Signs That Better Security Is Needed!

Remember the “old days” when people actually slept with their windows open or doors unlocked? Just watch any re-run of Mayberry RFD and watch the friendly neighbors walk into each other’s homes freely and unannounced. Nowadays, you can get shot for that! What happened? More people and more crime happened! Today, people are not as trusting, nor should they be. With the increase in gang activity, neighborhood crime, car theft, shoplifting, flash mobs, vagrants and homeless, you just can’t be too careful. This is where better security is needed and comes into play. Here at Locksmith Tyler, we advocate better security and protection no matter where in town you are. This includes home, auto and business.

Be Aware Of Your Surroundings

The first step to better security is to simply be more aware of where you are and who is around you. Apply this new awareness to home life as well as to your workplace and recreational locations, too. When you are in the grocery store, is your cart with your purse near you at all times? Or, do you leave it (only for a moment!) to go get a box of crackers 20 feet away? When you load those groceries in your trunk, are you cognizant of who is walking behind you or parking next to you? As you enter an elevator at work do you notice any suspicious looking person(s) nearby that might just jump in with you? When you are working in your garage at night do you leave the light on so that your property is well lit and no one just happens to walk up to you or sneak inside? The purpose of this post is NOT to make you paranoid – only to increase your awareness of your local Tyler, TX environment and the possibilities of threats to your well-being. If you have friends or guests with you, it is very easy to get distracted to the point where a pick pocket or armed bandit can get to you or to one of the members of your party. This gets even further complicated when you are responsible for children and/or pets.

Neighborhood Problems

It’s a myth that only bad neighborhoods get crime. Sure, crooks tend to haunt poor locals but they are not stupid; they know where the money is at. Even higher end parts of town can experience burglars, home invasions, domestic problems and drug deals gone bad. Our Locksmith Tyler customers live in a wide range of socio-economic neighborhoods ranging from mobile home parks to country clubs and all experience the need for added and better security to protect homes, businesses and automotive vehicles.

Are You Being Watched?

Not to alarm you but many times, a “mark” is watched before the criminal strikes. This can include your daily habits like taking your lunch break at a certain time and place. It could mean that someone is lurking behind a hedge near your home and noticing that you get the morning paper before 7 am and you never lock the door behind you. Your dog door may be large enough for a person to crawl through. Even small pets have doors that a child can fit through. You may be thinking “what can a child do?” but think for a moment. That less than innocent boy or girl can be trained to enter your pet door and run to your front door to unlock it! If your dog has been previously observed to be friendly and not aggressive, then this is a very likely scenario when you are away at work or on vacation.

Change Those Locks!

Have you been the victim of a recent crime at home or at your business? Changing your locks can help. In fact, even if your life has been crime free up to now, rekeying your locks is a smart precaution. Have you ever wondered who has keys to your house, car or business? The most obvious choices are your children, your spouse and any roommates. Think back though; where did you get your key? Realtors, builders, property managers, contractors, delivery persons, landscapers, baby sitters and many others have had access to your key(s) at some point. How many just happen to have a spare?

Lock Change or Lock Rekey?

There’s a difference and here at Locksmith Tyler, we are often asked which is best. That part is up to you. When our licensed, bonded and insured technicians rekey a lock, we leave the lock itself in place. We simple alter the interior pins so that a different key is needed to open it. In most cases, this is what you really need. Rekey work is fast, affordable and gives you tremendous peace of mind as you now have better control over your key distribution. When we change the locks, we actually change them out for new ones. This involves a slightly higher expense and is often a preferred choice when you want to upgrade to better quality locks for added protection.

Business Security

Remember when a simple lock on the shop door was enough? Not anymore. Commercial property can include apartment rentals, restaurants, retail stores, medical clinics, car dealers, attorney firms, private schools, art galleries, jewelry stores, laundromats and hundreds more. Anytime you are dealing with money, cash, credit cards, customers and inventory, you have to worry about shoplifting, employee theft, pilfering and even “not so accidental” slips and falls. Each Tyler, TX business is unique and has different security issues so it’s best to consult with an established commercial lock and key expert like ours here at Locksmith Tyler. We offer free consultations, free price quotes and superior quality hardware from the nation’s best lock manufacturers. You might consider CCTV camera installation, high security locks, deadbolts, rekeys, change outs, panic bar additions, peepholes and other quality improvements that can vastly enhance the security of your company, customers and staff. If you already have a preferred locksmith shop that you work with, ask them for their recommendations to bolster your security protection at home, in your car or at your business location.

