What Does a Locksmith Do?

Those that have never been locked out of a house, vehicle, or business before might ask themselves, what does a locksmith do? Although it might seem simple at first, locksmiths are actually responsible for facilitating a wide range of lock and key services.

A locksmith is a person who deals in all things lock related. Locksmiths perform an extensive range of lock and key services like lock re-keying, installing peepholes, performing security audits, changing locks for security purposes, installing new locks, and opening locked doors for vehicles, homes, and businesses. When keys are lost or misplaced then a locksmith is typically the best solution for regaining entry or making new keys.

To those that ask, what exactly do locksmiths do? They repair, replace, install, and change out lock and key hardware on cars, houses, commercial properties, and more. Locksmiths reset locks, make new keys, work on door locks, and can offer security audits to check for weaknesses. Your average locksmith is more than just a professional lockout service.

Locksmiths install, repair and adjust all kinds of locks. Be it your home, work, office, car, locker, or any kind of lock that operates with a key. Further to this, your resident locksmith will also be able to guide you in security matters, advise you on other trusted companies to use, and remain with you until the situation has been handled quickly. If you have your keys locked inside your car or home, call a locksmith so they can come to you and provide a solution that is fast and affordable. When calling a locksmith you can rely on them to wait with you while everything gets taken care of. Those not wanting to call for a locksmith to open a locked car door can consider other options such as having the car towed to a dealership so they can make a new car key.

When you accidentally lock yourself out, a locksmith should be the first person you call. Almost all locksmiths provide lockout services which are designed to aid those locked out and in need during emergency situations. There are mobile locksmith companies that operate 24 hours and exclusively provide lockout services. If you live in a cold area and have accidentally locked the keys in the house then a locksmith will be able to unlock the door again. Since locksmiths are highly trained, they can unlock doors without breaking anything or causing any damage. This saves you the cost of breaking down the door and having to repair it later. When a locksmith receives a call they will rush to those in need so they can provide quick lock and key services. Locksmiths don't need a key to regain entry into a locked room or vehicle as they carry a set of specialized tools that allow them to unlock many doors without the use of a key. So next time you experience that rush of panic because you are locked out – worry no more! Just call a local locksmith and they will come quickly to help you out.

Sometimes you come across a lock that you have no key for. Perhaps you've found a chest or safe in the attic or basement and are dying to know what's inside. The average professional locksmith will be able to come to your home and examine a lock, open it, repair it, and replace it if necessary.

If you have a very old lock that no longer works or is in a state of disrepair then consider calling on the services of a professional locksmith to repair or replace them. Locksmiths can also rekey locks in order to make them operate using new keys. During this process of rekeying, a locksmith will remove the cylinder and take the pins from the lock to match them to a new key. This is a fairly basic process for any pro locksmith and you should not fear that they will harm your lock because it's their profession. When it comes to dealing with antique locks, it's typically better not to attempt working on them yourself and instead hire someone qualified with years of experience. For lock re-keying on ancient locks see a professional or risk lowering the value of the antique in question. Attempting to force a lock open while it is barred shut would probably result in damage to the lock itself, the door, or the frame. Call an expert instead of risking damages.

If you have recently moved into a new home and are worried that the previous owners might still have access to the property then this is the perfect example of when you need a locksmith. They will come to your home and change every lock in the house, leaving you with the new set of keys and a wonderfully enhanced sense of security. By having your locks changed you can guarantee that no former residents will be able to open your locked doors from then on. Once the locks have been changed you will have the exclusivity of knowing that you are the only one with the new keys to the house, apartment, condominium, or other place or residence. Most locksmiths can change the locks anywhere – be it the garage, the windows, padlocks on gates, and more.

So next time you find yourself locked out of your house with your keys locked inside a car, house, or business, just remember who you can call. When in dire need of lockout services – just remember that there are professional locksmiths on hand and in your area who are ready to take your call at any hour. Why wait in the cold when all it takes is one phone call? Why worry yourself sleepless about retaliation from ex-lovers who still have keys to your apartment? The small fee a locksmith will charge is nothing important when compared to a potential threat to your physical security and well being. The best possible course of action in this instance is to have your lock rekeyed by a professional locksmith that will leave it in as good (or better) condition as they found it.

Whether you need an old lock re-keyed or a new lock opened – there is no need to break down the doors just yet. Get in touch with a local locksmith today and see what they can do for you. If you are even a little worried about your safety then a locksmith is a good start since they can give you sound advice about the strength and quality of locks, doors and other security systems. Don't get caught unprepared – get safe, get protected, and hire your local locksmith today!

