Coronavirus has led to unprecedented levels of unemployment in the United States. It is no secret that as unemployment increases, house thefts and robberies also increase. In this article, we enlist ways that locksmiths suggest to heighten the security of your house.
Standard Locks
Let’s leave the fancy ways of making your house secure for later and stress that whatever the case may be, it is always beneficial to have a lock-in place when it comes to the safety of you and your loved ones living in your house. Standard locks have the advantage of being readily available. Alongside, they are cheaper to install than fancier locks. You really do not have any excuse to put off installing a standard lock if it already not in place. Alongside, standard locks are cheaper to repair as well!
Locks Repairs:
Repairing your locks yourself or getting your locks repaired by professionals is another task you should perform whenever it is due. Standard locks are cheap to repair and a lot of service providers will be able to repair a standard lock for you meaning it would not even require that much effort to get one repaired. On the other hand, fancier locks will take more time and resources to be repaired. Alongside, you have to get professional help to repair standard locks, and that advanced level of professional help may not be available readily. However, even if your lock is fancy, you should get it repaired anyway. Think about it this way: I have already invested so much in installing a fancy lock; it will be such a waste if I leave it damaged and not get it repaired.
Using Deadbolts:
A deadbolt is a type of locking system that cannot be opened unless the person trying to open it rotates the key. It is different from the more commonly used spring bolt system as the spring bolt system uses a spring to bolt the door in place which then permits retraction when force is applied on the bolt itself. Thus, a deadbolt is more effective at providing security than spring bolts. A lot of times people install deadbolts in combination with spring bolts so that they have the option of choosing from both. Suppose a scenario in which you are about to leave your house for five minutes to go to the store. There is no need to deploy a deadbolt at that time especially if all the rest of your family is at home. However, if you and your entire family are leaving the house for days to go to another city, you would want to use a deadbolt.
Keep Keys Out Of Sight:
Do not play into the hands of thieves and intruders by making your keys visible whenever you are in public. Even when you have guests over, it is best to keep keys out of sight and place them in a drawer. By hiding keys in front of anyone who you do not trust, you are ensuring no one can get inside your house without your permission or the permission of anyone else in your household. This is, of course, if the locks are working ideally and the locks cannot be opened by any other keys.
Rekeying:
Another way door locks can be made secure is the process of rekeying. Rekeying locks entails changing your lock to no longer accept the same key. Locks have tumblers inside them. Those tumblers have different pins of varying sizes inside them. By changing the tumbler, we rekey the lock and your old key cannot be used anymore. Afterward, we cut out a new key which is ideal to open your new lock. Rekeying should be done routinely as the chances of someone being able to access your house without your permission decrease significantly if rekeying is performed timely. Imagine a scenario in which you do not get your lock rekeyed. Eventually, a malicious person will get hold of the key and get a replica made. That malicious person now has easy access to your house.
Double Cylinder Locks:
Is one of your front doors situated right next to a window? Are you afraid that one day an intruder might break your window and then extend his arm to open your door from the inside? If so, double cylinder locks are ideal for you! Double cylinder locks need to have keys placed inside them not only if someone wants to open the door from the outside but also if someone wants to open the door from inside the house. This system will definitely enhance the security of your house if you have a small window right next to your door.
Lock Windows:
Do you have a window in your house large enough for a human being to pass through? If you are worried about the safety of you and your loved ones living with you in your house, one thing you should make sure to perform is locking your windows. Leaving your windows unlocked is basically an invitation for burglars and other intruders to come in and rob and/or invade your privacy. It is also noteworthy that a locked double-glazed window is more secure than a locked single-glazed window. The basic requirement though remains the same: your windows need to be locked!
One question which is asked a lot from locksmiths is whether you need to install locks on the first-floor and second-floor windows. The answer is a big yes! So many incidents have taken place where thieves and robbers have climbed up pipes on the walls and entered people’s houses. Not only should you install locks on your upper floor windows, but you should also make sure your kids do not leave your windows unlocked through the night.
Secure Other Possible Entry Points:
For a second, focus your thought on the back door you always forget to lock after letting your dog outside. Even worse, when you let your dog inside for the night, you forget to lock the sliding door then as well. This way, an intruder can just walk inside your house throughout the night and steal your stuff and then leave without you even knowing. It is important to lock your back door every time you open it. If you live alone and take your dog outside for a walk through the sliding back door, consider installing a standard lock on the outside of the door so no one can open the back door without having the keys for it.
