Niccole, Author at Xpress Locksmith & Doors

Locks Change Brampton

Niccole — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 07:02:48 +0000

Locks Change Brampton

Brampton Locksmith 519-489-2331

Locks Change Brampton

Secure Locking Mailbox

What is the reason behind the Post Office having large secure locking mailboxes that are so large? The answer is to ensure enough security. This is the same reason that you will require not just a locking mailbox but a secure locking mailbox as well.

This will go a long way in ensuring that individuals with bad intentions have been kept away from taking your mails. It is alarming how the identity theft business has thrived both to those individuals out there who are in the business of stealing it and those who are in the business of preventing it.

However, there are several methods of preventing one’s information landing on the wrong hands. One of this is ensuring that you paper shredder your letters to ensure that they are completely destroyed and the second one is getting yourself a secure locking mailbox.

The following are some of the things that you should look for when searching for a secure locking mailbox.

Ensure that you get yourself a large angled designed drop chute mailbox. This will ensure no one can access your mail once they are dropped into the mailbox so long as it is locked. Therefore the only person who will access your letters will be you. Moreover, due the large space it provides, it makes sure that even the long envelops as well as magazines fall out and are not left sticking out for the sticky fingers.
Moreover, a secure locking mailbox should have plenty of space. This is because sometimes you will be away for some days and it is therefore desirable that you have a mailbox that will not fill up and hence have your mail sticking out. Mailboxes that have letters sticking out defeat the purpose of locking them.
A good secure locking mailbox should be well constructed. It is important that a mailbox be well constructed in such a way that it looks good and that it also serves for many years. It should also be in a position to prevent break through.
A secure locking mailbox should have deadbolt locks. These kinds of locks are usually very difficult to pop up open in comparison to the spring type cheaper locks.
It is also important to ensure that you have quite a separate mechanism that will be responsible for the outgoing mails. Usually you should attach this outgoing mails clip to your outside door box.
For a secure locking mailbox you should try mounting them on a wall, post, or have a built one into a pier. To add to this you can build one on a pillar in order to match the house architecture.

There are many varieties of locks that range from very cheap spring rocks to high quality activated deadbolts that are a bit expensive. In addition to this there are various styles you can use to make your secure locking mailbox enjoyable to anyone and without necessarily attracting people to steal from it. It is also important that you remember that thieves just like any other crooks will look for the most unsuspecting as well as easy pickings. With this in mind then it is very important you get yourself a secure mailbox to get yourself out of that group.

Service Areas

Locks Repair and Replacement Provide 24 Hour Services to Ontario areas including:

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Locks Change Etobicoke

Niccole — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 06:55:54 +0000

Locks Change Etobicoke

Etobicoke Locksmith 519-489-2331

Locks Change Etobicoke

Top Tips About Locks You Must Know

Locks are used for securing your home and they must be properly maintained in order to get the best from them. All of them have mechanical parts devised to function together and even though their styles have been improved and made more efficient over the years, their basic mechanisms have remained the same.

There are different types of home locks; mortise, rim and tubular.

A mortise lock has a threaded cylinder that links its both sides and the mechanism is taken in by a box concealed by a cover plate. A rim lock makes use of a cylinder extending through the door hole from the outside while an internal cover plate and a latch secure it to the door. A tubular lock consists of spindles that link two sides of its mechanism and the key is typically inserted into the handle on its knob or cylinder.

The major component of a lock is a latch or bolt that extends from it to the door frame.

When the key is turned, the bolt is pulled back into the mechanism so that the door can be opened. Rim locks have one keyhole, typically on the exterior, while the owner makes use of a latch to open from inside. Mortise locks need doorknobs to use its mechanism as soon as the right key is put into the keyhole. Spindle locks may have keyholes on one or both sides. It is important to note that all of them have disks, pins or wards so that they can be prevented from being indecently opened. The right key gives the owner the opportunity to move the tumblers or pins from the closed position to the open position.

One of the widespread problems with locks is a key that abruptly refuses to open one that it already fits.

This can occur when the grooves in the key have deteriorated to the point that they no longer match tumbler pins or ward positioning snugly enough. This problem can be solved by getting a new key and a working key should be used as a template. When spindle locks stop working properly, the key may open from one side but may have problem in opening from the other side. This problem can be corrected by carefully removing the cylinders or knobs and a flashlight can be used to inspect its spindles. The spindles should be repositioned to realign them and the lock should be tested before replacing the key cylinders.

