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:

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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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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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:

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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Woodstock Locksmith 519-489-2331

Locks Change Woodstock

Magnetic Locks

Magnetic locks, like electric strikes, use electromagnetism to control the locking mechanism. They rely on electric power, whether from a building current or a battery, and as a result they’re as dependable as a refrigerator, TV, or bedside alarm clock (though like any other household appliance they can also be vulnerable to power failure). But because no key is needed to operate magnetic locks, mag-locks can’t be picked – and you’ll never be locked out because you’ve lost the key.

The core of a magnetic lock control system is an electromagnet made of advanced metal alloys.

When electric power activates it, the bolt slides in or out, up or down, along its U-shaped channel to lock or unlock the door. Some mag-locks also incorporate timing mechanisms that allow them to operate only at certain times – during business hours, for example. Others have “transaction memory,” which can record every use or attempted use. This function can be especially valuable with locks that use number-pads rather than coded cards: if an unauthorized person tries to gain access using incorrect codes more than twice, for example, the lock can automatically set off an alarm.

Magnetic locks work only with DC current, usually 12 to 24 volts.

Many systems utilize batteries to provide the power, but others are wired into the building’s AC current, which is converted to DC by an internal transformer. Because the locking mechanism relies on the electromagnetic charge, mag-locks fail if the power fails, and the lock will open: they are fail-safe, meaning that they stop working if the power goes off. (Locks using AC power, like electric strikes, remain locked when the power goes out: they are fail-secure.) The best mag-lock designs use batteries, with converted AC current as a backup, or the reverse: they use the building’s AC current (converted to DC) with batteries for backup.

Whatever their power source, while access from the outside requires electric power, most magnetic locks can be opened from the inside without electricity, making egress in an emergency safe and reliable. One typical exception is in high-security applications like prisons, where both ingress and egress are controlled.

Magnetic locks are designed to read a variety of different coding mechanisms such as smart cards, proximity readers, and keypads. That versatility makes them ideal for both institutional or business use and for home use. If an employee is dismissed, for example, his or her magnetic code can be immediately deactivated, so that that single smart card no longer works. If a lock uses a numbered keypad, the coding can be changed quickly and easily, with the new code given only to those authorized. For home use, each family member can be given a different access code, making it easy to track when a delinquent teenager finally got home! The code can also easily be changed or deactivated if needed – in the case, say, of an intransigent former boyfriend or girlfriend, or an unfriendly divorce.

Another benefit of electromagnetic locks is that they’re silent.

When you are “buzzed in” to an apartment building, that buzzer signals that AC power is being used – it’s the sound of AC current passing through an electric strike. But if you hear only the soft click of the bolt being released, it’s the silence of DC power, most likely using a magnetic lock. Generally, though, the AC strike lasts only as long as you hear the buzzer; after that, the door relocks. For home use, the silent magnetic lock is generally preferred.

Bear in mind that, as an electric appliance, magnetic locks must be properly installed to ensure that they’re not susceptible to fire. Although Do-It-Yourself aficionados can install their own battery-operated mag-locks, it’s always best to use a professional installer, who will also know the local safety codes that must be followed.

Now, for those who worry about these things, the power consumption of a magnetic lock – even one using AC power and a transformer – is so minimal as to be unnoticed on your Con Ed bill. And there’s no reason to fear having a “residual electromagnetic aura” hanging around your front door: you won’t!

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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New Hamburg Locksmith 519-489-2331

Locks Change New Hamburg

The Benefits Of Electronic Keyless Door Locks

How many times have you been locked out of your house? It’s not an uncommon occurrence – nearly everyone can recall at least one time they were stuck outside waiting for a locksmith, family member or friend to let them in. If you’ve ever spent time stuck outside in extreme hot or cold weather, you probably wondered what it would take to install a biometric door lock. These electronic keyless door locks have a number of benefits, but are they right for you?

Never Use A Key Again With Electronic Keyless Door Locks

Being locked out without a key is a thing of the past with electronic keyless door locks. These latches use fingerprints, number pads or even biometrics such as eye scans to open doors. One major benefit of these latches is that they’re easily opened without a key, as long as you have the right information programmed into the clasp. Another benefit is that a number key is easily shared with contractors, home repairmen or other service personnel. After the work is complete, it’s easy to reprogram the code to maintain safety.

