52 • HARDWARE&SECURITY
PROUD SPONSOR OF
THE LOCKSMITH JOURNAL
NO-GO means NO-GO
» » WHEN AUBREY DUNFORD AND
his wife came downstairs one
morning and couldn’t find his
laptop, or her handbag, it quickly
became apparent that an overnight
burglary had taken place. With no
broken windows or forced doors,
however, it was a mystery how the
intruder had got into the house. It
was only when he went into the
utility room that he realised the
entire pane of glass had been
removed from its frame and was
propped against a wall outside.
And, not only had the laptop and
handbag been stolen – while the
couple had been sleeping upstairs
– but both cars had been taken too;
one was later found down the road
and one ‘wrapped around a lamp-
post’ in London sometime later.
What shocked Aubrey Dunford
most however was when the
Police came to the crime scene
and remarked that this method
of entry is a very common tactic
used by burglars; but one that is
seldom spoke about. Perhaps by
highlighting the risk of windows
with external beading being
a possible point of entry for
intruders, one is also advertising
a method for would-be burglars
to get in, Aubrey thought, but he
also believed that there must be a
way to secure glass into window
frames without replacing the entire
unit; and if there wasn’t, why not?
Aubrey got in contact with ‘serial
inventor’ David Murphy – one
of the original ‘Window Doctors’
– and set about designing and
developing the NO-GO; a device
that could be retro-fitted to PVC-U
or metal windows with external
beading. And, while externally
beaded windows are used less
in new-builds than in the past,
architects still prefer them in
certain areas; such as coastal
projects, which also offers an
opportunity for the NO-GO to be
factored into the initial security
plans of new properties.
While the product took some
seven or eight years to bring to
market; for all the relevant testing
and certification to be acquired,
the result has been a resounding
success. For those that have heard
about it. For, as it is never a wise
idea to make wannabe criminals
aware of how easy it is to get
into someone’s home; the NO-
GO is not something that can be
advertised in the public domain. As
a result, the device has so far been
the reserve of window repairers,
locksmiths, security specialists,
and architects/specifiers. For those
that are aware of it, the NO-GO
has become a very lucrative ‘add-
on’ at replacement/repair job, as
well as for security advisors that
are hired to ‘troubleshoot’ homes
and business premises.
As the device is a ‘one size fits
all’ product – in fact, Aubrey has
never come across a PVC-U or
metal window frame with external
beading that it hasn’t worked
on – installers can keep a supply
in their van, without having to
carry a full range of shapes/sizes
or ordering them specifically
for a job. There is the option
of several different colours (to
aesthetically complement different
types of frames), but other than
that there will be no difficult
decisions to make when it comes
to choosing the right NO-GO
‘installers
can keep a
supply in
their van,
without
having to
carry a full
range of
shapes/
sizes or
ordering
them
specifically
for a job’
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL.CO.UK | MAR/APR 2019
Sponsored by ERA - Total Security
for the job. Installed in minutes,
once fitted correctly, the NO-GO
requires no future replacement or
maintenance, so is very much a ‘fit
and forget’ product.
The pièce de résistance with the
NO-GO however is quite possibly
the bonder that is used to fix it to
the window. And, it was actually
the aspect that Aubrey comments
they spent the most time on during
the development phase. It is a
little-known fact that usually glue
deteriorates gradually in UV-light;
not a great trait for a product
that will be fitted to a window.
The bonder used for the NO-GO
actually improves through UV
exposure, which means the longer
it is on the window, the stronger it
gets.
From a very unpleasant
experience for the Dunfords,
almost ten years of design and
development, and hundreds of
fittings later; with all the features
and benefits of the NO-GO, its true
beauty really lies in its simplicity.
This simple device, that is
straightforward to fit, also offers an
easy upsell for window repairers
all over the UK and Ireland. For
good quality, energy efficient
PVC-U or metal windows, when
the only issue is one of security
from their external beading, a
NO-GO is both an affordable and
reassuring option for the customer,
and a money-making fast fit for the
installer, that keeps glass in the
frame, and intruders out.
www.nogosecurity.co.uk