How to Remain Safe When Moving into An Apartment

It is true that there is no such thing as being too safe. The fact of the matter is that you can’t be safe enough. At Locksmith Tyler in Tyler, TX, we like to think that we are doing our part in helping homeowners in Tyler remain safe from the threat of a break-in. Just because you are moving into an apartment doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take precautions to remain safe. You should take precautions no matter where you are moving. An intruder will target anyone no matter where they live, in a house or an apartment. We’re here to tell you that it is still possible to avoid an intrusion by continuing to read this article and taking heed to the suggestions offered. Just don’t let your guard down by thinking that you’re automatically safe inside an apartment. Here is what you can do to ensure your safety and security.

Suggestions on what you can do before you move into an apartment:

1. Get a Crime Report

If you have never done this before, why not start now. You can save yourself the frustration that comes from being the victim of a crime if you know beforehand what you can expect. Knowing means that you can plan for the worst. If you’re moving into an apartment it helps to find out what type of crimes occur in the area. You are usually able to get a report from the local police department. If you are unable to obtain the report that you want, you can also go online to CrimeMapping.com or CrimeReports.com to find out about the crime in the area of the apartment that you are thinking of moving into.

2. Replace Locks

Everyone knows that when you move into a new home, the locks are supposed to be changed, automatically. You shouldn’t have to ask them to change the locks; they should be changed without asking. Despite it being the responsibility of the management to have the locks changed after every person moves out, they do not always do this. In some cases, they just switch the locks around. They take a lock from one apartment and place it on the door of another apartment. This doesn’t rid you of the possibility of someone breaking in since someone still has a key to that particular lock. You could always take things a step further by purchasing your own lock and having it installed by maintenance. You would have to get permission from the management office to arrange this. Buying your own lock ensures you that the lock has actually been changed.

3. Property Maintenance & Upkeep

You can tell a lot about a property by the way it is maintained. Look around the exterior of the building, not just the apartments, to see if there is broken light bulbs in the parking area, debris in the parking lot, trash bins overflowing, broken windows, and cracked drywall. If you notice these things, this means that there is an issue with the maintenance of the property. If the management isn’t taking care of these basic things, it is highly unlikely that they will give much consideration to the security of their tenants.

4. Get a Peephole Installed

If the apartment that you are considering moving into doesn’t have a peephole, you should ask how to have one installed. A peephole serves as added protection because you’re able to identify exactly who is at your door before opening it.  While someone may announce who they are, they may be impersonating someone. This could be dangerous to you. Make sure your apartment has a peephole.

Suggestions on what you can do after you move into an apartment:

1. Put Up Blinds

No matter how nice your windows look without window coverings over them, it serves to protect you from a potential intruder by covering them up. A thief wants to know what they stand to gain by breaking into your home. When you do not have blinds or curtains over your windows, they are able to see what you have. If you have something that is of value to them, they will be move likely to take a chance of breaking in. Don’t let this happen to you. Cover up your windows today.

2. Secure the Sliding Door

Most sliding doors come with a lock but the lock they have is not a good one. It is only useful for keeping the door shut. If you want to make sure that no one is able to get inside your apartment through the sliding door, you’ll need to place a bar across the track of the door or have a bar lock installed. There are other types of locks that can be added to a sliding glass door. Consult with your local locksmith about the type of lock that is best suited for your type of sliding door.

3. Install a Deadbolt Lock

If your apartment doesn’t already have a deadbolt lock, do yourself a favor by investing in a deadbolt lock. They add the most reliable level of security possible. It is made by the construction and design of this type of lock that makes it such a favorite amongst most people. There are several types of deadbolt locks. By consulting with a locksmith, they will be able to advise you of the best one suited for your apartment door.

You can be safe and secure no matter where you live as long as you are proactive prior to moving. Make every effort to remain safe by heeding the aforementioned suggestions. We have offered these suggestions to other customers and they have thanked us for offering them peace-of-mind. Not only are these practical suggestions for remaining safe in an apartment but they are also some of the most cost effective ways of securing your home. There are solutions to suit everyone’s budget. Don’t let the amount of money you have stop you from securing your apartment.

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Jammed Safe – What to do?

There are thousands of safes here in Tyler, TX and in the Greater Dallas/Ft Worth Metropolitan area. Many homes, businesses and institutions have and use safes to secure their cash, jewelry, documents and other valuables from perils of all kinds. Every once in a while a safe may become jammed and not open when needed to. This is why Locksmith Tyler has decided to make this post; so you’ll know what to do in case your safe becomes jammed or hard to open.

Why won’t it open?

There are many reasons why a safe will become jammed. It may need servicing or the hinges and other parts may have become worn due to use or age. Electronic safes may have a short circuit, a low battery or there may be an absence of electricity or a power surge in the neighborhood. Also, digital safes have a built-in safety mechanism that will “shut down” the safe and prevent it from opening for several hours if the wrong combination is used. This is much like trying to access your bank online and entering the wrong password too many times. You will most likely be locked out of your account for up to a day or so.