Service Areas

Locks Repair and Replacement Provide 24 Hour Services to Ontario areas including:

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Locks Change Scarborough

Niccole — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 06:52:09 +0000

Locks Change Scarborough

Scarborough Locksmith 519-489-2331

Locks Change Scarborough

Selecting The Correct Entry Door Locks

Keeping our families safe and protected from harm is a primary concern for most of us when it comes to home security. But, it’s important to realize that if you don’t have a security system installed, your entry door hardware is the only thing preventing a prowler from coming in to your home to steal from you, and possibly even harm your loved ones. Buying entry door hardware, then, is not a task to be taken lightly. It’s important to do your homework and choose carefully, and buying something cheap just to save money may not be your best option. While we all want to keep costs down, is it really worth it if your family’s safety is compromised?

When it comes to keeping your front door secure, a mortise lock is by far the most effective choice.

This type of lock involves carving a pocket or “mortise” in the door where the locking mechanism is housed so that the lock is flush with the door. Mortise locks are most commonly found in older buildings; the cylindrical locks that we commonly see today were invented later on. Some people insist that mortise locks weaken the door because a portion of the door must be carved out to house the lock, but this locking mechanism has proven itself to be the most effective when it comes to protecting your front door from intruders.

One negative aspect of a mortise lock is that it will require installation by a trained professional.

In contrast to the newer cylindrical locks that most homeowners can easily install themselves, the installation of mortise locks should be left to the professionals only. This means that you will end up spending a bit more, but this extra expense it worth it since you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing that you’re giving your family (and your possessions) the maximum possible protection.

Prices for entry door locks and hardware can cost you as little as $50 or less at the inexpensive end, or may run into the several hundreds of dollars at the high end. In addition to the function of the lock, chances are you’ll be concerned with the aesthetics of the lock hardware you buy. It may be necessary to buy a certain lock that matches with the style, period, or decor of your home.

To get the best possible exterior door hardware, spend as much money as you can reasonably afford.

Remember that you can’t put a price on your family’s safety. If you are working with a limited budget, you may need to shop around to find an affordable deal on quality lock hardware, but if cost is less of an issue, purchasing the best quality door hardware available is a worthwhile investment in your family’s safety.

Service Areas

Locks Repair and Replacement Provide 24 Hour Services to Ontario areas including:

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Locks Change Vaughan

Niccole — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 06:47:49 +0000

Locks Change Vaughan

Vaughan Locksmith 519-489-2331

Locks Change Vaughan

Commercial Locks For Every Need

The job’s not done until the locks are on the door. A beautifully designed and quality built commercial building requires a variety of quality door locks. Careful selection should be made to install the best locks for entryways, fire doors, office doors, restrooms, utility closets and any other location within the building where access and privacy need to be controlled. Contractors should take time to discuss with the client the variety of locks available to meet their security requirements.

The exterior entrances of the building can be secured with a range of deadbolt locks.

Security needs will determine whether to use standard or heavy duty lock construction. Standard duty commercial deadbolts work well for office buildings. Heavy duty commercial deadbolts provide the best security. You should look for lock construction that includes a concealed wood frame reinforce that prevents kick-ins.

You’ll probably want to pair a cylindrical lock with a deadbolt to allow ease of entry.

Your choices include lever style locks and knob locks.

A heavy duty lever lock is suitable for hospitals, factories and even schools. Buildings with less stringent security needs may opt for standard or medium duty lever locks. Some lever locks are also UL listed for use on 3-hour fire doors. Knobs are the traditional doorknob design. These are also available in medium and heavy duty designs. Knob locks are typically reserved for interior doors of commercial buildings

Interconnected locks are an attractive choice for exterior doors of offices, hotels and light-duty commercial buildings. These locks are called interconnected because the handicapped compliant handles unlatch both the handset and the deadbolt when it’s depressed. The best interconnected locks have a reinforced deadbolt strike to prevent an intruder from kicking the door open.

Interior doors of the building can be secured with a mortise lock.