Additional Resources:

What Does a Locksmith Do? — Sokanu.com

What Does a Locksmith Do? — Learn.org

Locksmith — Wikipedia.org

How to Avoid Getting Locked Out

From the recent studies, it has been identified that a lot of people get locked out of their cars, homes, and offices on a regular basis. They happen during the most inconvenient times as well. When you encounter such a situation, you'll probably also have to deal with a lot of stress and frustration. Therefore, it is important for you to have a clear understanding of how to avoid getting locked out in the first place.

Here are some effective tips that you can keep in mind to make sure that you don’t get locked out of your home, office, or car.

Carry a spare key

Carrying a spare key is a straightforward and practical solution to avoid getting locked out. Spare keys are probably the best way to avoid getting locked out. Those that have a working key can easily get a copy made with the assistance of a locksmith company or by using a key machine from a local hardware store. Once a spare key is made, it can be kept with you to be used during emergencies. When your car or house keys are locked inside, a spare key is all that's needed to quickly open the door.  Carrying a spare key will keep you away from calling lockout services because you'll be able to easily let yourself in. Be careful to keep the spare keys in a secure place if you hide them on your property so that they won't get into the wrong hands.

Take tryout keys

Tryout keys are in a position to help you when you are locked out of car. In fact, it will keep you away from calling a car lockout service. However, it is important to keep in mind that tryout keys don't unlock all cars and they probably won't work on residential locks. In other words, they can assist with unlocking old cars that don’t have intelligent locking mechanisms. Those with older cars can consider this method as an option for regaining entry into their vehicle.

Keep lock picks along with you

You don’t need to spend a fortune purchasing a lock pick set for this method. After acquiring a simple set, a lock picking kit can be utilized to open locked vehicles, homes, and businesses. Those that are locked out of car or home can simply take out the lock pick set in order to regain entry. It is important to note that before purchasing a lock pick set, you'll need to have a clear understanding about the lock pick laws that exist within your state. Some states in the United States have laws that prohibit the possession of lock picks and consider carrying them a felony without proper licensing. Moreover, you need to keep in mind that several lock types cannot be unlocked with the assistance of a lock pick set.

Make it a habit to check for the keys regularly

Make sure to keep your keys in a safe location such as a pocket, purse, or backpack in which they won't fall out or get taken. If you can make it a habit to look for keys and see whether they are in your purse or pocket, you will get the opportunity to stay away from getting locked out. For example, before leaving a house, you should see whether you have all the keys with you. Likewise, you can do the same thing to avoid getting locked out of your car as well.

Replace all the bad locks

Bad locks can be considered as one of the main reasons why people tend to get locked out of houses, apartments, and other homes. If you don’t want to encounter such a lockout situation, consider doing a proper inspection of all the locks and replace any bad or malfunctioning ones. If you find that a specific lock is difficult to open, consider taking a look at it to see if it needs to be fixed or replaced before it breaks. The effort taken to replace a broken lock is totally worth it when compared to the hassle involved with getting back into a house after a lockout. If a lock is not functioning properly then not even a spare key will be able to assist opening it. Be careful when it comes to the security of your home and business locks and make sure to replace all bad locks on a regular basis before they break and cause issues.

Hide a lock box

Most people tend to hide spare keys around the outside of their home so they can use them after getting locked out of a house. This is not a wise thing to do because burglars can figure out where you hide your keys and then gain access to the home. Hence, you should think about hiding a lock box, instead of hiding just a key. After hiding a lock box it's both easy and safe to leave a spare key hidden inside. It's also a good idea to make sure that all the people that live in your home are aware of the combination to open the lockbox so they can gain access to the key. It’s important to hide the lockbox because it will provide enhanced security by preventing criminals from using the spare key.

Call for a professional lockout service

If you figure out that you cannot open a locked door on your own, then consider the possibility of getting in touch with a professional lockout service. It is possible to find a large number of emergency locksmith services in your area that provide their services throughout 24 hours of the day. However, be careful to only contact reputable and licensed lockout services in order to get the best possible services at the least expensive cost. As mentioned earlier, people typically find themselves locked out of their car or house during the most inconvenient times. It is important to do prior research and save the number of a reliable locksmith company in your mobile phone before getting locked out. Once the number is saved in your phone, you'll always have quick access to an emergency locksmith service near you.