Vintage safes and estate sales

Many safes are bought at auction or at estate sales. The previous owner may have died, had it repossessed or even gone to prison! Many if not most of these safes don’t have a known combination to open them. The new owner will need the professional services of a Tyler, TX locksmith in order to get his newly acquired safe open again. Technically these safes are not jammed but the end result is the same; no safe access.

So, what should you do?

You obviously need access to your safe or else you wouldn’t have discovered that it won’t open. You may be trying to add something to its contents, or you may have needed to get an item out of it. Maybe, it’s somewhat of an emergency and you need fast access to its contents as quickly as possible. You might need cash for a medical emergency or for a funeral expense. You may be trying to close a business deal and need access to money or documents right away.

The main thing to keep in mind is to not try and force your safe open. Doing so can damage your safe as well as the contents inside. The movies and television show “safe crackers” come in and easily and quickly open safes of all sizes and types by simply turning the dial a few times and listening. This is fiction; pure and simple. True safe opening is a skill and takes experience and training in order to do it right. You can’t just smash your way in or “James Bond” the situation in a couple of seconds!

Speaking of contents…

We briefly mentioned not damaging the contents of the safe. This brings up another point; you can put anything you like inside your residential or commercial safe. This can include cash, jewelry, documents, watches, art, flash drives, receipts, warranties, passports, licenses, stock certificates, appraisals, property deeds, coins, vintage photos, rare artifacts, guns, stamps and anything else deemed of value. Your safe is meant to keep these valuables protected from thieves and other unauthorized persons as well as the elements like wind, dust, rain, fire, moisture and flood.

Do NOT call a safe shop

You may be thinking that since you might have purchased your safe from a safe shop; that you can get it serviced there, too. There are pros and cons to this thinking. Going this route offers ease of use and convenience. You just call the shop and leave the rest to them. On the downside however is that almost all safe shops are merely retail outlets. If they offer set up, delivery or service for the safe you just bought, it will usually be outsourced to guess who; a locksmith!

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So Many Types of Locks! How to Find What's Right for you?

If you’re shopping for locks, you will soon find out that there is basically an endless list of various kinds of locks and keys. When it’s time to track down the best locks for your specific needs, you want to be sure they will be the most effective. You’ll need to carry out an in-depth evaluation of each lock you’re looking at, and ask the following questions:

• Where will you install the lock?
• Who will use it?
• Where you’re installing the lock, what are the surroundings like?
• What level of security do you require?

Let’s consider some popular locks and their security features.

Deadbolts are the safest locks you can install at your home, which is what any professional locksmith will tell you. Accordingly, whenever you install deadbolts, you’ll be adding an extraordinary level of security. They’re called “dead” because there aren’t any springs to operate the bolt; a deadbolt is operated by hand - that is, with a thumbturn or key.

There are four standard deadbolts: single-cylinder, double-cylinder, jimmy-proof, and lockable thumbturn.

A single-cylinder deadbolt is the basic deadbolt we all think of, having the key cylinder on the outside. On the inside, you use a thumbturn to open and shut it. It’s normally used on a solid door, made of metal or wood. The one weakness to a single-cylinder deadbolt is, if there’s any potential access to the inside - through a window on the door or through the peephole (something a thief can easily do) - then the door can be opened with the thumbturn.

One solution for this disadvantage is a double-cylinder deadbolt, which has a key cylinder both inside and outside the door. If your door’s locked, the double-cylinder requires a key for opening it from the inside. This deadbolt lock is just right if your door has any glass, or if there’s a window next to the door, because it will prevent a robber from breaking the glass and reaching in to unlock the door. Its shortcoming is that it isn’t safe in case of fire. So if you use a double-cylinder deadbolt, always leave a key readily available. That way, if a fire occurs when people are home, everyone will be able to get out fast.

A jimmy-proof deadbolt is a surface-mount lock, most often used on double doors and in apartment buildings. Folks who like this deadbolt prefer it because it requires few door modifications. The way this deadbolt lock works is that it interlocks with the jamb bracket, which stops it from the possibility of being pulled apart or forced from the outside by a burglar. A surface-mount lock means that the lock screws into the door’s inside, rather than having the drill pattern of a conventional deadbolt.

The lockable thumbturn deadbolt is like the single-cylinder and the double-cylinder deadbolt put together, providing superior security and flexibility. It has a thumbturn on the inside, which works the way an ordinary single-cylinder deadbolt does, but it can also be locked with a key, so it can’t lock or unlock the door. Thus the thumbturn can be left in an unlocked position while you’re at home, but it will function just like an ordinary single-cylinder deadbolt. When you leave, the thumbturn can be locked, so that even if an intruder manages to gain access to the door’s inside, the deadbolt itself can’t be unlocked.

Knob locks are the typical locks for your exterior doors, and your main source of security for your home. Sometimes, they are also installed in additional to deadbolts to provide more security. A knob lock alone isn’t completely secure, because the lock cylinder is inside the knob itself, instead of in the door. One downside is that a potential burglar could break off a knob lock from the door with a hammer. It can be forced open with pliers, or bypassing the lock cylinder with a wrench behind the knob.

