Why Upgrade to Anti Snap Locks 5 Benefits for Sheffield Homes

What a rated anti snap cylinder does for your uPVC or composite door, what TS007 and Sold Secure marks mean, and how to check what is fitted now.

Call 0114 463 0063 Common questions

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Stays locked under attack

The locking section survives if the front is broken away.

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Ratings decoded

TS007 1 star and 3 star plus Sold Secure SS312 Diamond.

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One key for every door

Front, back and patio cylinders can be keyed alike.

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Measured to fit flush

Correct sizing stops the cylinder protruding past the handle.

The main anti snap locks benefits are simple: a rated cylinder keeps your door locked when the cheap part of a standard euro cylinder is attacked, it usually meets the lock wording in home insurance policies, and it can be fitted to your existing uPVC or composite door in one short visit. In Sheffield we change euro cylinders from £20, with high security lock installation from £120.

Below are the five benefits that matter most to homeowners and landlords, what the TS007 and Sold Secure ratings actually mean, and how to tell what is fitted to your door today. We describe how these locks protect you, not how burglars work.

By the Sheffield Locksmith 24H team, 45 Broughton Lane, Sheffield S9. Updated 13 October 2026.

What makes a lock anti snap?

Most uPVC and composite doors in Sheffield, from former council estates in Parson Cross and Gleadless to new builds around Waverley, use a euro cylinder: the figure-of-eight shaped barrel the key goes into. The cylinder is a separate part that slides into the multipoint lock and is held by one long screw. That makes it cheap and quick to replace, but on a basic cylinder it is also the weak point of the whole door.

Lock snapping is a forced attack on that weak point. An anti snap cylinder is engineered so that even if the outer section is attacked and breaks away, the part that controls the lock stays in place and the door stays locked. Rated versions add resistance to drilling, picking and bumping as well.

You do not need to know how the attack works to protect against it. What you need to know is whether your cylinder carries a recognised rating, which we cover below.

Five anti snap locks benefits for Sheffield homes

1. Your door stays locked under attack

A rated anti snap cylinder is built with a deliberate break line and protected internals. If the front is attacked, the locking section remains intact, so the multipoint hooks and bolts keep holding the door shut. A standard cylinder offers no such fallback.

2. It helps you meet your insurance wording

Many home insurance policies set minimum lock standards for final exit doors, and a claim can be questioned if the locks fitted fall short. Wording varies, so read your own policy, but a TS007 3 star or Sold Secure SS312 Diamond cylinder is the standard most policies and housing providers point to for euro cylinder doors. For timber doors with a mortice lock, the equivalent is a BS3621 lock, which we fit from £75.

3. It is a visible deterrent

Rated cylinders carry the Kitemark and star marks on the face, and they sit flush with good security handles. Someone weighing up your door can see it is not the easy option, and many will simply move on.

4. One key for every door

When you upgrade, the cylinders on your front door, back door and patio door can be supplied keyed alike, so one key opens them all. Fewer keys on the ring also means fewer copies floating around, which our guide on avoiding lockouts at home explains is half of good key control.

5. A big upgrade without a new door

Because the cylinder is a separate part, upgrading does not mean replacing the door, the multipoint lock or the handles in most cases. It is one of the most cost effective security changes you can make, especially compared with the cost of repairs after a break in.

TS007 3 star, SS312 Diamond and BS EN 1303 explained

Lock packaging is full of claims. These are the marks that are independently tested and worth paying for:

Mark	What it tells you	Is it enough on its own?
BS EN 1303	The basic European cylinder standard, graded for key security and attack resistance	Only if the grade includes anti snap testing; check the detail
TS007 1 star cylinder	Tested cylinder, intended to be paired with protective handles	Needs TS007 2 star security handles to reach a 3 star combination
TS007 3 star cylinder	The cylinder alone meets the full 3 star level, including snap testing	Yes, with any sound handle
Sold Secure SS312 Diamond	Tested by Sold Secure against a demanding set of attacks including snapping	Yes, regarded as a top tier rating

Watch for “anti snap” with no rating

Some budget cylinders are sold as anti snap because they have a break line, but carry no TS007 or Sold Secure mark. Without independent testing you have no way to know how they perform. Look for the stars or the Diamond logo stamped on the cylinder face.

