You rely on your locks every day to make your home or business secure. However, if you have not changed your locks in a few years, you may be compromising your safety or, you may be pushing closer to a lock failure that keeps you out of your home or business while you get a locksmith to come over and fix the problem.
Avoid lock problems and keep your property secure by replacing your locks when they experience the following problems or when you experience the following life events.
Problems with the Lock Itself
Certain problems indicate that something has gone wrong with the lock, and it could be about to break. These signs include:
- A stiff or loose door handle
- Rusted locks
- Worn or Rusted key
- The key does not slide in easily, is hard to turn or does not turn smoothly
- You need to pull the door to lock it
- The door must be locked to close properly
Sometimes only the key or internal pins need to be replaced (rekey) and not the entire lock. Other times, the lock has become misaligned and is damaging the door or frame every time you use it.
If you don’t address these lock problems when you find them, the lock may eventually break, the key may break off in the lock, or the door may break beyond repair. It’s much more convenient to get a lock change before this happens.
After You or Someone Else Moves
Whether you’re moving in, or someone else you’ve previously shared the property with is moving out, it’s always best to rekey or change the locks.
If you’re moving into a new home, you don’t know who the last owner or tenant shared their key(s) with. Those people might want to take advantage of you by stealing, or you may just have unexpected guests drop by who didn’t know the old owner moved out.
Landlords should be rekeying or changing locks between tenants to reduce the chance of break-ins. In student housing, they may even rekey or change the locks on bedroom doors for every move.
If you’re a homeowner, consider rekeying or changing your locks when people move out. Whether it’s a former spouse, ex-roommate, family member or tenant. It’s not that you suspect that person will abuse the privilege of having a key, it’s that someone in their life could take the key from them. As they no longer use it, they won’t notice it’s missing. If you have had contractors doing work in your home and have provided a key this may also be a good time to rekey or change the locks.
After Break-ins and Theft
Changing your lock can help deter theft, but your home or business property may still suffer a break in anyway. In this case, it is best to have locks serviced by a locksmith and determine if they need repair or replacement, not because the thieves are likely to have taken an impression of your key, but because they probably damaged the lock when they broke in.
A damaged lock is easier to break open, and some thieves are foolish enough to return to where they’ve robbed before.
If you’ve been having trouble with your keys or locks and need an expert opinion, contact us at Aim Lock & Safe today.