These locks are both attractive and functional. Heavy duty mortise locks are dependable and designed to withstand high-usage and abuse. This makes them ideal for hospitals and schools. When choosing mortise locks, look for designs that include a free-wheeling lever that resists force when locked.

No matter what types of locks are required in a building, most manufacturers will offer a variety of finishes that can be matched across all styles. This allows for a consistent aesthetic appeal throughout the building. Finishes typically include brass, bronze and stainless steel. Expect to pay from $40 for a simple cylindrical lock up to $300 for the finest mortise locks.

Service Areas

Locks Repair and Replacement Provide 24 Hour Services to Ontario areas including:

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Locks Change Mississauga

Niccole — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 06:47:08 +0000

Locks Change Mississauga

Mississauga Locksmith 519-489-2331

Locks Change Mississauga

Sliding Glass Door Locks – How To Make Them Highly Secure

Glass doors enable you to enjoy the view outside from your house. They bear similarly to a window in that aspect. Moreover, they can be used as functional doors or in the bathrooms for enjoying a shower. These doors are perfect for your house provided they are kept safe. Generally, safety is found to be an issue with most of these doors; however making them safer need not be a complicated problem. Although these doors are fitted with sliding glass door locks, they are not always found to be most appropriate for the doors. Also, in most homes, glass doors are arranged on the back, patio or side portions of the house, making the security of your home a huge concern.

If you use low-quality sliding glass door locks, it would be easy for burglars to break them open and enter your house since they can do the task without making much noise, thereby leaving you unaware of their presence in the house. This problem can be dealt with by using perfect and high-quality locks for glass doors. Majority of these doors come with a latch at the center which often fails to provide the required security. What you have to do to deal with this problem is to go for a model that has internal deadbolts.

These doors tend to be strong.

Installed sliding doors of glass with handles in your interior may not cause security problems; These doors will also have locks which require a replacement only if found necessary since the location of these doors is inside your home and not outside it. Some people buy substitution bars which can be extended along the complete sliding door stretch. It is very difficult to break open these doors. The materials used in the preparation of these bars are reinforced metals of high strength and duration. If you are very particular about privacy inside your house, you can use locks which require only a key to open them since there is no necessity of making them strong.

Another thing to be taken care of is the age of the lock.

If these sliding glass door locks are used for a long time; it is possible that they may break easily. If this is the case, then it is better to approach a professional blacksmith than handling the problem yourself. This is because although these may look simple, there are several things that you need to know while handling these devices, especially if you are inexperienced in handling them. Also, since these door locks are available at affordable rates, fitting them on your glass doors is easy in terms of expenditure. So, there is no need to worry about making your homes safer. You have to select good products from reputed suppliers. Don’t hesitate to spend the required amount of time in search for good locks.

Service Areas

Locks Repair and Replacement Provide 24 Hour Services to Ontario areas including:

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Locks Change Milton

Niccole — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 06:40:21 +0000

Locks Change Milton

Milton Locksmith 519-489-2331

Locks Change Milton

How To Install High Security Door Locks:

One of the most important aspects of home security are high security door locks. These locks can be found at just about any hardware store online or off line. Price may vary considerably by brand but all secure door locks have some of the basic components: solid, case-hardened steel cylinder guard, case hardened screws and a bolt that protrudes at least 1 inch from the edge of the door.

Upon purchasing your new door lock you should have noticed a template.

This template should be marked for different door thicknesses. Take the template and fold it, make sharp corners along the lines of your door size. You will then position the template about 6 inches above the existing door knob and tape it to the door. Once the template has been taped to the door take a sharp object preferably a nail and mark the bolt hole and a hole for the lock. Once your marks have been made remove the template.

Next simply close the door so that it will remain steady, using an electric drill and a hole saw slowly make the necessary hole in the door. It may be necessary to stop the drill several times as to avoid splintering the wood around the edge of the hole. Be sure once the small bit has pushed through the door go to the other side of the door and finish the hole.

Once you have made the appropriate size hole in the door you will then need to wedge it open.

Using a wood drill make the holes for the lock. Next slide the bolt assembly into the bolt hole. Make sure the bolt assembly is flush and mark the outline of the face plate. Using a chisel cut out a hole for the face plate. Be sure to chisel just enough area for the face plate. Attach the face plate and move on to the final steps.

