Lowtech Graph lists low-tech options for every need of a home. Here you can compare them, find tutorials to build them, and link them together into a circular system. Why low-tech?

Mechanical locking hardware + shutters

Passive

One of 3 ways to meet this need. Cost, carbon, footprint and rankings are relative to other solutions for the same need, not absolute.

Solid mechanical locks on doors and windows, with shutters that close over the openings. The locks keep out intruders without needing power, and the closed shutters also protect the glass in a storm, keep heat in on winter nights and keep the sun out in summer.

Cost

Low

Upkeep

Occasional

Skill to build

Basic

Lifespan

Locking hardware: 20-30 years with occasional lubrication/adjustment; shutters follow the insulated operable shutters figure if that variant, otherwise 30-50 years for solid timber/metal shutters

Embodied carbon

Low

Space / material use

Low

Output timing

On-demand/controllable

Skill to repair

Basic

Inputs

none

Outputs

• Hazard protection

Compare the 3 ways to meet this need

Levels are relative to the other options for this need, not absolute. Fewer dots is lighter.

• Mechanical locking hardware + shutters (This page)
  Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed
  What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: Occasional · Works without the grid: Yes
  Choose it if you want protection that works without power, with shutters that also guard the glass and keep heat in.
• Passive-surveillance site layout
  Can I use it? Not in a flat · New build only
  What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: None · Upkeep: None · Change to daily life: None · Works without the grid: Yes
  Choose it if you are laying out a new site and want to deter intruders at no cost.
• Motion-activated exterior lighting
  Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed
  What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: None · Works without the grid: No
  Choose it if you want dark approaches lit only when someone comes, for very little power.

Sources

• General door/window hardware industry durability consensus

Limitations of this page

We don’t list sizing or quantities, as the yield of each technique depends on the quality of its build. The catalogue compares options but doesn’t dimension them. Regulatory notes are indicative, with a French example, and need to be confirmed locally.