Blogs and Keys

Changing your locks may sound like a simple task, but this is true only if you know what you are doing. There are many different styles of handles on the market. The locking mechanisms on certain styles vary and each has a unique function. If you are going to change your locks, be sure to know what type works best and why. Here is some useful information on styles and basics of changing a lock. Knowing what the lock is used for is important in finding the style that best meets your security needs.

Free through Passage Handles: These handles are exactly as they sound. You will not have to worry about locks. They come in either a knob type handle style or a level style which is very popular. Before purchasing these handles, though, be sure you do not need a lock.

Privacy Door Knobs: These handles are often used in the bedroom or bathroom. You can unlock the door by either turning the knob or turning an extra switch on the inside of the door. These are great for those areas where privacy is desired most.

Security Deadbolt Lock: The single deadbolt lock is a great style lock is good for any entrance to the home, whether the front or back door. However, it is best to use this lock with doors that do not have side lights or a glass pane since entrance would be fairly easy. One would only have to break the glass and reach in to turn the knob. The double deadbolt lock can provide extra strength and security to your doors. It can be locked form the inside or the outside using a key. You can also add a chain, for example, to provide even more security.

Decorative Door Knobs, Deadbolt and Latch Set: These handles help improve your home’s appearance. They are often placed on French doors. You can also use them on pantries if there is nothing hazardous inside, which should be kept from small children for instance. There are no locks on these decorative handles, but a little more security can be implemented with a decorative deadbolt and latch set. You can use these two pieces together or by themselves, depending on your needs.

You must now determine if the door handle you currently have is appropriate. To make this determination, you should first look at the latch plate. The hole may not be deep enough for a higher quality latch. Open and remove the existing latch plate, which is on the inside of your door. If it does not fit into the old hole, you will need to chisel the hole to give it a deeper depth. Also, be sure to check that the plunger for the deadbolt lines up with the hole in the frame since the lock will not provide proper security otherwise. Adding longer screws into the pre-drilled areas on the latch plate can add extra security.

Congratulations on moving in to your new home. Of course when we use the word new in this instance we mean that the home is new to our family. Most times when we move home we move into a house, apartment or condominium that has been owned before.

If other people have owned, or rented, your home before you, this means that they must have had keys to your home. This means that changing the locks on your new abode is a top priority.

But the folks that you bought your new home from are a real nice family and you reason that they would not sneak back with a spare set of keys and burgle you. Most probably not, but the thing is that you just don’t know if they have handed out copies of the keys to your home.

How do you know that a spare key was not loaned to a tradesman, pet sitter, delivery person or visiting friend or relative? Sure the key was handed back when the job was done, or the visit was over, but what if a copy was made?

Let’s be cynical for a moment. Apart from the number of times the previous owners handed out a spare key can you really be so sure of the honesty of the family itself? For sure they seemed nice enough people, but then they were selling you their home, how do you know what they are really like? All it would take is for the one dishonest member of that family to sell a set of keys to a housebreaker and that means that your new home is in no way secure.

Changing locks may involve a comparatively small expense and a bit of inconvenience, but nothing like the expense and inconvenience of a thief using a copied key to walk into your home.

Remember that it is of little use just changing the lock to your front door. All external doors need to have their locks replaced and that includes the garage door, especially so if there is a door that leads from the garage into the house.

Alright, you realize that changing locks to your new home is a top of the list task. But you may not want to simply change like for like. Perhaps the previous owners were happy with a lower level of security than you demand for your family. You may want to replace any spring latch type locks with deadbolt locks. Also check whether the existing latch plates are deep enough for the new locks that you are fitting.

So that’s it. You’ve changed all the external locks and made sure the locks that you fitted were of a good quality. No worries for you about keys to your home in the hands of thieves.

There’s just one thing. At some point in time you will need to loan a key to a repair man who needs to call when there just can’t be a family member home to let him in. Sooner or later it happens.

Of course you would only loan a key when absolutely necessary, but do you want to go changing locks every time that you have to do that?

Consider fitting keyless locks. Should you need to allow temporary access to a repair man, delivery person or visiting friend you give them a temporary code and when the repairs are done or your guest is gone, you simply delete the code. They cannot return and gain entry into your home.

Fingerprint locks go one better. There are no codes to give out. You grant someone entry authorization by scanning their fingerprint and retaining it in the lock system. When you no longer need them to have access you simply delete their print.

Changing locks as soon as you move into a new home helps give you the peace of mind that someone can’t just walk in and help themselves.