residential locks

locksmiths service

A look at some high tech lock systems

and some advice on whether they are a good option for you. 

residential locksmith servicesHigh tech locks:

fingerprint, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi enabled lock systems are transforming the way you enter your home, threatening to make house keys obsolete. But do these easy access locks make your home more secure? Do they add to the value of your home? Or will next week’s bright idea make these fancy entry systems passe before you are able to pay them off?

Are You Tech Savvy?

Keyl-ess locks are great for tech-savvy homeowners, says Marianna Perry, a former director of the National Crime Prevention Institute. But the latest isn’t the greatest for someone who struggles to keep up with each “smart” gizmo that comes down the pike. If you still can’t program your DVR to record “Downton Abbey,” key-less locks probably aren’t for you.

“The lock needs to fit the user,” Perry says.

 The Latest Locks 

  • Bio-metric: Locks that recognize your fingerprints and open with a swipe of your finger. ($280-$340) 
  • Key fob (proximity lock): Carry a fob in your pocket, and these locks open automatically or with a simple tap; or press the fob button and unlock the door as soon as you pull into the driveway. ($220) 
  • Smart phone-controlled: Your smart phone syncs with your lock via Bluetooth, enabling you to control entrance remotely and keep track of who comes and goes. Some locks recognize your phone and open automatically as you approach. Some will text you when someone else opens the door. ($200) 
  • Surveillance lock: Combines easy access with surveillance and takes a picture of whoever opens your door. You can program codes for specific people, and the lock will offer a warm LED greeting when they arrive. ($280) 
  • Related: Bio-metric Locks: Even the Jetsons Would Be In Awe 

Keyless Locks Add Appeal and Marketability

“It’s a sales tool,” says Robert Siciliano, a security expert for Schlage locks. Siciliano’s home is outfitted with a touchpad lock that glows blue and can be activated via cellphone. 
“The first thing people see when they walk to my door is that touch-pad, and they want to know all about it,” Siciliano says. “It’s an attention-getter.”

Do High Tech Locks Improve Your Home’s Security?

Not much.

Burglars tend to enter your home through an unlocked door or by forcing a window or door. Criminals will admit that security systems equipped with camera surveillance not locks (smart or otherwise) are the biggest deterrent against unlawful entry.

Burglars are criminals of opportunity, they are looking for the least resistance. 

A bio-metric deadbolt lock, which scans fingerprints, can cost $300 and be less secure than “Consumer Reports’” top-rated Medeco Maxum 11WC60L, a regular keyed lock that costs $190. In CR tests, the Medeco Maxum defied forced entry — the most common type of home break-in — better than the high-tech locks tested.

“Smart locks are more convenient, but not any stronger than regular locks,” says Joey Lachausse of the Associated Locksmiths of America.

In fact, some smart locks

are a bit easier to defeat and tend to be annoying to use more so than traditional locks:

  • In testing, a team of British lock hackers easily opened a fingerprint-reading lock by inserting a paperclip into its backup key chamber.
  • During a power outage, some electronic locks fail or disengage, forcing you to use a backup key — but then your system isn’t key-less, is it?
  • Circuit boards that control electronic locks can fail.

Related: 5 Highly Effective Security Devices

Top Security Tips 

  • Replace hollow-core wood exterior doors with solid wood or steel doors.
  • Reinforce wood door jambs with additional steel plates, which make the door harder to kick in.
  • Install strike plates made of heavy-duty metal, and secure them with 3-inch screws.
  • Replace sidelight glass with shatter-resistant poly-carbonate.
  • Lock doors whenever you leave the house, even for a short time. In fact, lock doors and windows when you’re home, too. 

Home Security

Strategies for safeguarding your home when on holiday

Whether you are heading on vacation for any weekend getaway or planning for a two-week visit to a very beautiful resort, you will want to leave your house properly protected. This is actually the best way you’ll have the ability to truly relax when you are in your vacation and also you certainly deserve a while removed from the stresses of existence. Use the following advice to maintain your home secure while you are away.

1. Have your mailbox checked daily. Assign someone locally the job of picking up your mail every day. It does not take very long for flyers along with other junk mail to amass within the box. A overflowing mailbox is really a sure indication that no-one is home to empty it.

2. Planning for a longer trip? Get the grass freshly mowed! If you are planning to disappear for an extended trip make certain you have somebody scheduled to mow your grass while you are gone. Throughout the height of summer in as little as a few weeks grass can grow rapidly.

3. Buy a light timer. You should not be turning all the lights off and also you should not leave them on constantly either when you are away. Turning your lights on while you are on vacation is really a complete waste of electricity it may also appear suspicious to anybody that might be watching your house. Light timers are easy and cheap to setup. The little cost may help you save 100s or perhaps 1000’s of dollars!