It’s time now to insert the drive bar into its rightful place, keep in mind the drive bar may be too large so cutting may be necessary. Insert the guide bar and then the lock assembly. If the drive bar doesn’t want to turn rotate the assembly 180 degrees. If the rotation allows the drive bar to turn freely remove the lock assembly and install the retaining plate. Replace the lock assembly and using the available screws tighten your lock into place.

Service Areas

Locks Repair and Replacement Provide 24 Hour Services to Ontario areas including:

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Locks Change Oakville

Niccole — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 06:36:24 +0000

Locks Change Oakville

Oakville Locksmith 519-489-2331

Locks Change Oakville

Key Control or High Security Lock & Key Systems

What is the risk? Key control, or more accurately the lack of key control is one of the biggest risks that businesses or property owners face.

Without a key control system you cannot be sure who has keys or how many keys they have to your property. Not having a patent controlled key system leads to unauthorized key duplication, which leads to unauthorized access to your property or employee theft.

Most key control systems utilize patented keys and or cylinders, these lock cylinders employ very precise locking systems that can only be operated by the unique keys to that system. Because the cylinders and or the keys are patented, the duplication of keys can only be done by factory authorized professional locksmiths.

The key blanks and lock cylinders are made available only to those same factory authorized professional locksmiths. Procedures may be in place to allow you to contract with another security professional, should the need arise.

The control can be at the locksmith dealer level, at the distributor level, or at the manufacturer level.

All high security key control systems require specific permission to have keys originated or duplicated.

These procedures assure the property owner or manager that they will always know who has keys and how many. If an employee leaves and you get the keys back, you can be reasonably assured that no copies of your keys are floating around.

Most systems have cylinders that will retrofit existing hardware, keeping the cost of acquisition lower.

Some systems employ different levels of security within the system, still giving patented control, but not requiring ultra high security where it is not needed. These measures are again aimed at cost control.

Most systems can be master keyed, some will coordinate with existing master key systems. There are systems available that allow interchangeable core cylinders that will retrofit existing interchangeable core systems.

Locks Change Oakville can help you select the system most suited to your needs.

Service Areas

Locks Repair and Replacement Provide 24 Hour Services to Ontario areas including:

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Locks Change North York

Niccole — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 06:33:41 +0000

Locks Change North York

North York Locksmith 519-489-2331

Locks Change North York

What Are Security Door Locks

Well, the term high security has no precise meaning. Some manufacturers take advantage of that fact by arbitrarily using the term to promote their locks. Door locks to be considered high security locks should have features that offer more than ordinary resistance against picking, impressioning, drilling, wrenching, and other common forms of burglary. The most secure locks should also provide a high level of key control. The harder it is for any burglar or an unauthorized person to have a duplicate key made, the more security the lock provides.

Underwriters Laboratories Listing

Its always good to buy the best door locks which have UL (Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.) symbol on its packaging or on the face of the cylinder. A UL listing (based on UL standard 437) is a good indication that a door lock or cylinder offers a high degree of security.

To earn the UL listing, a lock or cylinder must meet strict construction guidelines and a sample model must pass rigorous performance and attack tests.

Here are some of its requirements:

All working parts of the mechanism must be constructed of brass, bronze,stainless steel, or equivalent corrosion-resistant materials or have a protective finish complying with UL’s Salt Spray Corrosion test.
Have at least 1000 key changes.
Operate as intended during 10,000 complete cycles of operation at a rate not exceeding 50 cycles per minute.
The lock must not open or be compromised as a result of attack tests using hammers, chisels, screwdrivers, jaw-gripping wrenches, pliers, hand-held electric drills, saws, puller mechanisms, key impressioning tools, and picking tools.

Key Control

Another important factor in lock security is key control. The most secure locks have patented key blanks that are available only from the lock manufacturer. At the next level of key control are key blanks that can be cut only on special key machines. This type of key control greatly reduces the number of places where an unauthorized person can have a key duplicated. The least secure locks use keys that can be copied at virtually any hardware or department store.

Lock and Key Patents

One feature of a high-security locks for home is that it provides a high degree of key control. That is, there is restriction on who can make a copy of the key. Such locks are used in situations where you don’t want just anybody to be able to run down to the local hardware store and make copies. One way of restricting copies is by having a patented lock or blank. That allows a lock manufacturer to decide who may copy its keys.

