When Should Your Locks Get Replaced
You may think that it is too soon to replace the locks in your home. Really, you can replace locks when you feel like. It is your money and time. Most importantly, it is your security so no one should be able to tell you when you should have your locks changed. You may have experienced a break-in and this is when you decided to change your locks. In fact, this may be the only time you would even consider changing your locks. If you’re looking for some direction in this regard, keep reading.
Here is when our locksmiths suggest that you change your locks:
- When You Locks Are Worn
When you move into a new place, it may still have the locks that were there since it was build. This means your locks have been used a lot. This might become obvious when you start having problems with opening and closing your doors and windows. Older locks will give you trouble from time to time. When you move into a new place, the owners are supposed to change the looks. If you are buying a new home, this is still supposed to be the case but if you want to veer on the side of caution, we would suggest that you do this on your own to ensure the job is done.
- You Have Lost Your Keys
Someone else might have your keys and you may not realize it until you reach in your bag or pocket to unlock the door. If you have lost your keys, this puts your life in jeopardy and that of your loves. Whether you have lost your keys or they have been stolen, this is one of those times that we would strongly suggest that you change the locks. You can look for the keys but go ahead and have the locks change while you’re doing this to prevent anyone coming in when you least expect.
- When A New Tenant Moves In
When you have someone moving into a property that you are renting you should always change the locks. Listen up! If you are someone who is moving into a rental property, change the locks! This is something that we suggest is done on both ends. Sometimes the property manager or owner will say they have done this but they didn’t. If you want to be sure that the locks have been changed, do it yourself. Another option is to have them changed and give the owner or manager the bill. Again, then you’ll know for certain the locks have been changed. A previous tenant may just decide to check to see if the locks have been changed. You wouldn’t want this to happen.
- When Someone Has Moved Out
This should seem pretty logical but believe us, not everyone thinks so or even thinks to do so. Even if you are parting ways with an old friend, still change the locks. They may be leaving on good terms, it doesn’t matter, CHANGE THE LOCKS! We have seen it where someone thought they were still on good terms with someone and the person came back and robbed them blind. Don’t allow this to happen to you, instead, contact a local locksmith to change your locks.
- You Experienced a Break-in
No doubt you would already know to change the locks. This isn’t anything that we ever thought we would have to tell anyone but apparently, we do. Surprisingly, when someone has had a break-in, not everyone thinks it is necessary to have their locks changed. This is a problem because the person who broke in may come back again, knowing you didn’t have locks that were good enough to keep them out. They are banking on your thinking that sense they already broke in once they wouldn’t dare come back again. Don’t give them the benefit of knowing this is exactly what you thought. Instead, have your locks changed as soon as you’ve discovered someone has broken into your home.
Now that we’ve told you when we believe is the best time to have your locks changed, perhaps you would be interested in knowing which types of locks can help prevent break-ins. We like the keyless locks. In fact, so do other people because these are the locks that we are installing more than ever. A keyless lock doesn’t require a physical key (of course). All that has to be installed is the keypad. The owner would have to create a code or several codes that will then need to be entered into the keypad for entry. This means you never have to worry about leaving your keys someone or losing them to get back inside your house. Most importantly, this type of lock is rarely ever compromised. The only time that this type of lock would be compromised is if someone saw your put the code in or you gave someone the code and forgot to change it. Perhaps you had people working inside your home and you couldn’t be there to let them in. You may have given them the code and forgot to change it once the work was completed. This does happen. In fact, we’ve seen it happen before and that is why we are bringing this to your attention in this article.
When coming up with your codes, we highly recommend that you make one that you haven’t used before. This would be the easiest way for someone to figure out your code. You wouldn’t want to make it so easy that anyone can break-in. Change your code periodically just in case you forgot to give someone the code. It is better if you are safe rather than sorry. You can live with sorry but you don’t want to live with ‘regret’.