An argument can be made that you need less security when it comes to your back door as you live in a crowded area and your yard on the back is connected to your neighbor’s yard. The problem here is that everyone in your beloved and trustworthy neighborhood sleeps at the same time. An intruder can simply enter your neighbor’s unfenced yard and walk into your house in the middle of the night and again no one would know.
Add Lighting And Eliminate Hiding Spots
What if you have made sure all your locks are in place and are being utilized at the right times? Is there anything else you can do to work on the safety of yourself and your loved ones? The answer is yes. The more hiding spots there are on the premises of your house, the more places intruders have to observe how you conduct your daily life. This will give the intruders a chance to assess and later exploit the flaws in your security apparatus. So, maybe it is high time to trim that bush which blocks your view of your yard from your window.
Invest In A Home Security System:
Investing in a home security system is one thing which we would recommend to anyone who is extra careful about their own safety and the safety of their loved ones. Some people have alarms installed on their doors and windows which ring when someone tries to intrude into their space. Moreover, some of these security systems also automatically get in touch with the police along with sounding the alarm. Yes, these home security systems are expensive but they are a good way to ensure your house is fully secure especially if you are known to be a rich person who is burglar-worthy. No wonder, a lot of entrepreneurs have these alarm systems installed in their homes.
Our alarm systems the only common types of security systems people use? The answer is no. Some people also have their houses monitored round the clock through security cameras. In some cases, a combination of alarms and security camera surveillance is used. When someone tries to intrude, the alarm sounds not only at your house but also at the place responsible for monitoring the security camera footage at your house. This combination is usually the ultimate way to secure your house. The basic requirement though remains the same: your doors and your windows need to be locked as if they are not locked, no alarm would sound when intruders come in!
Be Careful With Spare Keys
This tip sounds obvious but really needs to be reinforced whenever someone asks for advice on security. Spare keys have been used by thieves, robbers, and other intruders for intruding into people’s houses so many times you will start to regret not keeping them in a safe place once we tell you the exact number. Identify a drawer where you are going to place your spare key from now on. In a password-encoded note on your phone, write down where you put your spare keys in case you forget.
Don’t Advertise You’re Burglar Worthy:
So how else do you prevent burglars from coming in? Well, make the burglars think there is not much to gain from your house. By now, you should have a security apparatus strong enough that the burglar will not risk getting caught if they think you are not burglar worthy. Tell your kids to stop showing off any expensive belongings and generally keep a low profile.
Lock The Garage
A scenario worth thinking through: you come back home tired from work and buying groceries. In the hustle and bustle of bringing your groceries from your car to your house and washing your groceries off to remove the risk of coronavirus, you leave the door to your house which is connected to your garage open. In this scenario as well, thieves, robbers, and other intruders have an “open invitation” to enter your house. Thus, it is important to get your garage door security system properly checked. Alongside, it is important to utilize the lock on the door of your house which is connected to your garage. If there is no lock on that door, it is important to install one on it.
Pick Proof Locks:
Remember the tumblers we mentioned in the rekeying locks section? In rekeying, we make sure we alter those tumblers often so that intruders do not get time to figure a way past them. In pick-proof locks, locksmiths just add more tumblers to one lock making it difficult for intruders to work past the entire lock. Many times, we are asked the question: are pick-proof locks worth the higher price tag compared to that of standard locks? The answer is always a resounding yes. If you can afford to buy them and get them installed, pick-proof locks help boost the security of your house a lot.
Storm Doors:
2020’s Atlantic Hurricane Season was the worst and there is no indication that 2021’s hurricane season would be any better. Storm doors help to protect your exterior access doors from stormy weather. They are important to keep robbers, burglars, thieves, and all other intruders away as well. Here’s why: If you do not have a storm door and you live in a hurricane-prone area, your exterior door can be easily damaged. Intruders typically wait all year round for days like these when they can take advantage of bad weather. As soon as your door gets damaged due to a storm, they will come in and cause harm. The way to fix this is by installing a storm door. Even in days and areas where storms are not that common, storm doors still make your house safer by adding another layer of security.
Conclusion:
We hope this article has helped you understand the different ways in which you can make your house more secure. We wish you luck in keeping, you, your loved ones, and your property secure!
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