4. Be careful about your posts on social networking sites. If you have planned a vacation to Vegas for a week don’t announce it around the internet on your Facebook page. Don’t tweet regarding your approaching trip either. You are able to talk all that’s necessary concerning the trip once you have came back and may publish all the amazing pictures that you wish. Until that point, however, keep this information private.

5. Unplug electrical products. Safeguard your house from the chance of an electric fire by unplugging your home appliances along with other products for example Televisions, stereo systems and computer systems. You won’t just save energy, because so many home appliances consume energy when they are not switched on, but you’ll also safeguard them from the possible harmful electrical currents.

6. Spare key in a hiding place? Take it with you! For those who have an extra key hiding underneath the pad at the door make certain that you simply take it with you or give it to a trusted neighbor or friend, before departing on vacation. If a crook is keeping an eye your home and thinks you will probably have left the house unoccupied, the very first thing he will do is search for an extra key. Regardless of how well you think you’ve hidden it, remove it before leaving.

Security Alarm

  • A criminal doesn’t care if your home is old or new, possessed or leased. There’s no discrimination if this involves crime.
  • The amount of protection that you ought to choose should suit your security needs together with the requirements of your family.
  • The greater time the criminal consumes attempting to get access to your home or office, the higher the possibility of him being caught’.

These simple tips can improve your height of security.

Change your securing hardware. By improving your securing hardware you are able to increase the amount of time it requires to interrupt to your home or office. This is exactly what law enforcement call ‘Target Hardening’.

When the criminal needs to struggle, creating a lot of noise to achieve entry, he’ll usually go elsewhere. Also bear in mind that many tresses are mechanical products having a pre-determined life time. That’s why you should check and re-evaluate your security hardware regularly.

Go to your local locksmith professional to determine what’s available for sale, they’re more knowledgeable and knowledgeable with what security systems are available in comparison to some clerk in a home improvement store. Locksmiths can provide you with info on alternative security solutions for example key less entry.

Entry Routes. Limit the quantity of entry ways to your property because it causes it to be simpler to manage security one entrance way instead of several. Control the flow of traffic interior and exterior your home.

Landscape designs. Landscape designs around your house is definitely an effective way of security. A few of the following ideas need some sweat and hard work, but can be quite good at removing any would-be burglars.

Possess a fresh layer of crushed gravel or stones placed around the bottom of the home, focusing on areas around home windows. Walking on gravel, as possible all verify, will announce any burglar. Plant thorny bushes near to access areas. If anybody ended up being to hide within the shrubbery around or in your house, they’d think it is really miserable. Ensure all trees and bushes are correctly trimmed and you’ve got an obvious view of your dwelling and restrict the size of shrubbery that block the vista of entrance doors.

Keep your place tidy. The look of neglected landscaping gives the look that ‘no one really cares’, while the view of a tidy home and yard suggests the proprietors do care and value their possessions. Individuals well-stored houses may also rapidly notice missing products.

Who’s available? Whether individuals have lately moved in and have resided there forever, become familiar with your neighbors. They could be a valuable ally in acquiring your house.

That has the important thing? An exciting too common security problem is available when individuals move and neglect to collect all of the house secrets. Anybody holding one of these simple ‘loaned out’ or forgotten secrets could then easily get access. When getting into a brand new home, possess the exterior locks re-keyed or install new securing hardware. This guarantees you, and also you alone, come with an exclusive group of secrets towards the house.

Sensors are among the great technical advances that people reply upon daily for the security. Home sensors also reduce insurance charges and will include many features that increase your security alarm thus making you feel happier about your house security. Locksmiths are the perfect source for info on alarm types, sales and installation.

Motion Sensors are extremely affordable and criminal preventives. If your motion sensor is installed properly and situated in the right position, the sunshine will warn you of any burglar coming on your property. They are not only a great security device, additionally they help you save dollars in your utility bill.

Blinds and Curtains. You will find two ideas about the advantages of maintaining your blinds open or keeping them closed. If you’re away, the primary benefit of keeping them open is it enables your neighbors to identify any unusual activity inside. However, you’re also advertising your property for thieves to steal.

Another technique is to close your curtains. The only issue is the fact that neighbors cannot are unable to spot unusual activity in your home. Negatively, if your crook has joined your house, a torch is going to be needed to determine its contents.

The answer, alert neighbors that you’re going away to have an longer time frame and tell them of regardless if you are departing them open or closed. For other outings, enter into the habit of smoking when departing the home to keep in mind the way you left it. Were the curtains closed? The lights left on?

Keeping your curtains open or closed is really a personal choice.

Outdoors Sheds. Sheds are frequently susceptible to invasion by undesirable visitors. They’re inviting towards the crook since they’re hardly used. Don’t store valuable products inside your shed. Secure your garden shed Or storage doorways with quality locks and hardware.

If you’re unclear about what preventive steps or items are presently available, request a burglar alarm professional or locksmith for advice.

24 hr Locksmith is more than pleased to go over your  residential security to help you solve your home security concerns.