Reasons to have your door locks changed

Change door locks in South Yorkshire homes and for what reasons

Well, we’ve made it into the Autumn and I hope you all survived the sizzling temperatures of Summer! Forty degrees really was something, and I had a few call-outs to locks and doors that had almost literally melted in the heat, requiring replacements. Strictly speaking, it was more buckled and warped than melted, but given the temperatures it reached, it really wasn’t far off.

Why calling a locksmith can save you money & stress

Temperatures that high are thankfully very rare, although it seems we may see more of them in the future, and I may well be called out to an increasing number of heat-related breakdowns, and I’m not just talking about screaming kids on being told they’re not allowed another ice cream. Even aside from the heat, locks can need replacing for a variety of reasons and I thought I’d take the opportunity today to look at a few of those, as well as showing why calling a locksmith to change a door lock can save you money and stress in the long run. I’d also like you to think about when you last changed your locks, if you can’t remember, that probably indicates in itself that it’s time for a change.

Lost your house keys… new key cut or change the lock itself?

Our first scenario is when you get that feeling of panic, dread and cold chills. No, you haven’t just switched on watch Sunak and Truss in the Tory leader hustings. Rather you’ve put your hand in your pocket to retrieve your key, only to grasp at thin air. Just like when Richard was sacked by Sky Sports, your keys have gone. Along with losing your phone or wallet (or admittedly kids), your keys are one of the worst things to lose or misplace. And if, after frantically turning the house upside down or retracing your steps around the park, you still can’t find them, you’re left with the dilemma of whether to get a new key cut or change the lock itself. However I’d argue this is not a dilemma at all and I would strongly recommend that you get the locks changed as soon as possible. You just don’t know where that lost key will turn up. Maybe someone untrustworthy saw you drop it, or there is identifying information on the keyring. An unscrupulous finder could easily then use the key to facilitate an easy burglary. Of course we hope this doesn’t happen, but it’s really not worth the risk.

Moving house means brand new locks

Our second new lock scenario sees you having just completed the stressful job of moving house. Unless the house or flat you’re moving in to is a new-build property, it’s likely that there are multiple previous owners to consider. Do these people still have copies of the keys? Or maybe their friends or family have spare copies that were not handed over on completion of the move. A new house means a clean slate, and you should definitely contribute to this by getting brand new locks fitted just to be sure you know exactly who has access to your new home.

New door locks fitted in the aftermath of any attempted break-in

A third situation where you will want to get your locks changed is in the aftermath of a burglary or attempted burglary. It’s a sad fact that houses are targeted more than once, either because they’ve been chosen for certain contents inside or, more frequently, because the burglar now knows the layout of the property as well as any security precautions in place. Burglars will sometimes even steal a key during the first burglary and then brazenly use it for a return visit a few weeks later. As such, whether the burglar has been successful or unsuccessful, I would always urge people to get new locks fitted in the aftermath of any attempted break-in.

Get dodgy locks replaced by a professional locksmith

Next up is pretty much the most common reason for having door locks changed – if the one in situ breaks down. In this circumstance, changing a lock becomes a necessity unless you want to throw caution to the wind and do away with a lock or even door altogether. But I wouldn’t recommend either, and you’d get pretty cold in winter without a front door. If a lock breaks out of the blue then it’s time to get an emergency locksmith in, and there isn’t much getting around this. However, some locks give signals they are reaching a breaking point, maybe they are sticking when you try to turn the key, or not letting you retrieve the key easily. This is a signal to get a locksmith out in advance of a total lock failure, it’s a lot less anxiety if you can get the lock replaced when it still partially works rather than waiting for it to fail completely, with the security issues this would raise. Take charge of the situation and get any dodgy lock replaced by a reputable locksmith rather than waiting for a total malfunction.

The latest door lock technology & standards

Another reason to replace locks comes simply down to the progress of technology. We live in an age where we replace phones, TVs, computers on a regular basis to take advantage of new features and better tech. Whilst locks may not quite have the different features as these items, I’m yet to find a lock with in-built Netflix, technology definitely plays a part in the improvement of them over time. So whilst your lock may still be working, it’s worthwhile still looking at what else is on the market. Perhaps your lock, whilst seeming to do its job, would not withstand an attempt at lock-snapping or wouldn’t meet home insurance requirements. Even though lock-smithery is an ancient profession, it also moves with the times and improvements are constantly being made to products on the market, with British Standards and kite-marks also continually updated.

Professional South Yorkshire locksmith

Whatever your reason for changing door locks I’d also recommend you get them done by a professional locksmith. You may be thinking I’m bound to say that as I am a locksmith, but I have seen instances of people trying to change their own locks and ending up in more of a pickle than when they started, requiring an emergency locksmith to fix the mess they’d made of the job. Simpler and cheaper to get a professional do the job in the first place.