Various Kinds of Locks

Searching for a new lock when you have no clue what you’re looking for can end up being fairly pointless – that’s because there are such a wide range of locks available. Before you go searching for a lock, make sure that you have some idea of what you’re looking for. Otherwise, as you browse through the many options on the market, you may find yourself being pulled in several directions at once. This can end up being frustrating and time-consuming rather than productive.

How about consulting a professional? At Hemet Locksmith in Hemet, CA, our locksmiths can advise you on the type of locks that are most suitable for your property. Go ahead and give us a call. You may just end up saving yourself a whole lot of time and hassle.

 

Locks Do a Great Job of Protecting Your Property

We all should know that having the right lock can make a big difference in the amount of security that our property has. But, how much does it really matter to have the right locks on your doors, windows etc.? Can the type of lock really make such a huge difference? Well, the answer to these questions is plain and simple- you can easily prevent intruders based on the type of locks you have installed on your property.

With so many locks on the market, you may be wondering which ones are more secure and which ones aren’t. The truth of the matter is that all locks are not designed to provide the same level of security. Plus, not all locks are designed to be used in the same places. Hence, locks tend to provide the level of security needed based on where they’re made to be used.

For instance, it makes very little sense to put certain locks on your exterior doors when they’re made to be used on interior doors. Of course, they may fit perfectly on your exterior door, and you may even think that they offer a lot of security. However, there will be many options that are better.

Let’s look at some of the most commonly used locks, where they’re designed to be used and how much protection they can offer.

• Deadbolts

In most cases, deadbolts are installed on exterior doors because they provide a great deal of security. There are many types of them too- single, double and lockable thumbturn. The type of deadbolt you select for your external door will mostly depend on the amount of security you desire or just your general preference. While some people prefer to use a key to lock or open their doors, some prefer to only use keys when opening the door.

This is just one of the determining factors when it comes to deadbolts. But, there’s one thing that’s sure- deadbolts are one of the most secure types of lock for exterior doors. No wonder they are so frequently used by homeowners and business owners for protection.

• Knob locks

Knob locks are a bit simpler than deadbolts. They are mostly used at residential properties and are more suitable for internal doors. While some people will use these locks for their external doors, this is not recommended unless there are other types of locks on the door that can significantly increase the level of protection.

Since knob locks are very easy to break or get pass, if you currently have a knob lock on your door as the only means of protection, get it changed as soon as possible. Not only are you putting yourself at risk, you are also putting your property at risk of being burglarized and vandalized.

• Lever handle locks

In the past, lever handle locks were made primarily for interior doors. Today, there are different grades of lever handle locks, suitable for exterior and interior doors. While lever handle locks are more commonly found on commercial properties, they have become quite popular in residential properties too.

If you are interested in purchasing a lever handle lock for your doors, make sure the type you purchase is suitable for the door it will be placed on. We wouldn’t want you to put a lock designed for interior doors on your exterior door. To ensure that you purchase the correct lock, give your local locksmith a call. They should be able to advise you on the lock that will work best for your door.

• Furniture locks

Even if you do not have any idea what these locks look like, their name should tell you where they’re used. Yes, there are locks made specially for furniture items. Whether it is a cabinet that you need to keep locked or a drawer on your desk, these locks can come in very handy. While they are not often the most secure locks, they do serve their purpose well in many cases.

Furniture locks come in different sizes too. As you browse through your options of furniture locks, make sure that the lock you choose will be the appropriate size. Also, check to see how secure it will be once installed. This will help you ensure that it will not be very easy to bypass.

• Padlocks

One of the most portable locks, the padlock has been in existence for many, many years. They come in different shapes, sizes, colors and they cater to a wide range of budgets. Nowadays, they even make padlocks that do not require a key to be opened. If you’re scouring the market to find a good padlock, there are many options for you to choose from. Just make sure you find one that will serve its purpose well.

• Keyless Entry Systems

Many lock options mentioned above all require the use of a key. However, there are many locks on the market nowadays that can be opened without a key. Although they tend to be much more expensive options, the level of security they can provide is unparalleled.

Are you trying to determine which type of lock to purchase for your property and need more information from a professional locksmith? Give us a call at Hemet Locksmith in Hemet, CA. Our lock experts can help you today!

