locked door

3 Door Lock Problems You Should Fix ASAP

Whether you rent or own your home, there’s a good chance you let a few issues slide at one time or another. Loose toilet handles, dead light bulbs, wobbly railings–the list can go on and on. What you should never ignore, though, are issues with your door locks. After all, without working door locks, your home becomes instantly more susceptible to break-ins–and nobody wants that!

Here’s 3 Door Lock Problems You Should Get Fixed ASAP

1. Loose Door Handles, Knobs & Locks

More often than not, loose handles and knobs are caused by wear, tear, and age. Think about it: you’re using them nearly every day. That means day in, day out, your door gets open, shut, and locked. After enough use, time, and weather fluctuation, it’s natural for these components to become loose. Luckily, it’s fairly easy to notice when this happens. If you go to open your door and notice that you can “shake” the handle, then there’s a problem. If it’s easy to wiggle the handle or knob, then that means it’s easy for someone to just remove it completely. 

2. Misaligned Door Locks

Most doors will exhibit a clicking sound when closed successfully. If you don’t hear this clicking sound, then chances are that the locks are misaligned. The clicking sound is caused by a metal plate called the strike plate. If this plate is loose, then the whole locking system could be compromised. 

3. Broken Keys Inside Your Lock

When this happens, it’s a red flag that you should call a locksmith right away. If you’re not super mechanically inclined, then it’s best to let a professional handle this. Unlike a loose toilet handle or dead lightbulb, you can’t just brush this off. If a broken key is stuck in your door lock, then that means you won’t be able to lock it all.

Need a Connecticut Locksmith? Call All American Locksmiths

It doesn’t matter if you’re in Greenwich, Fairfield, or Hartford–if you need a locksmith, then you can count on us! Automotive, Residential, Commercial–we do it all 24/7. Call today! 

keyless entry

Should You Go Keyless?

Keeping track of keys can be a hassle, especially if you have a large family, if you entertain guests, or if you run a company. Keys could be lost or copied without permission, which could put your home or business at risk. Installing a keyless entry system is a simple and convenient solution. With keyless entry, doors could be unlocked with a code or a keycard, which would eliminate the need for mechanical keys.

Reasons to Install a Keyless Entry System

If one of your kids lost a key, someone might find it and enter your home to commit a burglary. If you invited guests to stay with you during the holidays, you might be reluctant to give them keys since they could lose them. If you didn’t know some individuals too well, you could worry that they might copy the keys and return later without permission.

If you own a business, you probably don’t want every employee to have access to everything. For example, only specific individuals should be able to enter rooms containing inventory and employee records. With a keyless entry system, you could issue workers badges and control the level of access granted to each person.

If something disappeared from a storage room and only a handful of individuals had access to that area, it would automatically limit the pool of suspects. A keyless entry system could also keep an electronic log that recorded who entered and exited each restricted area and when. If a theft occurred, you could use that information, plus perhaps surveillance video and interviews, to identify the person responsible for the theft.

Since keyless entry operates electronically, it’s easy to make changes to individuals’ access. If guests visited you for a week and then went home, you could change your house’s entry code instead of paying to change the locks. If an employee quit or got fired, you could create a new access code or deactivate that employee’s badge to prevent the person from returning and accessing sensitive areas.

Is Keyless Entry Right for Your Home or Business?

A keyless entry system could eliminate the stress and cost of keeping track of keys, replacing lost keys, and changing locks. It could help you control who had access to important areas and monitor who entered and left to deter theft or to identify the person responsible should a theft occur. Keyless entry is a particularly appealing option for businesses that have high turnover or that frequently employ temporary workers or for homeowners who host short-term guests.

If you’re interested in upgrading the locks at your Connecticut or New York home or business to a keyless entry system, contact All American Locksmiths.

holiday security

Keep Your Home Secure over the Holidays with These Tips

With all the excitement of the holiday season, people often get lax about security. Burglars know that many people have homes filled with gifts intended for family and friends. In addition, setting the clocks back means it gets dark earlier, which can make it easier for thieves to slip in and out of houses undetected. Here are some tips to keep your home secure this holiday season.

Protect Valuable Gifts

If you plan to order gifts online, don’t have anything expensive delivered to your house when no one is home. Have purchases sent to a trusted neighbor’s house or to your workplace, or pick them up at the store.

Keep any expensive gifts you buy, such as electronics, out of sight. Put them in a closet, if possible. If you can’t do that, keep the curtains drawn in the room where you store them.

Be careful about where and how you dispose of the boxes that valuable gifts came in. If you leave a box that contained an expensive item on the curb in plain view, anyone who sees it (including burglars) will know that that item is inside your house.

Keep Your Home Secure

Lock your doors and windows, including those on upper floors, whether you are home or not. A burglar could slip into your Bridgeport residence and take off in seconds with your belongings or gifts you bought for your loved ones.

Install a security system if you don’t already have one. It should contact the police automatically if a sign of a break-in is detected. Consider a security system that allows you to monitor a video feed on your smartphone.

Make sure the outside of your house is well lit. Motion-activated lights can alert you if an intruder enters your yard.

If you plan to go away to visit others around the holidays, don’t make it obvious that your home is unoccupied. Use timers to turn lights on and off randomly. Have a neighbor pick up your mail or have the post office hold it. Park a car in the garage or driveway to make it appear that someone is home.

Don’t Overshare Online

Be careful what you post on social media since burglars often use it to choose houses to rob. If you plan to go away, only tell people who need to know, not everyone on social media. Don’t talk online about your holiday shopping plans or expensive gifts you have bought or received.

Don’t Let Thieves Ruin Your Holidays

The holiday season is a joyful time for many, but for burglars, it’s a time when people have homes filled with valuables and let their guard down. Keep your home secure so you don’t become a victim. If you want to upgrade your security, All American Locksmiths can install new deadbolt locks at your Connecticut or Westchester County home. Contact us today to learn more.