Need Recommendation For Residential Locksmith
 

I thought i heard my sis coming home at 3am. I heard the front door open along with the chain grinding up against the metal window bars. Shortly after that, i heard a car driving away. I asked my sis about it the following day and she said it wasn't her.

My front door makes a distinct sound when it's opened, so i know i wasn't dreaming. I went down to have a quick look and the door was locked. I suspect somebody's got my house key, tried gaining entry, realized they made too much noise, then bounced.

So.. can you guys recommend me a locksmith? thanks!

replacing the lock is easy. all you need is a screwdriver and a trip to Home Depot for a new doorknob/lock combo.

all the instructions are there and only 2 screws.

My dad does some locksmithing. I did as well when I worked at a hardware store. You only need a locksmith if you need a lock re-keyed or if your lock is jammed shut or something.

Replacing your lock is incredibly easy as long as you know how to use a screwdriver. No harder than putting together IKEA furniture. Save your money and just do it yourself.

what everyone else said

here's a video to show how easy it is

looking to rekey 4 locks..

you can buy 4 locks that use the same key from home depot etc...

Oh, re-keying is a pain in the ass. You're basically taking the lock apart and rearranging the pins and shit.

I only know of a place in Richmond called Al Scott. Dude's been there for 20+ years and I used to recommend people go there when I was stumped or if there was a key I didn't have stock of.

Any locksmith will be able to re-key without a problem but I'd look at just buying four locks (and you can get four that use the same key) and doing it yourself. Would probably be less time and trouble. Remember that the guy will have to come to your house to re-key...unless you can remove all the locks from your house and go somewhere to get them done.

You can take your lock to a locksmith and get it re-keyed. The local locsmith I use for the apartment building charges $15 if I bring the lock to him. removing and installing locks is not that hard.

hmm.. i'll goto home depot and have a look for some sort of kit - thanks guys.

I think if I suspected someone of having a key to my home, I'd immediately go out and swap the locks.

No time to make an appointment for a locksmith to come see me.

If the guy had a bumped key, he can reopen even if you changed it with a regular lock. If it was a copy of your key then it's a better situation for you.

If your really worried you can get those special unbumpable locks from any locksmith but will run you approx 150 each I believe.

Yeah, same.

Take what you want from my advice. I'm not a locksmith but probably have more experience with locks than most. I received training from several lock manufacturers, have cut keys and picked locks when we were bored. But that was 10 years ago...

I'd tell you to buy good locks but unless you're buying the seriously expensive $200+ dollar locks, you're getting mostly the same thing. Most locks will only defeat stupid criminals and crimes of opportunity (meaning the door was just unlocked).

You wouldn't believe the number of locks I could open with nothing but a small screwdriver or bump key when I worked at the hardware store. I don't know if things have changed in the last 10 years in lock technology but most locks won't defeat people that know what they're doing. For the most part, a deadbolt usually will but they won't beat a drill or a good kick. That kid from The Blind Side could probably knock over any residential door.

Not telling you to get the cheapest possible ones, though. Not my intention but don't get fooled by some of the ridiculous marketing and overpay. Get solid locks but any of the ones that say they're invincible or whatever and charge double are bullshit. Most of them let you turn them before you buy. I always tell people to get the one that reminds them of opening and closing a luxury car door. It should feel heavy and smooth.

And make sure someone stays home while you do that. :lol

load two 12 gauge shells with rock salt.

load said 12 gauge shells into a double barrel shotgun.

wait by the door with a 6 pack and see if they try again at night.

:troll:



honestly, i would go swap the locks out immediately. there are several different kits available from hardware stores such as home depot, rona and canadian tire.

i like using the schlage locks from homedepot. they're easy to install and they also have versions which can be re-keyed so that all the locks will open with one key.


the instructions are well laid out and easy to follow. like others have said, if there was a break in attempt i would immediately go swap the locks out. also consider other door security devices such as door chains or door guardians.

That's common sense. Just did re-key today. took them 20 min and cost me $18.10 with 2 keys. Most HD locks are pretty low quality. Also not all locks are installed the same way so a new lock my require some extra work to get it installed.

17 years ago if i suspected someone trying to break in, i would lay these on the ground...

http://sqconnection.wpengine.netdna-...8DF1E6F114.jpg

thanks for all info - locks have been changed!

remember this when buying an expensive lock: a chain is only as good as its weakest link.

That link is your windows.

a million $ lock wont help you if you live in a greenhouse.

This is really key to understand. Home depot/hardware store locks are cheap shit. If you go to a locksmith, they sell high quality locks that are built to last.

While you are at it, take a good look at your whole system. A lock does no good if it is easily defeated. A good guard to cover the mechanism is a good investment.

http://www.catcan.ca/images/products...k_Guard_5D.jpg

http://www.armoratl.com/images/latchguard1.jpg

Medeco is a good brand for high security locks
So is Multilock I believe...I have Multilock for my apartment and medeco for work.
I have also used Al Scott in the past, and they are very reputable
Posted via RS Mobile

If you have these types of doors or have windows near the lock
https://www.epsilon-theta.org/spur/d...ide-medium.jpg


You need Double Cylinder Dead Bolts, which needs a key on both sides of the lock to unlock it.
Only down sides is in case of emergency, it would be a pain if you dont have the key ready to get out
http://www.securitybase.com/media/ca...6/d62ic2_1.jpg

Why the hell would you want a lock that needs a key to lock it from the inside?

Because if someone can smash the window and then unlock your door, you might not feel safe. But if someone has to break the entire fucking thing, it'd be incredibly obvious and loud and the thief might reconsider.

Because if its near a window they just bust the window and turn the T-turn.

edit: Geez, I totally forgot to reload the page before posting...