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:

North York | Mississauga | Milton | Richmond Hill | Brampton | Etobicoke | Oakville | Scarborough | Vaughan | Thornhill |Cambridge | Guelph | Kitchener | Toronto | Hamilton | Waterdown | Caledonia | Burlington | Woodstock | New Hamburg | Waterloo and more..

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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:

North York | Mississauga | Milton | Richmond Hill | Brampton | Etobicoke | Oakville | Scarborough | Vaughan | Thornhill |Cambridge | Guelph | Kitchener | Toronto | Hamilton | Waterdown | Caledonia | Burlington | Woodstock | New Hamburg | Waterloo and more..

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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:

North York | Mississauga | Milton | Richmond Hill | Brampton | Etobicoke | Oakville | Scarborough | Vaughan | Thornhill |Cambridge | Guelph | Kitchener | Toronto | Hamilton | Waterdown | Caledonia | Burlington | Woodstock | New Hamburg | Waterloo and more..

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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:

North York | Mississauga | Milton | Richmond Hill | Brampton | Etobicoke | Oakville | Scarborough | Vaughan | Thornhill |Cambridge | Guelph | Kitchener | Toronto | Hamilton | Waterdown | Caledonia | Burlington | Woodstock | New Hamburg | Waterloo and more..

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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:

North York | Mississauga | Milton | Richmond Hill | Brampton | Etobicoke | Oakville | Scarborough | Vaughan | Thornhill |Cambridge | Guelph | Kitchener | Toronto | Hamilton | Waterdown | Caledonia | Burlington | Woodstock | New Hamburg | Waterloo and more..

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Caledonia Locksmith 519-489-2331

Locks Change Caledonia

Benefits of Keyless Door Locks

Rapid technological advancement continues to bring about complex innovations centered around simplifying our lives. We rely on expediency more than ever, and consequently expect products we buy to make our lives increasingly convenient. Today we can hardly recall our lifestyles before the advent of luxuries like cell phones, high speed internet and keyless vehicle entry. With the demand for convenience rising and keyless door locks becoming increasingly affordable, a growing number of people are upgrading to keyless door locks to protect and streamline their homes and businesses.

A keyless door lock is one that can be controlled using a combination, an access code or fingerprint recognition, eliminating the need for a key. Keyless door locks allow each person who lives at a residence to enter the home without a key, and give employees easy access to designated areas of their workplace. Lost, stolen or forgotten keys are problems of the past. For most people, the convenience of not having to toil with a key is enough, but numerous other benefits are associated with utilizing a keyless door lock.

Utilizing a keyless entry system is especially beneficial when a contract worker or house sitter needs temporary access to your home.

It is not necessary for contract workers to have a permanent key to your home, especially since key duplication is effortless. Additionally, the common practice of hiding a key outside makes your home vulnerable to burglars who know the routine.

Fingerprint recognition systems allow admittance only to those who have pre-programmed access, and many even allow you to grant access for a specified period of time. For instance, a housekeeper or contractor can be given permission in advance to enter on a certain date within a scheduled timeframe. And since fingerprints cannot be duplicated, fingerprint recognition systems have a tremendous authentication advantage over traditional door locks and even keypad locks. Similarly, access codes to keypad locks can be shared with temporary workers and then easily changed when access is no longer necessary.

A keyless door lock is also advantageous in cases where locks would otherwise need to be changed. People encounter the need to change the locks in their homes and businesses for a number of reasons, such as losing keys, theft, or to prevent entry by a former employee. Changing access codes or fingerprint permissions is much more expedient and cost effective than the process of changing all of the keyed locks in a building at once.

Keyless entry systems are no longer reserved for the elite few.

Along with more affordability, the security and convenience that keyless door locks provide are transforming them into a mainstream consumer commodity.

Service Areas

Locks Repair and Replacement Provide 24 Hour Services to Ontario areas including: Cambridge | Guelph | Kitchener | Waterloo | Hamilton | Waterdown | Caledonia | Burlington | Woodstock | New Hamburg and more..

