Sophie Krüger
Sophie advises households and small businesses on upgrading their doors without replacing everything. She has little time for tech nobody actually uses.
From the trade to the guide
Sophie advises households and small businesses on upgrading their doors without replacing everything. She has little time for tech nobody actually uses.
Articles by Sophie
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Burglary protection Langen: securing front door, patio door and cellar windows
Where burglars strike a house first: patio door, cellar windows, front door. What really protects, what it costs and where you can save.
Residential burglary in Germany: figures, risk and effective protection
Almost every second break-in fails as an attempt. What the latest figures show and which door and window protection actually works.
Burglary in Bremen: what the district situation shows
It is not the district that decides, but build type, time of day and opportunity. What the situation in Bremen shows and how to protect old Bremen houses.
Replacing a lock cylinder yourself: the steps and where the limit is
A standard cylinder is something you can swap yourself with a bit of skill. How to measure the length, loosen the forend screw and when to leave it alone.
Burglary in Bonn: what the picture shows and how to protect a flat or a row house
Where and when break-ins happen in Bonn follows patterns. Know them and you secure more precisely. What separates an old flat from a row house, and what both need.
Securing a Cologne Gründerzeit front door: burglary protection in Südstadt and Ehrenfeld
A Gründerzeit front door in Südstadt or Ehrenfeld can almost always be retrofitted without sacrificing the old leaf. What actually helps and what it costs.
DIN standards and resistance classes: what the labels really mean
RC2, DIN EN 1303, VdS: what these codes really mean, which class is enough for your flat, and where manufacturers play games with the standards.
Burglary in Karlsruhe: the real picture and what actually protects you
Not the villa but the terrace door at the forest edge is the target. Where burglaries happen in Karlsruhe and which upgrade is truly worth the money.
Burglary protection in Hanau: the real picture and what protects row houses
Burglars in Hanau and the surrounding area do not break in at random, they break in where it is quick and quiet. How row houses in the outer districts become genuinely secure on a modest budget.
Lock frozen shut in winter: emergency steps that actually work
Lock frozen shut? Three remedies thaw it gently, one wrecks the cylinder. What helps, what harms and how to prevent it next winter.
Burglary in Berlin: what the district figures show and how to secure old-building front doors
In Berlin your burglary protection is not decided by the statistics but by the old apartment door in the Gruenderzeit building. What the district figures tell you and how to genuinely upgrade an old door.
Burglary protection in Munich's old buildings: securing Schwabing and Haidhausen
Munich's old buildings are beautiful and a special case for security. How to upgrade an expensive rented flat in Schwabing or Haidhausen reversibly, without ruining the door.
Burglary in Hannover: a district-by-district picture and how to prevent it
An honest picture: where burglars strike in Hannover, why the mechanics decide success or failure, and where your money is actually worth spending.
Burglary in Hamburg by district: where the risk is high and what actually helps
Where the burglary risk in Hamburg is really high has less to do with a neighbourhood's reputation than with building type and escape routes. What that means for your door.
Securing period front doors in Leipzig: the Gründerzeit heritage in Plagwitz, Connewitz and Gohlis
A Leipzig Gründerzeit front door can almost always be upgraded without sacrificing the historic leaf. Where the weak points sit and what retrofitting costs.
Burglary protection in Essen: from Margarethenhoehe to postwar blocks
There is no single right burglary protection for Essen. What makes your home safer depends on its age. Garden city, old building, postwar block and villa compared.
Burglary protection in a Frankfurt period building: what really helps on old front doors
A period front door in Nordend rarely needs replacing. The weak spot sits in the cylinder, the escutcheon and the strike plate. Here is what actually helps.
Burglary in Stuttgart: what the districts show and what really protects you
It is not the district that decides the break-in but the mechanics at your door. What the situation in Stuttgart shows and what really protects, in which order.
Why German doors lock differently: lift the handle and turn twice
Lift the handle, turn twice, that is typically German. Why multipoint locking makes your door safer and how to use it properly.
Fake locksmiths on Google: how to unmask the bogus firms
A large share of locksmith results on Google lead to call centres, not real firms. How to unmask the bogus listings before you dial.
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