A Biometric Door Lock Is Harder To Pick And Offers Additional Security

A biometric door lock is harder for a criminal to pick, ensuring your belongings and home will stay safe. Additionally, if someone does try to pick this type of security latch, it is difficult to break. These work as an excellent deterrent for criminals or anyone else who tries to break into your home.

Another benefit is that these can sometimes be wired into a security system, which can automatically call a home security company or even the local police department. This additional line of defense can help protect your home whether you’re inside with your family or not even at home.

Installation May Be Easier Than You Think

Many people are intimidated by installing biometric or fingerprint locks. While it’s possible to install one yourself, it can be a good idea to call a professional for help. A professional locksmith will be able to help you choose which types of biometric or fingerprint locks are best for your home and has access to each of the electronic keyless door locks that you have installed.

Sometimes people are concerned about the electricity needed to run these latches. However, many can run for three years or more with a single battery. If yours uses a battery, it’s not a bad idea to change it whenever you change the batteries in your smoke detectors.

A Number Of Styles To Choose From

There are a number of styles available so homeowners or business owners aren’t limited to a single style. Whether utilitarian or sleek and modern, fingerprint or keypad, there’s a latch for every home and business style.

Getting rid of that ring of keys can be a great experience.

When you use a keyless latch, you’ll never have to worry about being locked out and your home or business will have an extra step of security. If you’re interested in adding one of these to your home or business, consider installing one yourself or call a professional locksmith today.

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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Saint Mary’s Locksmith 519-489-2331

Xpress Locksmith St Marys.

You May Be Surprised at What’s Available

When you need to get into a home or a vehicle that you have accidentally locked yourself out of, you probably think of a locksmith first? However, there is much more to this respected profession than just getting people back in their cars or homes. It’s about safety, security, and access.

Lockouts Are a Very Common Problem

While you may feel a little bit miffed at yourself when you lock yourself out of your home or car, you are certainly not alone. Unlocking vehicles and homes are two of the most common locksmith services. Before you decide you want to break a window or crawl through one and risk injury, you should call an experienced locksmith to get you back inside. This will help prevent damage to your locks, as well, that is usually encountered after someone with no experience tries to open a lock.

Installation of New Locks

Another of the locksmith services is the installation of new locks. This may be in your home or office. Many locksmiths are contracted for lock replacement after a tenant moves out or when an employee leaves their job. Even though keys may state, “do not duplicate”, you don’t know if the employee or tenant managed to get a key made or not. It’s always best to change the locks. It’s a simple enough process and definitely worth your peace of mind.

Key Duplication

There are many times that you may need an additional key made for a lock. Make sure you use a reputable locksmith. You wouldn’t give your keys to your home to just anyone. You certainly do not want someone making an extra key to your front door so they can visit while you’re away.

Other Locksmith Services

A locksmith can make a key for a lock that has no key. You may find you need additional locks in your home or office. They can rekey old locks, to save you the costs of replacement. You may wish to have a lock installed on a trunk, locker, shed, or other important idea.

With the newest technology of keyless entry systems, key cards touch-pads, and even bio-tech systems, locksmiths must stay current in order to stay competitive. The more services offered by locksmiths, the more customers they will get. This means more for their bottom-line.

Choosing the Right Locksmith

You’ll want to choose your locksmith carefully. Ask your friends and family members which one they recommend. If you must start calling around to different locksmiths, you may want to look for ones that have a toll-free number. This could help you identify the company that is business legitimately.

If you only need lockout service, get the price quoted over the phone. Make sure you tell them what type of vehicle you have and where you are located. This will help ensure there is no misunderstanding when they arrive and you will have an easier time getting the company to stick to its quoted price. Most will want to see your vehicle registration and a form of identification. If they don’t, it should be your first red flag that the company may not be quite reputable.

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Halton Hills Locksmith 519-489-2331

Xpress Locksmith Halton Hills.

Reasons Behind Emergency Locksmith Service Needs.

