Benefits of using a Professional Locksmith | Types, Services & Advantages

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Locks are tantamount to security – the better the quality of your locks, the higher the level of security there is.

The locking mechanism on your property is your first line of defence against intruders and burglars and this goes for all kinds of properties including residential, commercial, and industrial.

It is just as important to secure a house than it is to secure a business, office, warehouse, or factory. All contain items of value that must be protected and kept safe at all costs.

Sadly, the importance of locks is mostly overlooked with people settling for cheaper alternatives, risking their security in the process. What’s comes as a shock is that despite understanding their importance, quite a few people still leave their doors unlocked, in a way inviting intruders to break in.

Your first step towards ensuring that your locks are of the best quality and installed using the best practices is by hiring a professional locksmith. They not only install locks but provide a variety of other services as well.

Read on to find out what professional locksmiths are, their different types, the services that they offer, and the advantages and disadvantages (if any) of hiring them over handymen.

WHAT IS A PROFESSIONAL LOCKSMITH?

According to the most basic definition, a locksmith is someone who makes and repairs locks. But that is not all there is to the profession.

Locksmithing is one of the oldest professions in the world that started with using wooden devices to secure valuables from thieves.

Over time, the profession has greatly evolved and so have its practices and specialisations. A professional locksmith is responsible for providing a plethora of services, all that contribute to a property’s safety and security.

There are different types of professional locksmiths having expertise in a certain type of property. Let’s look at them in detail:

Residential locksmiths

Residential locksmiths are professionals who specialise in home locks and security. They are trained to work on residential properties, understanding the nature of risks and threats that they face, and giving recommendations accordingly.

They do so much more than just install locks on the doors of your house. They help assess your security needs and provide tips on how to protect your home from unauthorised access.

Commercial locksmiths

Commercial locksmiths are professionals who work on larger commercial properties such as buildings, offices, schools, hotels, warehouses, and factories. They can cater to small residential properties as well and have specialised skills to provide solutions for commercial properties on a large scale.

A commercial locksmith not only opens and changes locks but also helps with a variety of other services that may include installing and servicing electronic and digital locks, and master keying.

Automotive locksmiths

While residential and commercial locksmiths cater to residential and commercial property owners, automotive locksmiths provide professional services to car owners.

They not only help you gain access to your vehicle in the event of a lockout, but also replace, repair, and update the car keys. This includes working with remote controls and smart keys that require special skill and expertise to bypass.

ADVANTAGES OF USING PROFESSIONAL LOCKSMITH SERVICES

People like taking out their toolboxes and attempting a DIY, which can be fun and exciting if you know what you’re doing.

However, certain jobs, such as the locking mechanisms on your property, must be left to the professionals since they require a certain level of skill and expertise.

You certainly wouldn’t want to risk your and your property’s security by doing it yourself or hiring a handyman who is neither trained nor qualified for the job.

Let’s look at all the advantages of hiring professional locksmiths for your security needs.

Professional locksmiths:

Have the necessary skill, expertise, and experience to work with all kinds of locking mechanisms.
Run a risk assessment on your existing locks and security measures.
Have adequate knowledge to recommend tailored solutions for each client.
Stay up-to-date with the latest lock technologies and are familiar with quality products.
Provide a holistic package that not just includes installation but a variety of other services as well.
Are quick at what they do because of their skill and vast experience under their belt.
Offer emergency callout services and can be counted on to respond to them.
Carry specialised tools needed to carry out the job in the least amount of time with no or minimal damage to existing locks, doors, or windows.
Offer services that come with insurance which means that any damages done to your locks or doors will be covered.
Have clear prices and quotes and will always give invoices with the cost breakdown according to the labour, material, and time.
Provide services of the highest standards because they have a professional reputation to protect.

Working with special high-security locks requires a certain level of specialisation that often comes with a price. Some people consider professional locksmiths to be costlier than the average handyman and see it as a disadvantage to using their services.

We do not agree with them, and neither should you. All good things come at a price. Would you rather save a few quid and compromise the integrity of your security system by hiring someone who doesn’t possess the right skills to do the job?

An inexperienced person might do more harm than good causing damage worth a lot more than what you thought you initially saved. Professional locksmiths know their job inside out and provide the best services along with your money’s worth.

Also, make sure you choose the right professional locksmith, and not just someone claiming to be one. There are a lot of fraudulent services operating under the guise of professional service providers and it is your job to properly vet them to guarantee they are certified and actually who they claim to be.

PROFESSIONAL LOCKSMITH SERVICES

Professional locksmiths offer a variety of services that include:

Installing locks on doors and windows

Reinforcing your doors and windows with the most secure locks is probably the first step towards safeguarding your property against unauthorised access.

There are several options to choose from and deciding on the best one for your specific needs can be a little overwhelming, especially if you don’t possess the right information and expertise to make an informed decision.

That’s where professional locksmiths come in. In addition to installing new locks, they can also advise on the best locking mechanisms for different doors and windows on your property depending on the level of risk.

Repairing and fixing locks on doors and windows

Locks on doors and windows can get damaged for several reasons. It might be general wear and tear, malfunctioning locks, jamming, or your keys getting stuck inside.

Professional locksmiths offer services for all the above-mentioned issues and more. In some instances, the locks might be damaged by burglars trying to get inside your property. These criminals are known to be ruthless and capable of using any amount of force to help them break-in.