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Waterdown Locksmith 519-489-2331

Locks Change Waterdown

T-Handles – High Security Locking System

T-Handles were first invented for use on Vending Machines. Over the years many different manufacturers have found ways to use them on a wide range of products. There are two major parts, the pop out handle and the body. The majority are made of zinc alloy. Stainless steel is used for high security applications.

The T-Handle uses a standard vending lock to secure it closed.

When the lock is opened a handle pops out, this handle is either turned to open or it is rotated, unscrewing a locking bolt. Many different manufacturers make T-Handles, they are self-contained. The manufacturer of the device or machine builds the latching devices and incorporates them into their machines. When the T-Handle is installed into the machine it is connected to the latching or locking device, this creates a complete locking system.

As stated before the T-Handle is designed to accept standard vending locks manufactured by a variety of manufacturers in a many different security levels. The lock can be changed in a matter of seconds; therefor, the security level can be changed by changing the lock. Vending Locks from Cobra, Abloy and Medeco all have locks designed to operate in T-Handles. They provide different security levels all the way up to an electronic lock.

When looking directly at the front on the T-Handle there is a round hole that the lock will go into.

The vending lock has a latch toward the end of the lock. The T-Handle has square holes toward the rear of the pop out handle. When the lock is inserted into the T-Handle the latch will pop up and go into the square hole. This secures the lock into the handle. When the handle is pushed into the T-Handle body the lock latch extends into the square holes in the body and they match up to the square holes of the handle. This action secures the handle closed into the body. As long as the handle is in the T-Handle body it cannot turn. When the lock is opened it releases the latch and the handle pops out allowing it to operate.

Besides vending machines, T-Handles are used on gas pumps, cabinets, emergency vehicles, industrial tool chests to name a few. Some manufacturers can supply both the T-Handle and a variety of locks in different security levels. It is important that the correct type of T-Handle and lock match the application for the best security.

Service Areas

Locks Repair and Replacement Provide 24 Hour Services to Ontario areas including: Cambridge | Guelph | Kitchener | Waterloo | Hamilton | Waterdown | Caledonia | Burlington | Woodstock | New Hamburg and more..

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Waterloo Locksmith 519-489-2331

Locks Change Waterloo

Keyless Locking Systems For Businesses – Keeping Safe in Troubled Times!

Keyless locks have been around for some time; however, many businesses, especially smaller businesses, still utilize traditional locks. Keyless locks were an expensive new technology when first becoming available. They also experienced some kinks, like most new technologies do. However, these type of locking systems have been on the market long enough to work out most technical kinks and for these systems to also become much more affordable.

There are several varieties of keyless locking mechanisms on the market now.

Swipe cards, pin pad entry systems, as well as key fob with encoded microchips are among the choices available. Regardless of which keyless locking mechanism you go with, the initial investment will pay for itself over time.

Consider the most obvious advantages to a keyless system.

As a business owner, you have the need to periodically switch out or replace locks. You have keys that get lost or employees who leave the job but don’t return their keys. The security of your facility, your employees and your customers’ information is dependent upon your security system, and the most basic element of your security system is your ability to securely lock your doors.

Traditional locks have to be changed if keys come up missing.

Keyless locking systems allow you to just inactivate the code associated with the missing key card or issue new entry codes to your staff if you have concerns over security pin numbers having been compromised. The convenience and cost of making changes to your keyless system pays for the system over time and will help you justify the initial investment expenses associated with installing keyless locks.

Keyless locks have a higher safety rating than traditional locks.

This is a benefit to your business in a number of ways. It could save you money on insurance costs for your business property and assets. It can help you prevent costs that can be associated with security breaches, legal fees, lawsuits and the potential loss of customers associated with theft of critical or confidential information.

Your security system is also a selling or marketing point for your business. You will be able to assure your customers and future customers of the safety of their confidential information in your business might possess. You can also let your employees and future employees rest easier, knowing they are secure while at work.

Service Areas

Locks Repair and Replacement Provide 24 Hour Services to Ontario areas including: Cambridge | Guelph | Kitchener | Waterloo | Hamilton | Waterdown | Caledonia | Burlington | Woodstock | New Hamburg and more..