Aricle source here: Various Kinds of Locks

What You Should Do After Losing a Transponder Key

Have you ever lost your transponder key? The transponder key is the key that you can open without placing the key in the door? You can open it remotely. This is definitely a handy gadget that has certainly come in handy for most of us. However, when we no longer have access to this key, it can be a huge inconvenience for most of us. The level of convenience it offers most of us is so important to us that we simply do not know how to function without it. If this sounds like you, you likely have a spare transponder key but what if you do not? You may be up a creek without a paddle, as they say.

As long as you call on Hemet Locksmith in Hemet, CA, you can be sure that we’ll be able to get you the help you need in no time. Most locksmiths know just how much of a pain it is to lose your transponder key; most of us have them ourselves. Just like it is possible to use a traditional key, it is just as simple to lose a transponder key. Although your transponder key makes it almost impossible for someone to steal your car, this isn’t the case if they actually have your key in their possession. This is why it is so important to make sure you contact us right away to make sure that we reprogram your dashboard and get you another transponder key as soon as possible.

There are some additional things that you can do when you lose your transponder key. We have listed them for you below.

1. Missing Transponder Chip – Sometimes you may not lose the key itself but when you lose the chip, it is just as good as losing the key; the key still will not work. It is simply like a shell. The reason that your chip can go missing is when it has been drooped one too many times. It eventually loosens to the point of coming out. In fact, when this happens, most people simply think that the batter has fallen out of their transponder key. Hemet Locksmith is one of the few 24-hour emergency locksmiths that will come to wherever you are to replace the chip in your transponder key. Our locksmiths have everything they need in order to handle this for you. Many motorists also assume that the only way to get another chip is to have their car towed to a dealership. This is not the case; you can save money and time simply by contacting a mobile locksmith to handle the job of replacing your missing transponder chip.

2. Always Be Ready – You will surely miss the convenience of having a transponder key when you no longer have access to yours. This is undeniable. It isn’t the worst situation in the world but when you don’t have a spare key, it can turn into a nightmare. Being ready for the possibility of this happening to you involves your having a spare key made and given to someone who is responsible. You can greatly decrease your anxiety by having a transponder key made. These keys can be rather expensive so it is best to ask for another key when you are first purchasing the car. This is the time that you’ll get the best deal. In most cases, the auto dealer can be convinced to through the extra key in along with the purchase of the car. If you don’t want to shovel out approximately $100 U.S.D, we would suggest you get yourself a spare transponder key now. If you’re unable to get the dealership to give you a break on a transponder key, believe it or not, you can actually buy one on Amazon or EBay. A locksmith has the machinery that will enable them to program your new transponder key for you.
   

3. Don’t Buy the Lost Key Insurance – Someone might attempt to sell you lost key insurance. There are many people who have never ever heard of such insurance but for those of you who are offered this type of insurance, kindly decline. This is a monthly or annual expense that you can avoid. Use the money you save on something far more useful, like gasoline for your car. In fact, an even better idea is to go and invest in a spare transponder key rather than wasting it on lost key insurance. This is simply another ploy for insurance companies to make money off of unsuspecting consumers.

 

4. Buy Your Transponder Key Online – We mentioned this earlier and it is true, you can find your next transponder key online. As you might already know, you can find practically anything and everything on Amazon and EBay; transponder keys are no exception. You might wonder how this is accomplished. The key to your successfully finding a transponder key that will actually work is to find one that is being sold by a reputable seller. Not every manufacturer offers reliable transponder keys so give us a call and ask us which ones are reputable. Any of our trained and qualified locksmiths will be happy to advise you of the ones that you can rely on. We would also encourage you to only purchase this type of key online if they offer allow you to return it if it doesn’t work. We would never suggest buying a transponder on key that will not work once it has been properly programmed. In some cases, if you buy from a reputable seller and the key will not work, sometimes they will send you another one. This is how they keep customers coming back.

It is not impossible to lose your transponder key. This sort of thing happens everyday; the key to successfully dealing with it is in knowing what you will do to handle the problem when it happens to you. We hope you will take heed to the suggestions above.

Aricle source here: What You Should Do After Losing a Transponder Key

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In Hemet, CA, you can have your locksmith needs met by dependable and effective technicians at Hemet Locksmith. We offer residential, commercial and automotive services. Call us at (951) 643-0852 when you need a local service to attend to your needs.

Hemet Locksmith is the most widely used service because we have the best technician in the area. When you want the job done right, it will be if you allow us to attend to your service requests. We act quickly to get you the help you need. Call us today at (951) 643-0852 or visit us at www.hemetlocksmith.net.