WHY DEADBOLTS ARE THE BEST LOCKS FOR YOUR HOME

Of course, it’s important to effectively provide dependable security for your home, at a reasonable cost. If you’re shopping for the right locks for your place of residence, you’ll soon find that there’s a nearly endless selection of various types of locks. You may feel like it’s impossible to know what to choose. But you can at least narrow it down to the fact that, by and large, most locksmith professionals agree that deadbolts are your best bet.

Deadbolts truly are typically viewed by most expert Tyler locksmiths as one of the safest and most secure ways to provide home protection. The reason they’re called “dead” is because they lack springs to operate the bolt; that is, a deadbolt is operated manually, with a key or a thumbturn.

Residential locksmith specialists recommend that you install deadbolts on all your external doors. There are numerous deadbolts to choose from. The most common are: single-cylinder, double-cylinder, jimmy-proof, and lockable thumbturn. 

·         A single-cylinder deadbolt lock is the standard deadbolt we commonly imagine, used on wooden or solid metal doors. There is a key cylinder on the outside, with a thumbturn on the inside to open or close it. The one disadvantage to a single-cylinder deadbolt is that if there’s any possible access to the inside (such as through a nearby window, or even through your peephole), then the door can be opened using the thumbturn.

·         A remedy for this challenge is the double-cylinder deadbolt. It has a key cylinder on the inside of the door as well as on the outside. This means that if it’s locked, the double-cylinder always requires a key to open the door from the inside. It’s ideal if your door has any glass, or if your door has a window nearby, because it prevents an intruder from breaking the glass and reaching in to unlock the door. Its downside is that in case of fire, it’s a bad idea. Therefore, if you install this kind of deadbolt, then make sure you always leave a key on the inside whenever people are there, so everyone will be able to make a fast exit safely in an emergency.

·         A jimmy-proof deadbolt is a surface-mount lock, most often found on double doors and at apartment buildings. A surface-mount lock means that the lock screws into the inside of the door, rather than with a complex drill pattern, the way a standard deadbolt does. A jimmy-proof deadbolt is popular because of the minimal door modifications required. In this unique style of deadbolt lock, the deadbolt interlocks with the jamb bracket, which prevents it from easily being pulled apart or from being forced open from the outside.

·         The lockable thumbturn deadbolt is the deadbolt that provides maximum security and flexibility. It basically combines the features of the single-cylinder with the double-cylinder deadbolt. It has a thumbturn on the inside, which works like a regular single-cylinder deadbolt, yet it can be locked with a key, so that it can’t lock or unlock the door. This means that the thumbturn can be left in an unlocked position when people are at home, but it will operate just like a single-cylinder deadbolt. When everyone’s away, especially if it’s for an extended period of time, the thumbturn can be easily locked, so that even if a burglar manages to gain access to your door from the inside, the deadbolt can’t be unlocked. 

In addition to these four viable deadbolt options, there are also five more kinds of deadbolts that expert locksmiths often recommend: vertical, rim, mortise, keyless, and digital.

·         A vertical deadbolt is bolted to the inside face of the door, but this kind is placed on top of the door, which makes it impossible for a potential intruder to pry it open by putting a bar between the door and the frame (which a person can do in the case of some horizontal deadbolts).

·         A rim deadbolt is also bolted to the inside face of the door, but the good thing about this type of deadbolt is that it locks automatically behind you each time you shut the door. That way, you won’t ever forget to lock it. Both the vertical and the rim deadbolt are easy to install. A minor drawback to both the rim deadbolt and the vertical deadbolt is that they are a bit bulky, and therefore not as attractive as traditional deadbolts.

·         A mortise deadbolt lock is a conventional lock that you can install in a mortise or a recess pocket, cut in the edge of the door, so that it can’t be easily tampered with. This lock is indeed sturdy; but keep in mind that because you have to penetrate the door frame to make a hole, it can slightly weaken the structure of the door itself.

·         A keyless deadbolt is also mounted on the inside of the door, but it has a keypad rather than a keyhole. Instead of using a key, you put in a secret code. The obvious advantage of this deadbolt is that you don’t require a key at all, so you won’t ever have to be concerned about losing your key or having it stolen. Furthermore, in order to optimize security, you can establish a new code every few months, or as often as you wish.

·         A digital deadbolt is a lot like a keyless deadbolt, since you also have a keypad instead of a keyhole. What’s different is that it requires electricity or batteries to operate. With a digital deadbolt, be sure you periodically monitor the power level. Always keep the batteries charged, in case of a power outage!

Before you can decide on exactly the right deadbolt locks for your home, bring all your questions and concerns to a reputable and experienced local locksmith. If you are located anywhere in Tyler, Texas, you may want to schedule an appointment with a reliable mobile locksmith professional on staff at Locksmith Tyler, where free consultations are available.