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Burlington Locksmith 519-489-2331

Locks Change Burlington

Re-Keying Door Locks – Padlocks and Cam Locks

So what exactly is Re-Keying and what does it mean to you? Re-Keying is the process where the lock code and keys are changed. First, the new code is generated and the combination pins in the lock are changed to match the new code. Second, new keys are cut to match the new code and enable the operation of the lock. Third, the new code is registered to the end user.

Not all locks are re-keyable. Some are just too inexpensive to be cost effective, others are just not capable of the re-key process. Most “High Security” locks are capable of the process and in fact re-keying will cost about 30% of the price of a new high security lock.

Here are some reasons to consider Re-Keying:

• Lost, stolen or misplaced keys
• Moving into a new house or commercial business
• Loss of key control
• Expanding the locking system
• Have more people that need keys then the available keys
• Want to make sure you have a secure system and control of your keys
• You what to go from a “Keyed Alike” system to a “Master” system

The type of lock will determine how this process actually works.

If you have cam locks or padlocks you would send those to a Lock Service Center. There the locks would be re-keyed to your specifications and new keys would be cut. If you have multiple locks and can’t send them in, then you could order a few new locks then do an exchange program where the locks you send in would be re-keyed to the new locks that you started the process with.

When re-keying door locks, again it depends on the type of lock cylinder.

If it is a SFIC (small format interchangeable core) cylinder it can be removed from the door lock and sent in to a Lock Service Center to undergo the same process as outlined above for cam locks and padlocks. If the cylinder is permanent then you must call out a locksmith who will be able to re-key the lock and cut the new keys while he is at your home or facility.

As stated earlier Re-Keying is a way to save money over the cost of new replacement locks. It is also a perfect way to gain back key control. Key control is knowing how many cut keys you have and where they are at all times.

Service Areas

Locks Repair and Replacement Provide 24 Hour Services to Ontario areas including: Cambridge | Guelph | Kitchener | Waterloo | Hamilton | Waterdown | Caledonia | Burlington | Woodstock | New Hamburg and more..

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Milton Ontario Locksmith 519-489-2331

Xpress Locksmith Milton – 24 Hour Emergency Locksmith

It has been years now that you have been working like a donkey, multiple shifts a day, exhausting yourself to sleep every day, the only consolation being that you will probably manage enough to buy yourself a house soon. Working day in and day out, you finally save sufficient enough to make you the proud owner of a bungalow and a car to boast about. But at the end of the day, you end up doing a mistake people often make; that is, compromising on the quality of locks used or misplacing the only set of keys you had.

Now all the while that you have lost the only set of keys, your mind would be full of visions of how the most dangerous thief will catch hold of them and magically discover your house before you can reach back to safeguard it. Or even worse, while you stand outside keeping an eye, an armed group of dacoits might threaten you at gunpoint or shoot you at a point blank range. No!! Stop imagining. It would not ever reach that far. All you need to do is to call for a reliable locksmith service vendor.

Locksmith services would be just a call away. 519-489-2331

Happy to help professionals would be at your doorstep much before you realise. And you need not worry about the legal aspects. The professional you call is not just another trained thief or dacoit, a master at cracking open locks. The locksmith service providers make sure that the people they engage are licensed, bonded and ensured. So you could spare yourself the anguish and agony of waiting under the blazing heat of the sun, cursing yourself for losing the damn keys.

Emergency services are just a small fraction of the services provided by locksmiths. There is a plethora of other services that we provide. Take for example the automotive locksmiths. How many times do you end up locking your vehicle keys in the vehicle itself? Had it not been for that bunch of duplicate keys you would have probably been forced to abandon your car at the shopping place or office complex frequently every month. Automotive locksmiths help you to open your car without damage to the locking system of the car.

Commercial locksmiths are much in vogue today. Astounded?

Surprised by the two words – commercial and locksmiths put together? Sounds more like a robbery racket, isn’t it? in that case, it would rather be an eye opener for you that locksmith services are equally sought out commercially today. In the case of banks for example, if any government investigating agency wants to break open the locker of the deceased or the accused, the professional locksmiths are hired.

Locksmith services are also en cashed upon in access control systems wherein a single key holds the entry to a multi door system, for example. Alarm systems are another region of application of locksmith services. Also intercom system safety can be ensured by asking for the help of professionals

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