There are advertisements for Locksmiths in your area that provide round-the-clock emergency services. However, for those who had never come across a situation related to lock, key, or an alarm system, these advertisements could be reasons to wonder.

It is always a welcome relief to come across an emergency locksmith service. This is because the time you could need their services is uncertain. It could be while leaving your office late at night only to find you don’t find your car keys. Or you could have locked the keys of your house along with the documents that you badly need for the day.

There are different kinds of emergencies one can come across, like being locked out of your home, of your car at the mall among others. There are good numbers of incidents where people have found themselves being locked in their car with the motor running. Instead of breaking your window and getting yourself out, it is a better solution to call a professional locksmith.

In situations like these, many people start kicking their doors and plan to fix it later.

However, for those who are cautious, it is the locksmith service that comes to their mind first. These service providers are always there to work on a 24 hour basis and are the panacea for your needs.

It could also be that your tenant has moved out of a rental or else they have been evicted. To change the lock, you definitely need an locksmith service. There are cases where some member of your family had their purse stolen and it is your first priority to get the locks changed on all of your doors. It is not known about the person getting hold of the purse and along with it the address from the driver’s license or other items present there that provide them the access to your home and get away with whatever they come across.

Similarly, for businesses that have a night shift or a cleaning crew, remaining locked out of building by accident is a common feature. Getting a locksmith service can bring back the night shift or cleaning crew within an hour or less.

Whatever be the kind of services you need, be it resetting the alarm, rekeying the lock, making duplicates or even installing new locks, a locksmith has the necessary knowledge and expertise to get it done.

For sudden change in management, it is not only the front door key to the building that needs change, but it is the offices, lock boxes and safes whose keys need to be changed out or rekeyed for the safety of the company.

It is only situations like these when you really feel the need to get the service of an emergency locksmith service. These service providers will be available at your location within 20 to 30 minutes of getting a call, get the door open, change the locks, and finish the job so that you can start your regular business again. Even if your need arises in the middle of night at a deserted place.

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Woodstock Locksmith 519-489-2331

Xpress Locksmith Woodstock

Most people don’t realize that locks on doors need to be changed often. If you  notice that the lock on any of your perimeter doors is not stable, wobbles, or is difficult to get it to lock, then it probably isn’t safe enough to be able to protect your house from intruders.

In order to make sure that your house is completely secure, it would be wise to make sure that your locks are in good condition. If they are not, it is no sweat to be able to replace them quick and easy. When replacing your old lock, today you have many options to choose from that will not only better safeguard your house, but may give your door a much needed face lift and improve the way it looks as well.

Standard Locks:

The first thing you will need to do is completely remove the old lock and get measurements of the hole. You will need to measure exactly how big the whole is (diameter) and how far the center of the hole is from the edge of the door.

Deadbolts:

Most of the standard locks you see these days are not going to stand up well against an intruder. Because they only go about an inch into the door frame, all the intruder has to do is use force to smash the door open. In this case it may be smart to add a deadbolt.

A deadbolt will give added security because it extends much farther into the frame of the door than a standard lock. In fact most deadbolts have a latch bolt that sticks into the actual framing of the house and there is no knob on the outside portion of the door for the intruder to mess with.

Deadbolts are fairly cheap and easy to install. All you have to do is figure where on the door you want to install it, measure the circumference of the lock, then use a matching hole saw to bore the size of hole you need.

Sliding Doors:

Sliding doors are relatively easy to get into because they are glass. Anyone who wanted to get in would just have to use force to break the glass. However, not all intruders are willing to make a big noise when breaking into homes so they will instead use a tool to force the lock and sliding door open.

The best type of security for sliding doors is just to find something to fit in the recess between the door and wall. Most sliding doors have a track that they run on, so if you just put a piece of metal or wood in that recess it will block the door from being able to open regardless if the lock is picked or not.

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Hamilton Locksmith 519-489-2331

Xpress Locksmith Hamilton

After working out at your health club you return to your locker and discover that your wallet and watch are missing. How did this happen!