Mortise-cylinder locks are threaded, screwing into mortise hardware mounted on the door’s inside. This lock is held in place by a set screw, and the lock mechanism is activated by the cam. Mortise cylinders come in several lengths, with a variety of choices for the cams, depending on the hardware you want.

Lever handle locks are seen frequently on interior doors at commercial facilities. If you need to provide accessibility for the disabled, a lever lock is your best bet, because they’re easier to open than knobs are, since the push-down handle doesn’t have to be grasped and turned, the way a knob does. Its one inconvenience is that you can sometimes catch your clothes on the lever.

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Why it's Important to have Panic Bars at your Commercial Property

If you own a public commercial building of any kind, then you may be aware that “panic hardware” is required to provide proper emergency egress and ingress. A panic bar is the push bar that must be installed on each exit door to allow people to make a quick exit from the building. Then there must be an uninterrupted and unobstructed exit path to a place of safety. These doors are typically needed in restaurants, bars, and malls, and other public places such as schools. It is of utmost importance that you comply with the law when it comes to protecting your building’s occupants. You won’t pass inspection if you’re not up to code. With the installation of these vital devices, you’ll guard the life and safety of every occupant - employee, customer, and visitor alike.

Panic hardware consists of a latching device, with a touchpad or crossbar spanning across at least half the width of the door, which releases the latch if it’s pushed. Panic hardware may also be called an “exit device” or a “crash bar”; for fire doors, it’s called “fire exit hardware.” This specialized hardware is used where it’s required by code to make it possible for large groups of people to get out fast. It also provides increased resilience and reliability.

The International Building Code (IBC), the International Fire Code (IFC), and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 101 Code, are America’s most common building and fire safety codes. You’ll need to determine which code, and which edition of that particular code, applies to your building. Local codes in your area may compel you to adhere to additional requirements. Make sure you’re fully compliant.

The requirements affect doors that either lock or latch. For instance, panic hardware isn’t required for a free-swinging door with only a push plate and pull handle. Panic hardware is required by code for only certain occupancy types. In general, an “assembly occupancy” is a building or area where large groups gather, such as a gym or a theater. An “educational occupancy” refers to a school for children up to twelfth grade. A building used for college classrooms is considered a “business occupancy,” and some college classrooms are even large enough to be classified as an assembly occupancy. The NFPA 101 Code includes a separate occupancy classification for “daycare occupancy,” where daycare is provided to children or adults. A “high-hazard occupancy” (an area containing a high level of hazardous materials) is a space that is vulnerable to explosions. 

Whenever you install panic hardware on balanced doors, a touchpad-style device has to be used, and the touchpad should not extend more than halfway across the door. Code requirements normally prohibit the installation of any other kind of lock on a door with panic hardware, except for electromagnetic locks released by a sensor or by a switch. The bottom line is: Any person who must leave has to be able to open an exit route door from the inside at all times - without having to use any keys or tools, and without possessing any sort of specialized knowledge. 

The way panic bars are made, they prevent entry from the opposite side of a door. On the inner side, of course they ensure a speedy exit in the event of an emergency. A panic bar that locks only from the outside is permitted on exit discharge doors. Typically, rooms containing electrical equipment must have panic hardware or fire exit hardware that will allow a professional technician to escape in the event of a fire or explosion. 

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Proficient Locksmith Services For Your Enhanced Security

Advancement in technology leads to development in every domains and service of an establishment. Quality works cannot come for minimal costs but when you approach a best locksmith service, you can compare their fee structure to choose the right one. We all need to conserve our monetary value and budget moreover; we need to pick the budgetary services for our requirements. Approaching an affordable locksmith service and most of them use these both terms in their website and online listings. But inexpensive locksmith administers not necessary to be insured and licensed. So in addition to their affordability, their reputation and certification are more imperative in this regard. When you with your security lock, you ought to pick a perfect, reputed locksmith administration for a better purpose. 

Automobile locksmith services:

If there is a chance that you lose the car key or break the key of the ignition then you require calling automobile keymaker services. They have some proficient auto locksmith equipment and they can offer you the car opening facility. In addition to this, they can provide the alternate car key and restore the key of the ignition system.

Emergency locksmith services:

There may be an instance where people get stuck inside the room or residence. Then you can get the emergency facilitator to change the lock and provide the alternate key for your home. Even a commercial establishment that has been the sufferer of a robbery can contact these locksmith services to repair their security system. Emergency keymaker can provide 24 hours locksmith services with contact numbers which may help in time of emergency. They also offer you roadside help to unlock your car.

Residential and commercial locksmith service:

If you want to implement some safety locks in your home and at workplace then you can contact the necessary locksmith services for enhanced services. They can advise you the best type of security system, and they will initiate the necessary locks in your assets immediately to serve the purpose. In addition to that, some locksmith administers can also offer you electronic aided gadgets such as CCTV installation, residence alarm installation and electronic lock installation.