Locks, Keys and Safes: Buying, Repairing and Maintaining

3 Times You’ll Be Glad You Worked With Emergency Locksmiths

You know those emergency numbers you keep with you, the ones for plumbers, veterinarians, and friends and family? Add a locksmith to that list. When you're locked out of your home, you don't want to spend time scrolling through reviews to find a locksmith who you hope is decent. You want to know who to call at that moment to get your door open. Locks should be simple things, but like any mechanical item, they have their issues. Knowing ahead of time which locksmith would be best to call in an emergency will make the situation a lot calmer and easier to bear.

Frozen Locks in Winter

If you're in a cold area that freezes regularly in winter, hopefully, the lock on your front door is built to withstand those temperatures. Otherwise, the lock can freeze up, especially if moisture gets into the keyhole and freezes. You don't want to force these locks open because you could break something or even damage your key. If you're sure the problem is ice, maybe a neighbour can bring over a hairdryer to briefly warm up the lock and melt the ice, but if you aren't sure exactly what's going on, or no one is around to help, you'll need to call a locksmith.

Jammed Locks From Loose or Dirty Internal Parts

Older locks and locks that get a lot of use can loosen up over time. This is normal; parts go slightly out of whack as the parts of the lock are turned, pushed, and yanked around. Sometimes, though, you don't get any warning that something has loosened up until it moves and jams the lock. You'll need that emergency locksmith both to get that lock to open up and to fix the lock.

Lost Keys When Visitors Take the Spares 

If you've had family or friends visit and use a spare key while they were at your home, only for them to lose the key, you'll need to get that lock rekeyed immediately. Do not wait. You don't know who found the key, or even if the key was lost; a sad truth in life is that sometimes friends aren't really friends. Once you find out a key is missing, call an emergency locksmith and have that lock rekeyed, or better yet, ask if the locksmith can also install an electronic lock. That has a key but also a programmable keypad, which you can use to issue individual door codes to everyone. When your guests leave, you can cancel those codes so that they no longer work to open the lock.

You might not make the best decisions when faced with being locked out or having a key go missing. Researching local emergency locksmiths can help you feel a lot more prepared when you're in the middle of a stressful situation. 


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