It’s very common for people to lose the keys to their homes or their vehicles. When this happens, it can be disastrous.
This is especially true if you have pets inside your house or things that you need to access inside your vehicle.
Breaking a window is an expensive and unreliable option. No, when you lose access to your home or vehicle, the first person that you should call is a locksmith. A locksmith is a professional that can help you to regain access to your house or vehicle.
This article will tell you all about them (and what they do):
What Is A Locksmith?
Locksmiths are experts in anything involving locks. According to a specialist locksmith in San Antonio TX, lock issues can sometimes happen. When they do, you need a locksmith to come in and help you.
For example, if you lose the key to your house, then a locksmith can come and install a new lock, allowing you to regain entry.
In addition to being specialists in locks, many locksmiths also double as experts in home security, offering services like CCTV installation and alarm set-up.
When Do You Need to Hire One?
There are many different incidents that call for the use of a locksmith. As already mentioned, the main reason is that you have been locked out of your house.
With that said, some locksmiths do also offer additional services, like home security. In today’s day and age, with theft and property crime rising, there’s never been a better time to install a home security system. Home security systems can be very effective in deterring theft and property crime.
Losing Your Keys
The main reason that people hire locksmiths is that they have lost their keys. Losing one’s keys can be a serious safety concern.
The risks associated with losing one’s keys are amplified if the keys display one’s address. If one’s car keys are lost, then this is especially dangerous because the person that finds the keys can then walk around the local area unlocking the car remotely, which can lead to them identifying the vehicle.
Lost keys can be a nightmare for both homeowners and vehicle owners. If you have lost your keys, a locksmith can quickly resolve the issue.
Getting Locked Out
When a locksmith attends somebody’s property because they have lost their keys, more often than not they will totally replace the lock.
The main reason for this is that the person that finds the keys is then unable to gain access to the original keyholder’s property or vehicle.
When a person is locked out, however, sometimes the locks aren’t changed and are instead replaced. With that said, the process of replacing locks can be very complicated and many locksmiths won’t do it.
Instead, they will just offer to replace the locks, which is still a reliable solution and ensures the person is able to regain entry to their property.
Moving House
When you move into a new house, you can’t guarantee that the former owner doesn’t still retain a set of keys. The same is true for tenants when they are renting a new house.
If you have moved into a new house, then you should definitely get the locks changed, so that nobody can gain access to your property without your permission.
There have been horrifying cases published in the past, of people that move into new houses, only to discover that former tenants or owners have been coming in and out when they aren’t at home.
Repairing Locks
In addition to being able to create new keys and change one’s locks, locksmiths are also able to come in and repair locks.
If your lock becomes damaged or something gets stuck in there, then a locksmith will be able to resolve the situation for you.
It’s very common for locks to become jammed. More often than not when they do, people stick things inside the keyholes to try and unjam them.
When they do this, this often causes the object being jammed inside to break off and become stuck. A locksmith can unjam a lock and also remove things that are stuck inside them.
Single Key Access
Carrying around a keychain with six or seven different keys for your property can be a nightmare. If you have lots of keys, you’re significantly more likely to misplace or lose them.
A solution to this is to have a single key, that unlocks every door and window in your house. A locksmith can come into your house and install a single key access lock so that you only need one key to unlock everything.
You can then copy this key and give it to anybody that you live with. Single key access systems do come with added danger, however.
If you were to lose a key, you would then have to replace every lock in your home. When you have several keys and you lose one, you only need to replace one or two locks in your house.
Additional Services
As already mentioned, locksmiths are also able to install home security systems and even new doors. There’s never been a better time to take your home’s security seriously. Thefts and burglaries are rising.
The main reason for this is that there is a huge economic recession taking place, which is leaving lots of people out of work.
A small percentage of these people, unfortunately, turn to crime to survive, which results in them targeting people’s homes and committing crimes.
In addition to being able to install home security systems, many locksmiths can also install electronic locks in your homes.
Many homeowners are relying on smart systems nowadays, rather than antiquated methods of home security.
Instead of physical keys, people are choosing to have electronic locks installed. Electronic locks are a very effective way of safeguarding against theft. It might be worth speaking to your local locksmith, asking them if they can set up an electronic lock system for you.
Locksmiths are tradesmen that come in very handy when you lock yourself out of your house. If you’ve ever been locked out, you’ll be familiar with them. It’s very important that you take care of your keys.
If you do lose them, despite a locksmith being able to help you, there’s always the chance that somebody could use them to access your house in the interim between you noticing and hiring a locksmith.