to 21 August, with Moros y Cristianos around the second week. Long days and nights out of the house are part of it. The guide on locking up before the Traída has a short routine for before you go.
Fincas and villas. Country houses in the parajes and villas in the urbanisations are often empty for weeks. Outbuildings with a hasp and a padlock are the weak point; see locks for fincas and villas.
Weekends on the estates. A unit shut from Friday to Monday is a long time unwatched. The commercial page covers the doors of naves.
Not sure whether anyone has tried your lock at all? Read scratches round the cylinder. If you are shut out tonight because of a damaged lock, go to the emergency page, or use the contact page to send photos first.
Asked on the phone
After a break-in: what people ask
Should I call the police before I call a locksmith?
Yes. Report it first (in Spain, to the Guardia Civil, the Policía Nacional or the local police, or on 112 if it is happening now) and do not touch the door until it has been seen if they ask you not to. Insurers usually want the report number.
Will my insurance pay for the repair?
That depends on your policy, so ring your insurer as well. Photograph the damage before anything is repaired, keep the old cylinder if it is replaced, and ask for an itemised bill.
What is the difference between an anti-snap cylinder and a high-security one?
Anti-snap stops one common attack, snapping the cylinder off. A high-security cylinder adds resistance to drilling, picking and bumping, usually with a certificate from its maker. Which one makes sense depends on the door and what it protects.
The door was not forced, but things are missing. Could someone have had a key?
It is possible, and it is a reason to change the cylinders now. Think about who has had keys in the past few years: former tenants, builders, a cleaner, an agent.
What people ask for next
Once the door is secure
- Changing the lock on your door The lock is tired, or I want a different one
- Safe opening and installation The safe won’t open, or I want one fitted
- Country-house doors and gates The house is out of town, with a gate and outbuildings
Guides on the same subject
Door forced, or something not right?
Ring, or WhatsApp photos of the door and the lock; the damage is looked at before any price is agreed.
Open 24 hours · 7 days