Daylight savings has arrived. Longer days and more time spent outdoors will soon become the norm. Along with warmer weather and additional foot traffic passing by your home, now is a good reminder to check your locks and be sure your home is properly protected before the warmer months roll in.

Most people associate daylight savings as a time to go around the home replacing smoke detector batteries and clearing old clutter out but what they should also do is check their locks.

Harsh cold temperatures from the winter, inevitable wear and tear and previous break-in attempts can all weaken door locks and make your home an easy target for theft.

How to Check Your Locks

When you are checking the state of your doors, things to look for are any damages to the door knob, hinges, frame or locks that might leave your home vulnerable to theft.  There’s a chance the internal parts could stick, fail to lock in place, and even leave your door swung wide open. Or you could notice nicks around the keyhole and scratch marks which could indicate someone has already tried to break in. If you see these signs, call a locksmith over to remedy the issue promptly.

Upgrading Your Locks

Upgrading to new, functional hardware or rekeying your locks is an option a professional locksmith can help you with.

A residential locksmith will come out and perform a lock repair for you by changing cylinders in the lock or rekeying the internal components as well as install new locks if needed.

Another option is to upgrade to locks that are more advanced than traditional ones. Anti-picking features and deadbolts are just some of the things you can add to further secure your premises.

Contact All American Locksmiths for prompt lockout services, new locks, and more throughout Connecticut & Westchester County. Our expert technicians are ready to serve local communities with rapid and reliable service that ensures your family, and even your pets are safe.

If you’ve never been the victim of a home break-in, consider yourself lucky. Not only are there extreme feelings of anger and worry that occur when you’ve had your personal space invaded, but there is also fear and a lost sense of security that can be difficult to regain at this time.

Here are some tips on what to do if your home has been burglarized to keep you safe after the fact.

Change Your Locks Right Away

After contacting the authorities and your insurance agency to take care of any possible damages, dangers and file necessary claims and police reports, you should immediately consider hiring a locksmith offering residential services to come change or fix your locks. Depending on how a burglar has entered the home, you may have damaged locks and hardware to deal with. If not, it’s still a good idea to have your locks rekeyed so you know that only you have a working key from this point forward.

Repair Damages

In addition to repairing locks, be sure to check around the home for other damage like broken windows or locks to secure all entry access areas again. While taking a security audit you should also check the outside perimeter of your property to be sure the method of entry is addressed and no other vulnerabilities such as a damaged fence or open cellar door is present.

Invest in New Technologies

Thanks to advancements in technology, we now have many options when it comes to monitoring our home from afar. Low cost solutions that use cameras connected wirelessly to an app on your mobile device allow you to log in and see what’s happening from wherever you are. That means you can keep an eye while you’re at the office and even while you’re traveling. Costs vary for but it can add peace of mind and allow you to see what’s on the other side of the door before you get there and are faced with a burglar alone.

Contact All American Locksmiths today for prompt lockout services, new locks, and more throughout Connecticut & Westchester County.