Repairs and fixes are not to be stalled since a vulnerable locking mechanism equals to a vulnerable home.

Replacing or rekeying locks

Depending on the situation, you might have to get your locks replaced or rekeyed by a professional locksmith, both of which require an in-depth understanding of various locking mechanisms and using the right tools to getting the job done.

A professional locksmith will replace your locks if they are damaged beyond repair and will rekey them if key control is compromised, i.e. the keys are stolen or lost.

When replacing locks, the entire lock is changed, whereas in rekeying, the locks are kept as is – minus a few adjustments – and only the keys are changed to open the existing locks. This means that the locks will be opened only by the new set of keys, rendering the old lost and stolen ones useless.

Key cutting

Key cutting is the method used to make a duplicate, additional, or spare keys for all kinds of properties. They may be required for several reasons such as wanting to give someone keys for access or to be used as a backup during emergencies.

Generally, you would have to provide the original for a duplicate to be made. However, when using a professional locksmith’s services, you don’t have to worry about that, which is another reason to opt for their services.

A skilled locksmith can easily make a duplicate key for you without using the original by cutting them by hand. They do so using the knowledge and expertise they’ve gained over the years.

Responding to lockouts

This is probably one of the most common issues that professional locksmiths are contacted for. You’d be surprised by how many people lock themselves out of their homes and businesses.

Lockouts can be quite stressful if you don’t know the right course of action. Trying to force your way in might cause more damage than anticipated. The usual methods are either breaking the door or smashing a window, both of which may result in serious damages and injuries.

Professional locksmiths offer 24/7 emergency callout services for such situations where they reach your property without wasting any time and open the locks causing no damage whatsoever to the locks or doors.

Master keying

A master key system enables organisations with multiple locks, such as hotels, office blocks and buildings of multiple occupancies, to access all locks with a master key while maintaining the security of all individual rooms.

While they are mostly used in businesses, many homeowners are also realising their benefits and are adopting the system for their homes as well.

A typical system operates on a tier system where locks are designated a hierarchy and the keys are set to those levels, e.g. a high-level key can open all locks whereas a lower level key can open only those assigned to that level.

Upgrading to digital locks

Keys have been used for centuries to restrict access and protect valuables. However, times are changing and with the digitisation of almost everything around us, it is no surprise to see digital locks replacing the traditional lock and key system.

Also known as keyless door entry systems or access control systems, digital locks eliminate the need for keys that are susceptible to being lost and stolen and instead work using a card swipe, key pin, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), or biometrics technology.

Professional locksmiths provide all services related to keyless door entry systems from requirement assessment to installation, maintenance, and repair.

Providing security safe services

Professional locksmiths provide services for all kinds of locks; not just the locks on doors and windows but also security safes, file cabinets, and secure drawers.

Security safes are secure boxes used for both residential and commercial purposes to lock up valuable items such as cash, jewels, important documents, sensitive information, and expensive equipment. They ensure that the contents remain protected from threats such as theft, fire, floods, and other disasters.

In addition to providing safe installation services, professional locksmiths also help repair, maintain, and open them. A safe that can’t be opened due to hardware malfunctioning or the owner forgetting the code is not very ideal.

Trained locksmiths have a range of methods for getting into your safe, and in many cases, they do that without causing damage and restore it to full working order afterwards.

Installing alarm systems

Since many alarm systems are linked with door locks, their installation requires useful help and insight from professional locksmiths.

Burglar alarms are one such example that works using a series of sensors that go off as soon as they detect any unusual activity, notifying the person-in-charge to take necessary action.

When triggered, the alarm makes a noise, usually accompanied by flashing lights, which is enough to get people’s attention. In addition to the notification panel being activated, some systems are programmed to automatically lock all unlocked doors and windows to ensure the intruders stay away and find no way to break in.

Other instances where professional locksmiths can offer their services is when installing fire alarms on residential and commercial properties. During a fire, everyone is supposed to run towards safety, preferably outside in the open air. Locked doors might cause delays and even people getting stuck behind.

Linking digital door locks with fire alarms is a great way to ensure that all the main exits are automatically opened as soon as a threat is detected.

CONTACT CALDER SECURITY

You need to be able to trust the locks you have on your property but you also need to be able to trust whoever installs them. You need to know that they are skilled in the task and that they are honest and trustworthy tradesmen.

We at Calder Security are members of the Master Locksmith Association (MLA) since 1976 and can work on a wide range of locking mechanisms.

We are specialists in wooden, UPVC, and aluminium doors and the official suppliers for leading lock brands including Chubb, Yale, Securikey, and Garrison. Our team of experienced professionals can advise on the best types of lock for your residential and commercial needs.

In addition to installation services, our professional locksmiths also offer repairing services for when the locks become damaged or develop faults and may not require changing, and are also fully conversant in business master key systems.

Our qualified locksmiths have an in-depth knowledge of all kinds of locks and can often repair them on site. We can also access locks that have become jammed, including safes, and can respond to your calls quickly which can be very useful if you’ve locked yourself out.

We also offer expert key cutting services from our Lock & Safe Shop in Wakefield where you can get your keys cut while you wait.

Using our state-of-the-art digital equipment, we can cut virtually any key including cylinder keys, mortice keys, dimple keys, Mul-T-Lock keys, padlock keys, lockers keys, and safe keys to a high degree of accuracy without having to send them away to be cut.

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