Service Areas

Locks Repair and Replacement Provide 24 Hour Services to Ontario areas including:

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Locks Change Richmond Hill

Niccole — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 06:29:58 +0000

Locks Change Richmond Hill

Richmond Hill Locksmith 519-489-2331

Locks Change Richmond Hill

High Security Locks, Designed With Thieves in Mind

Everyday more, the general population is becoming aware about the need to install high security locks in their home or business. Since the 1960’s the design and development of locks have continuously improved to the point at which we are today, when there is no reason to leave your properties unprotected with quasi -but-not-quite locks since a series of affordable options exist in the market, especially when considering the low amount a high quality locks represents in comparison to the potential losses generated by break-ins.

The question is, would you protect your $150,000 home with a $50 standard lock that offers no protection or with a $199 top quality option almost impossible to surpass? In half a minute when you finish reading these lines we hope that you understand why reputable locksmiths all around the country don’t feel good about installing low quality locks, although sometimes we have to do it.

For example:

If a burglar decides to enter through a back door a steel lock has bolts that grip the door jamb with enough strength so that if it gets hit, most times a regular door will give way before the lock.
If a lock is wrenched, a high security lock would have a solid brass collar that spins under pressure so that the wrench becomes useless.
3 million lock picks are sold every year in America, and not all of them fall in the right hands. A common thief can compromise a regular lock quickly enough, but in front of a high security lock the level of expertise is so elevated that the chances of a break-in are reduced 100 times fold.
If the door is kicked the door a top quality lock would have been engineered with at least 2″ screws anchoring the strike directly to the property wall or building.
When it’s about drilling, the best locks have specially placed steel inserts that affords them with highest possible resistance to a drill attack.
When they use a crowbar to pry the lock the bolt itself is surrounded by heavy-gauge tubular steel that defies any crowbar attack.
In doors that are close to windows, when they break the glass to reach for the deadbolt the top deadbolts have a thumb-turnkey that is removed when additional protection is warranted.

The list is longer but isn’t it enough to make you want to never again install a cheap lock in your house?

We certainly hope so, because one thing we know for sure is that true lock manufacturers go the extra mile to design their product with thieves mind and that can only be good for you.

Service Areas

Locks Repair and Replacement Provide 24 Hour Services to Ontario areas including:

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Locks Change Toronto

Niccole — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 06:26:07 +0000

Locks Change Toronto

Toronto Locksmith 519-489-2331

Locks Change Toronto

High Security Locks – Are They More Secure?

Everyone has heard the term “High Security Locks”, but what does that mean? What makes a lock high security and are they worth the extra money that you will pay for them? For this article I will discuss mechanical locks.

Let’s take a look at what makes a high security lock.

High Security Locks must be physically secure, this means that they must be made of high quality material such as hardened steel, stainless steel or boron steel. They must be able to withstand physical attacks such as drilling, prying and hammer attacks and they should have either a Grade 1 or 2 ANSI rating I discussed this in a past article. Most will be UL rated and listed.

These locks should have keys and keyways that provide “Key Control”.

This is usually accomplished by the manufacturer designing a keyway that is very unique and has a utility patent. The utility patent will describe how the key and keyway function together, it will describe how the key activates the pins or discs and if there is any other mechanism in the keyway that the key will activate. This utility patent is how the manufacturer and its distributors will control the keys. These are not keys that you can have made in a big box store, you will have to have them made by the manufacturer or its distributors and you will have to provide some identification and the original lock codes.

Here are the major points of high security locks:

High measure of key control
Patented key, keyway and/or lock mechanism
Constructed of high quality materials
Pick resistant
Highly resistance to drilling, prying and hammer attacks

So, are these locks worth the price?

The answer to that question relates to what you are protecting. If you put a padlock on an outdoor shed then you probably do not need a high security padlock. However, if you are securing thousands of dollars of electronic equipment then yes the protection you get is worth the higher price. For businesses, hospitals and universities or colleges, high security protection should be the normal course of action.

What about your house, do you need high security locks on your house?

Again, look at what you are protecting. No, not your stuff, you are protecting your family, there is nothing more important to protect than that. So ask yourself: is your family worth the extra price that you will pay?

Service Areas

Locks Repair and Replacement Provide 24 Hour Services to Ontario areas including:

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