Cabinets, lockers, medical carts, etc. have been traditionally locked with standard mechanical locks. Through the years these “Mechanical Locks” have been made cheaper resulting in duplicate and fewer key codes. Many people were finding that others had their key or they both had the same key resulting in no security. This opened the avenue for “Electronic Cabinet Locks” that could provide increased security at a reasonable cost.

Retro-Fit:

The CL1200 Electronic Cabinet Lock was designed to fit into the standard mounting hole of the mechanical locks. This made it possible to retrofit the Electronic Cabinet Locks into existing cabinets and lockers, saving a great deal of money for health club owners. To install an Electronic Cabinet Lock, the mechanical lock is removed by unscrewing the mounting nut, the Electronic Lock is installed by drilling 3 holes with the supplied template and mounting the new lock. This procedure can occur without removing the locker door.

Why Electronic:

Today people are very comfortable using electronics for most everything they do. Some of us can’t live without our electronic gadgets. Think about your house, car and smartphone; seems like everything we use is electronic, so why not a cabinet lock. When most people see an electronic lock on a hotel door they think of security and they feel secure. They know how to use that lock and have a comfort level with it. An Electronic Lock on a cabinet or locker would give them that same secure feeling.

Features:

• 50,000 openings on 3 triple-A batteries
• 10 stainless steel buttons for code entry and programming
• 4 code levels (Master Code, Sub-Master Code, User Code and Technician Code)
• Door Thickness from ¼” (6mm) to 1″ (25mm)
• Lock codes can be programmed by the end user
• Low Battery signal when there is 100 more openings
• External battery override using 9 volt battery
• Settings are saved when changing battery

These are some of the most common features, manufacturers will change or add to them to achieve different security functions or for different applications.

So, how secure do you think your cabinet or locker is? Do you have the only key or are there duplicates? Ask yourself these questions with any lock to which you have a key.

Remember, the “Key” to security is “Key Control”. 519-489-2331

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Cambridge Locksmith 519-489-2331

Xpress Locksmith Cambridge – Where Has Lock Snapping Taken Place?

Within Canada Lock snapping first started in Toronto, but is spreading with cases reported in at least 17 other Police Forces.

Many Police areas don’t keep records on lock snapping cases. We know that lock snapping has been recorded in 18 police forces, but there may be more areas.

Lock snapping is simple to do, force is applied to cylinder door locks and it snaps in two. Vulnerable locks are fitted to millions of properties, usually UPVC or double glazed doors. As a very basic guide, if you haven’t fitted a new door lock since 2009 you lock will probably be vulnerable.

Where Has Lock Snapping Taken Place?

There have been at least 18 police force areas where cylinder snapping has been recorded, these include:

• Toronto (GTA)
• Kitchener
• Cambridge
• Richmond Hill
• Mississauga

However many Police areas don’t keep records and anecdotal evidence (from lock smiths for example) suggests the problem is much wider than this.

Are Anti Snap Euro Cylinders Needed?

If you need to fit new locks, for example if you have just moved home, or have lost a key or broke up with a partner then a replacement 10$ door lock may look appealing. The contents of your home are insured, but what about the items that will be difficult to replace such as personal items of jewellery or photos stored on lap tops? Consider upgrading your locks at this point in case lock snapping becomes an issue in your area.

If you live in one of these 18 police areas affected by this burglary problem and need to change your door locks then from a crime prevention perspective it would be prudent to replace your old lock with a Anti Snap Lock.

Those of us lucky enough to live in areas not affected yet may have more cause not to spend 45$ on an upgrade yet.

What You Should Look for in a New Door Lock

1. The lock must state “anti snap”, not just “anti bump” and “anti pick”
2. It should be SS312 approved
3. It must come in the correct size for your door.

What is SS312

SS312 is Sold Secure’s diamond rated approval. Sold Secure is a testing organization run by the Master Locksmiths Association. There are a small number of locks that have SS312 approval, only these types should be purchased.

Summary

A high number of police areas don’t keep records on this crime type. AntiSnap Locks are currently needed in some areas more than others, however that can quickly change as more criminals become aware of this burglary technique. SS312 approved locks are quite low cost (about 45$), so why take the risk of NOT fitting them to your home?

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