Bedford Locksmith

Locks – we all know what they are and what they are  supposed to do. Yet few of us really care about whether our locks work the way  they are intended to. Most people simply disregard the fact that locks can   malfunction or that locks get old and are subjected to wear and tear. We all  remember that locks are very important when we experience a lockout or when a  burglar enters our garage or our home. You probably want to avoid this, right?  The easiest way to make sure nobody is able to enter your home and the simplest  way to make sure you never experience lockouts is to change the locks  periodically. It’s not that difficult and you don’t even have to struggle with  this process all by yourself. You can get assistance from a professional if you  want to change the locks. Let’s see when you need to change the locks and who   can assist you with this task.

Your Security Depends on Your Locks

As we stated above, your security depends on the state of  your locks. Did you know that thieves and burglars know how to spot a weak or  malfunctioning lock? It takes them seconds to find a weak spot. Your faulty  locks may actually attract criminals. Why? Because your home is vulnerable.  Your valuables are right there for the taking. And no burglar and no thief will  say NO to this invitation. Not only will you lose a lot of money if you  experience a break-in, you will also put yourself and your family in harm’s  way. Imagine what can happen if a criminal were to enter your home at night  when your loved ones are sleeping. You may not be able to be there to protect  them at all times. And even if you have a weapon and get the chance to use it,  you will have to answer for your actions in court. It’s never a pleasant   experience to use your gun to defend your home and your family. And this ends  tragically in most cases. This is why you need to prevent these things from  happening. It’s so simple to change the locks and make sure they are in perfect  working order. Why would you not take this simple step to protect yourself and  your loved ones and avoid a potential tragedy?

When Should You Replace Locks?

There are various circumstances in which you definitely  need to replace one or more locks. Here are the most common scenarios:

 You have lost the key to your front door. In  this case, you need to replace the lock as soon as possible. Who knows who  found your key?

 You suspect somebody may have had access to your  keys and might have made a copy. Again, it is very important that you replace  the locks immediately. Don’t take any chances!

 Your tenant decided to leave. You don’t know if  they have made a copy or if they have a spare key to your home. Why risk it?  Just change the locks and stay away from any kind of trouble.

 Some of your locks are starting to malfunction.  A lock, just like any mechanical part, will degrade over time. It’s called wear  and tear and it affects even the sturdiest of locks. Don’t risk getting locked   out of your home by not replacing damaged locks as soon as possible.

 If your locks are older than two years, you  absolutely need to replace them. Newer locks are more secure and are more  difficult to break. Also, you avoid any problems caused by normal wear and  tear.

Many people avoid changing their locks because they don’t  know how to do it. Others prefer to think that burglars and thieves will target   other homes. People tend to think that they are lucky and that nothing bad will  happen to them. This is definitely the wrong mindset. Thieves and burglars will  eventually target any property that does not have a strong security system in  place. This means your home is very likely to be broken into at some point in  the future if you keep postponing the simple operation of replacing the old  locks.

At Bedford Locksmith Pros in Bedford, Texas people often ask us if it is better for them to replace or rekey their locks. For many people they simply do not know. Sometimes people change their locks when all they needed to do was have the lock rekeyed. If the key is worn and you have trouble opening or closing the lock with the key, it’s time to replace it. If you’re using a duplicate key it is highly likely that the problem is not an exact key. This will create the problem of your door opening and closing with the key you are now using. This is why we suggest that you only have keys made from duplicate keys. This will ensure that the key continues to work.

Lock Wear and Tear

There is no doubt that keys and locks take a lot of wear and tear over the years. They are used every day and, in many cases, several times a day. If you consider that a lot of the keys and locks are not high quality, you want to be sure that it will work when it is supposed to work. If it doesn’t it means that you likely didn’t have a good lock to start with. Although locks come with a warranty, they still require some level of maintenance to continue working over the years. If you are not keen on taking care of the maintenance of your locks, you can count on the services of a professional locksmith to do so. They will check your locks annually and lubricate them so that they are in good working condition. This will save you much time and money in the future.

Rekeying Locks

Replacing a key is simple; you remove it and put another one in its place. However, you might wonder what exactly is rekeying a lock. This refers to the mechanics of the lock. This would be the components of the lock that do the job of securing the lock. You’re able to keep the lock but the key will no longer work. Every lock has key pins and they are specific to a certain key. When the pins are replaced, this means the key that used to work for this lock, will no longer work. The corresponding key must be used in order to operate the lock. Even though this sounds like something that could be rather time consuming, it isn’t. It usually only takes a qualified locksmith a few minutes to properly accomplish.

The locksmith will need a matching key for the rekeyed lock. If they do not have the right key, they will have to pick it in order to open it. Picking a lock will take a little more time and therefore it will cost the owner more to have the lock rekeyed. Rekeying a lock will not have an effect on the security level of the lock. It isn’t any less secure when rekeyed. The locksmith has to change the pins with the new pins in order to ensure no other key will work in the lock.

When to Rekey Locks

Rekeying a lock should be done when you are the owner of a home or an apartment. The old tenants shouldn’t be able to gain access back inside once someone else has taken occupancy of the home. In fact, it is mandatory for locks to be rekeyed in some areas to protect its tenants.

If you have moved into a new home, you can certainly take it upon yourself to rekey the lock on your own. Contacting a locksmith on your own will give you peace-of-mind in knowing that this has been accomplished whether or not the people responsible for doing so have done it or not.

If you ever lose a key, this is a good time to have your home locks rekeyed. If you have given someone keys to your home or business and no longer want them to have access inside, have the locks rekeyed.

If you want to improve the security of old locks, rekeying them is a good way to improve your security for a little amount of money.

When to Replace Locks

If you have dated locks and you want locks that match the new design of your home, you might want to replace the existing locks.

If you’re making changes to your home security start with your locks. You can achieve better security with newer, upgraded locks.

If you prefer a specific brand and want all of your locks to match this brand, this would be a good time to replace your locks. You can even re-key them as you see fit.

Hiring a Professional Locksmith

Most homeowners assume that they can at least replace their locks on their own. The problem is that when they do, it usually isn’t as sturdy and stable as when a locksmith does the job for you. A professional locksmith may have access to tools that the average homeowner might not. To ensure that the job is performed correctly, it is always in the best interest of the homeowner to allow a qualified, professional locksmith to change the locks of their home and business. This is far too important to simply rely on YouTube or other online resources, to tell you what to do. Take it from us, we have seen the job that some owners have done because it didn’t fair too well for them; their locks were compromised. So, while this could still happen when you a professional locksmith installs your locks, it is less likely to occur.

A professional locksmith will also be able to tell you which types of locks are best for which areas of your home or business. Placing the wrong locks on your doors could result in an ineffective lock. Someone may be able to compromise the locks simply because they were installed on the wrong doors. This is a common mistake many do-it-yourselfers make.

Article Source:  Replace or Repair Your Locks – Which Should You Do