How to check if your door has an anti snap cylinder

You can check this yourself in a couple of minutes, from outside the door:

Look at the cylinder face. Around the keyhole you may see a Kitemark, one or three stars, or the Sold Secure Diamond logo. No marks usually means a standard cylinder.
Check how far it sticks out. A cylinder that protrudes well past the handle or escutcheon is more exposed. A correctly sized cylinder should sit almost flush, within a few millimetres.
Look at the handle. Handles marked TS007 2 star have a shielded area around the cylinder. Basic handles leave the cylinder exposed.
Check every door. Back doors, French doors and garage side doors often keep the original cheap cylinder even after the front was upgraded.

Not sure what you are looking at? Send a photo of the cylinder face and the side of the door on live chat and we will tell you what is fitted.

Why correct sizing matters as much as the rating

A euro cylinder is measured in two halves, from the centre fixing screw to the outside face and to the inside face, for example 35/45. Fitting the wrong size undoes much of the benefit: too long and it protrudes, too short and it may not engage the cam properly.

Composite doors are thicker than most uPVC doors, so they need longer cylinders, and a few door makers use offset sizes. Our composite door repair team sees plenty of doors where a previous replacement was guessed rather than measured.

When we fit an anti snap cylinder, we measure the door, check the multipoint mechanism is turning freely, and test the lock with the door shut. If the door has dropped and the key is stiff, that gets fixed first, because a strained mechanism wears out even a top rated cylinder. Problems with the lock behind the cylinder are covered on our multipoint lock repair page.

Upgrading after moving in, between tenants or after a break in

There are two moments when upgrading makes particular sense. The first is when you move into a new home. You cannot know how many keys the previous owners, builders or estate agents handed out, so changing the cylinders is sensible anyway, and fitting rated ones at the same time costs little extra.

The second is between tenancies. Landlords in student areas such as Crookes, Broomhill and Walkley change locks often, and fitting rated cylinders keyed alike across a property keeps key management simple. Our landlord locksmith service handles changeovers around move out dates.

A third moment is straight after a break in or an attempted one. Even if the door held, a cylinder that has been tampered with may be weakened or stiff. Replace it with a rated one rather than a like for like copy, and check the other doors at the same time, because whoever tried the front may come back to the back.

What an anti snap upgrade costs in Sheffield

Our starting prices, from the locksmith price list, are a euro cylinder change from £20 and high security lock installation from £120. Where your current mechanism needs attention, uPVC door lock repair starts from £20. The exact figure depends on the cylinder grade, the sizes and how many doors you want doing, and it is confirmed on the phone before we visit.

For full details of the cylinders we supply and fit, see our anti snap locks Sheffield service. If you would rather start with a general look over your home, a security assessment starts from £65, and our page on home security upgrades in Sheffield covers the chains, guards and window locks that complement a new cylinder. For uPVC doors that also have handle or gearbox trouble, visit our uPVC lock repair page, and for a straight cylinder swap our lock replacement service explains the process. More advice is in our home security guides, including what to do if a key ever breaks inside a cylinder.

Questions and Answers

Are anti snap locks worth it?

For most uPVC and composite doors, yes. A rated cylinder is a small part that protects the whole multipoint lock, it often matches insurance requirements, and it fits your existing door. Cylinder changes start from £20 in Sheffield.

What does TS007 3 star mean on a lock?

It means the cylinder alone has passed the full TS007 test, including resistance to snapping, drilling, picking and bumping. A 1 star cylinder only reaches the same level when paired with TS007 2 star security handles.

Is Sold Secure Diamond better than TS007 3 star?

Both are respected independent ratings. Sold Secure SS312 Diamond is regarded as one of the toughest cylinder tests available, while TS007 3 star is the mark most insurers and housing providers refer to. Either is a strong choice.

Do I need to change my whole lock to get anti snap protection?

Usually not. The euro cylinder is a separate part held by one screw, so it can be swapped on its own. If the multipoint mechanism is worn, our multipoint lock repair deals with that first.

Will anti snap locks lower my home insurance?

Some insurers take lock standards into account, but many simply require them as a condition of cover. The real benefit is making sure a claim is not questioned. Check your policy wording or ask your insurer directly.

Can anti snap cylinders be keyed alike?

Yes. Front, back and patio door cylinders can be supplied to work from one key, which cuts down the keys you carry. Tell us how many doors when you call so the price covers them all. See our anti snap locks service.