Signs Indicating the Time Has Come to Change an Old Lock and Replace It with a High-Security One
A tried and true lock may work fine for decades. Barring severe corrosion or damage from excessive use, the mechanisms and components of a door lock should work fine. This does not mean, however, the lock maintains the appropriate defensive capabilities of a burglar. Homeowners do have to be ever on the alert for troubling indications it is time to change door locks. These indications may be very glaring or they may be subtle. Either way, the indicators promote one direction: upgrade the current locks to ones far more burglar-proof.
What are some of those indicators to be mindful of?
Looseness or Other Defects
A lock may work fine even though it has minor defects. A homeowner might feel significant looseness on a doorknob when turning a lock with a key. The top lock latch might not go in all the way, but 3/4's is good enough. All of this could be enough to protect against someone trying to open the door by hand - although that is debatable. If someone wishes to use tools to break the lock, a lock that is already worn out is sure to "give in" a lot easier than a brand new one.
Strange Scratches and Abrasions
The weather does create a lot of normal wear and tear on doors, windows, and accompanying locks and handles. Very mysterious abrasions that appear overnight should set off alarm bells. If the right side of the handle on a white painted screen has gray patches, this may be a bad sign. The white paint may have been scratched off in the area where the handle connects to the locking mechanism. Someone could have been using tools to open up that lock. Take this as an immediate sign to upgrade any old locks. The last burglar may not have gotten through, but this may not be the case with the next one. Get the best possible new locks in place right away.
Debris and Ice Accumulate
Locks that won't turn due to ice and dirt blocking the mechanisms can be addressed by deicing and cleaning. Dealing with such a problem once or twice may not be so bad. Continually having to do so may mean the lock is on the edge of being useless. If the mechanism had been exposed to expanding ice repeatedly, the mechanism may be weakened and the lock easy to pick. Maybe replacing the lock is advised.
When the decision is made to replace the device, call on commercial locksmith services like ASAP Lock Service in order to ensure the new locks deliver exceptional security.
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