As the years go by there will eventually come a time when your door locks need replacing. Often people will put this off for as long as they can or simply wait until something goes wrong and the choice is then out of their hands. With this said there are a multitude of reasons that you may need to change your door locks and its not always when things go wrong that this is necessary.
Lost Keys – More often than not when your locked out of a property your main focus is on getting into your property. As urgent as this often is you do also need to thing about how secure your property now is. If you know where your keys are, and you can go and collect them at another time then your probable okay. However, if you have lost your keys or you think they may have been stolen then until you have the locks changed your property will not be secure even if you use a spare key to lock the door. This is because if your keys have fallen into the wrong hands, they can simply let themselves into your property at any time with your own set of keys. Its always better to be safe than sorry and get the locks changed if you have lost your keys.
Moved Home – If you have recently moved home then it is always good practice to have the locks changed. This will ensure that your property is secure and that only you and those you trust have a copy of the key to your home. Many of us hand out spare keys to friends or family in case of emergency, you can never know just how many keys to your new property are still in circulation from previous owners.
Break-in/Attempted Break-in – Your locks will definitely need changing if you have had had a break-in or attempted break-in. Often locks and door handles get damaged when a break-in occurs which will leave your property vulnerable to another break-in. Even if the locks haven’t been damaged it is still advised that you have the locks changed as you can’t be sure that the burglar’s didn’t take a copy of a spare key to use at a later date. Another sign your locks need changing is the fact that your property was targeted in the first place, it means that they seen you had weak security measures making it an easy job for them, if this is the case then considering a lock upgrade whist having them changed would also be recommended.
Old Locks – Older locks are prone to wear and tear, often some issues can be repaired without replacing the lock entirely but sometimes the only option is a new door lock. Another problem with older locks is that they may not be as secure as they can be. The most recent security standard for locks is BS3621 and TS007 for uPVC door locks. These standards are a minimum requirement for most insurers so if your current locks don’t meet these standards then not only is your property not as secure as it can be, but you may find that your current insurance policy is void and you would not be paid out on any claims or new insurers will not provide cover until the locks have been upgraded.
If your having problems with your door locks or need your locks upgrading, then contact Alcatraz – Edinburgh Locksmiths today – 0131 467 7675
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