Locksmiths Top Tips For Locks and Security
Locksmiths Top Tips For Locks and Security
1. Instead of leaving a key in your back door, take a back door key with you when you leave the house. Almost every time I attend an emergency where my customers have lost their keys, they show me the back door with the key in the other side. Carrying a key for the back door in a separate pocket to your front door key gives you a greater chance of being able to get in without waiting for a locksmith. It is also better for security because all the time a key is in your back door, a burglar can break in through a window and easily carry stuff out of your house through that back door!
Leaving keys in doors is good fire safety practice while people are in the property, but they should be removed from locks if the property is empty.
2. Oil your locks regularly – at least twice a year. The best way to remember is to do it every time you change your clocks, w
This is especially important if you live near the sea. Don’t just spray where the key goes in. Most locks have a latch that retracts when you pull the handle down, when the latch retracts, the wedge makes a gap for your oil or silicone spray. Spray for around 5 seconds to get plenty inside, then turn the key a few times to make sure the lubricant reaches all parts. If you have a locking mechanism with lift up handles, works the handles up and down a few times, but make sure you lubricate all moving parts (bolts, hooks, rollers, etc.)
3. Do not put your override keys to your safe inside the safe. Equally, do not leave the override keys anywhere in your property. A burglar can find those keys and get to your valuables. They will know the hiding places you think are sneaky.
Safe keys should be with a trusted friend or family member in an entirely separate property. Also, do not wait for the batteries to get low. Change them annually whether they need it or not. Always consult a security expert before buying a safe because they can advise you on the pitfalls many are trapped by. There is nothing worse than needing your passport from a safe you cannot access and finding out the safe expert cannot get to you for two days by which time, your plane has departed!
4. Please stop posting on social media all about your holiday whilst away. Your friends probably don’t care as much as you would like to think, but the burglar is very thankful you are advertising that your property is empty. Don’t ruin your holiday by coming back to find all your valuables have been taken. You can post your holiday highlights when you get back.
5. When you get extra keys cut, use the originals most. Badly cut keys ruin locks. Key cutters use generic key blanks made from cheaper metals. If you buy your locks from a locksmith, they can order branded keys made for the lock cut from superior metal. These will then be covered by guarantee. Once you use a poorly cut off brand key, and it damages the lock, you invalidate any guarantee given by your locksmith. So if you must get spares made, try to use the originals the most.
6. Be wary if you have a family member who suffers with dementia. This is a sensitive subject but I have experience of a good number of customers coming back to me because they have lost their keys. The excuses are often the same, with angry accusations at neighbours or carers who have ‘let themselves in and stolen my keys again.’ The last thing a locksmith wants is to take advantage of anyone with this awful condition, but we cannot change locks for free. We also cannot ask the customer for phone numbers of family members because it is not right to do so.
If your loved ones are getting forgetful and you notice new locks, firstly try and get a key for yourself. Then, see if you can find out which locksmith they used. I would be more than happy if you called me to say you are MR X’s son/daughter and that if Mr X should call me in a muddle, I should try and call you before setting off to change the lock again. Mr X will be far happier having you search for the key he has hidden and forgotten than me. I would expect any decent locksmith would feel the same.
7. Next to your mobile phone, your lock and keys are the things you use the most almost – every day for that majority of us. Treat them accordingly. When I take handles off of doors, I find a variety of spider carcasses, wasp larvae, rust and other muck. While unscrewing and re-screwing the fixings too many times is not good for the wood, occasional cleans behind the handles is not a bad idea. You might well discover broken springs and other nasties that need seeing to. Better to catch things early before they fail completely and you find yourself unable to get in.
Likewise, I have come across many a door where someone has simply painted over the lock while decorating. It doesn’t take many seconds to undo the screws and remove the lock while painting and even less to put a bit of masking tape over the area. Painting over the lock is not good. At best, the screws fill with paint and when you do need to take the lock out because it has failed, you cannot undo the clogged screws without extra effort. Locks might not be as exciting as a phone, but they are more important.
8. Do not leave keys on a flat surface or hanging up anywhere in the vicinity of a door with a letter plate, especially if you have windows through which the keys can be seen. If I can put a mirror through your letter plate and see your keys, I can retrieve them, which means a burglar can do the same. A letter cage on the back of your door is amazing security, especially if you have a thumb turn rather than key operation on the inside. Better still, seal your letter plate and invest in a separate post box to fit externally.
If you have any questions about the above content or any else security related, please feel free to contact me.
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