Choosing a High-Security Lock in France: a Practical Guide

Walk into a French lock catalogue and you'll drown in jargon: monopoint, multipoint, carénée, cylindre débrayable… Here's the short version that actually helps you decide.

How many locking points?

A multipoint lock throws bolts into the frame at several heights with one turn of the key. 3 points is the standard insurers expect in Paris; 5 points adds resistance on tall or wide doors; 7 points is for armoured doors and very exposed situations. More points spread the force of a kick or pry bar across the whole frame instead of one spot.

Surface-mounted, embedded, or carénée?

• En applique (surface-mounted): fitted on the inside face of the door. Most flexible for older Paris doors, easiest to service.
• À larder (embedded): hidden inside the door leaf — cleaner look, needs a door thick enough to take it.
• Carénée: a surface-mounted lock under a full-length aluminium cover: the vertical rods are protected and the inside of the door looks tidy. Our most-installed option on renovations.

The cylinder is half the security

The best case in the door means little with a weak cylinder. Look for: anti-picking, anti-drilling, anti-snapping, and a protected key (copies only with a property card). A débrayable cylinder still opens from outside when a key is left inside — very useful for families and rentals.

Brands we install daily

Fichet and Picard for the top tier, Héraclès, Bricard, Vachette and Mottura for excellent certified value. All A2P-certified models come with their certificate for your insurer.

What we'd honestly tell a friend

For a typical Paris apartment: an A2P ★★ 3-point carénée lock with a protected débrayable cylinder covers 95% of situations. Spend the difference on the door itself if the panel is weak — the lock is only as strong as what holds it.