Run a DIY Home Security Assessment with These Tips

By Bryan Black

Conducting your own home security assessment to increase your security footprint is crucial in eliminating the one question you don’t want to be left asking yourself after a burglary. “What could I have done to prevenis?”

Fearing Crime

Fear, as Gavin de Becker explains it in his bestselling book, The Gift of Fear, is a survival signal that sounds in the presence of danger. His #1 rule is that the mere fact you fear crime, is evidence that it’s not actually occurring that very moment. Rule #2 is that what you fear is rarely what you think you fear, it’s what you link to fear.

In the case of crime, what we all really fear is being a victim of theft and the feeling it would leave us with to come home and see our sanctum sanctorum ransacked. True fear is a gift. The fear that a pompous neighbor might have told you they don’t have, or gone further in explaining they don’t have anything worth stealing, isn’t the same thing. That’s nothing more than complacency and complacency kills.

It causes people to leave their doors unlocked and garage doors open, sending a postcard to criminals that they’re open for business. A healthy amount of the right kind of fear is critical in thinking like a criminal and doing everything you can to make your home a harder target.

Perhaps you feel there really isn’t anything of value to you in your home, but how about your life? That may sound outlandish, but a burglary can happen just as easily when you’re home, as when you’re gone. I’m willing to bet there’s at least one person out there who would be devastated if you weren’t around any longer.

Let’s get to the real meat of this article, which is conducting your own home security assessment. What exactly is a home security assessment? It’s looking at your home through the eye of a burglar and identifying critical weaknesses that someone could exploit to gain entry into your home. It’s also looking at the interior of your home for what they’d take if they did gain entry; i.e. window shopping.

Home Security Assessment

Below, you’ll find a list that I’ve compiled from my years of researching home security and my lessons learned in applying these items to my own home. They’re tips and tricks that have evolved as I’ve learned more about lock picking and other devices that have helped me know what to select to make my home a harder target. Many of these may leave you with even more questions, so I’ve tried to add information and links to each item where I can for further reading and product research.

One last thing I’ll leave you with is to always remember, any security is just buying time. That statement is so important I’ll say it again. Security is just buying time. The results that will hopefully come from your home security assessment will only serve to slow down a determined criminal.

If a burglar truly wants into your home, there are only obstacles that can be placed in their way that make it more difficult. That, or hopefully cause them to give up and move on to a different house.

This isn’t to say that security measures don’t work, only that you should be realistic in your expectations. Slowing a criminal down is very important, the less time they have, the better the chance they’ll get caught or never make the attempt to begin with. Most burglaries take place in only 8-12 minutes.

Ok, last thing, I promise. Remember to think twice about entering your home if it looks like it’s been broken into, leaving the premises and calling the police might be the best thing to do first.

Know Your Neighborhood

• Learn your neighborhood by walking the streets. Through this, you’ll start to learn the baseline, or what commonly occurs around you. Changes in the baseline are the first indication that something isn’t right.
• When you leave your home, be observant and maintain your situational awareness. Look around for anything and anyone moving towards you as you get into your vehicle or drive away from your house.
• Before leaving your house, or even before pulling back in when returning, look around for anything that’s out of the ordinary or that’s changed in the baseline. If you see something, say something. All Police Departments have a non-emergency number to report suspicious activities. Look it up and put the number into your phone.
• Meet your neighbors! This may be counter to your thinking and feel that the less people know about you the better, but there’s tremendous value in knowing all your immediate neighbors. They’ll be the first people to notice if something isn’t right at your home, provided they know what to look for.
• Developing a relationship with your neighbors can be mutually beneficial when you leave town. They can pick up any leaflets on your door, or unscheduled newspapers left in your yard and you can offer the same to them.
• During snowy season, having a fresh set of tire tracks in your driveway, or footprints on the sidewalk are important to give the appearance of an active home. Enlist the help of a neighbor if you won’t be home to do this.
• Check to see if your neighborhood uses Nextdoor, a private social network for neighborhoods. It can be a great way to stay in touch with neighbors and keep up with what’s going on around your neighborhood. If your neighborhood doesn’t use it, you can take the lead and start it up!
• If you go out of town, put a hold on your mail with the USPS. It’s free and you can schedule the date for it to resume and your held mail to be re-delivered all at once.

Read more: Run a DIY Home Security Assessment with These Tips

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