Home Lock Change in Jacksonville, FL: Full Guide to Improve Your Home Security System
Your home locks are the key line of defense between your household and burglars. Although home locks are an area that homeowners do not think about until problems arise, knowledge on when to change them is fundamental for ensuring home security. At My Florida Locksmith, home lock changes are our area of expertise. For home lock services in Jacksonville, FL, call us today.
Why Home Locks Need to Be Changed
Many circumstances exist in which a homeowner must relock their residence for continued security and functionality as a residence. The first circumstance in which a homeowner should consider relocking the residence is at the point of moving into a different residence, whether a personal residence or a rental property. When a residence changes ownership, the owner takes not only the property itself but also its existing locking system and an unknown quantity of duplicate keys in circulation. Former residents, family members, contractors, real estate agents, home inspectors, cleaning personnel, or yard personnel have at one point or another in the residence’s past owned a key to the residence.
Breach of security requires an immediate replacement of locks. Home burglary or an attempted break-in means that your locks have been compromised and do not serve their purpose effectively anymore. Even if an attempted break-in has not taken place, your locks might have been damaged, thus not offering adequate safety to your house anymore.
Lost or stolen keys pose a risk of security breaches that necessitate the need for lock replacement. When one loses his/her keys, the risk exists that the keys could fall into the wrong hands. The peace of mind one gets by replacing the locks because of lost keys cannot be overestimated, considering the risk that the lost keys could open the door to one’s home.
It is not uncommon for relationship changes to require changing the locks. If an individual has had roommates move out, gone through a divorce, or ended a relationship, changing the locks will ensure that individuals with former authorized entry no longer have the ability to enter their home without their permission. This is especially helpful in situations where there has been domestic strife or an antagonistic separation.
Upgrading security is a great reason for homeowners to change their locks, even if their current ones still work properly. Locks that have been in a house for decades will certainly lack current security technology for preventing breaking and entry. Builders’ grade locks that come with a new house can be upgraded for greatly improved security for you and your loved ones.
Understanding Lock Wear and Deterioration
A lock is a mechanical component with many moving parts. Each time a key is inserted and turned, there is a cycle in which pins move up and down, springs compress and decompress, and cylinders and latches extend and retract. All this results in wear and tear in the form of friction. Front door locks in a typical household with many people opening and closing the doors many times a day undergo much wear and tear.
There are some unique challenges imposed on lock durability because of the climate prevailing in Jacksonville. A considerable level of humidity prevailing during most parts of the year translates to the rusting of metallic parts in the locks, especially the locks that are exposed to the elements. The prevailing temperature, moisture, and marine salt in the environment impose harsh conditions on the lock’s metallic parts.
This is attributed to the fact that temperature changes cause doors as well as their frames to expand and contract, leading to misalignment of locks. Misaligned locks make it difficult to turn keys while increasing stresses on internal mechanisms beyond the usual wear and tear. Temperature contrasts generated by air conditioners cause immense temperature differences between inside and outside conditions of Jacksonville.
The keys themselves will wear down over time, losing the precise edge detail required for smooth operation. A worn key won’t properly align with the lock pins to turn the lock efficiently. Extending the life of worn keys will often hasten lock failure and even lead to keys breaking off inside the lock.
Even if there is physical damage from some other source, a lock can be compromised. This may be due to an attempted breaking in, using a sticky door, or even contact when moving furniture. When a lock has some of its internal parts bent or broken, a lock can function but will not operate as desired.
Certainly, there are obvious indicators that point towards the need to replace locks. Sticking keys when inserted into locks is an obvious indication of lock deterioration. Latches that refuse to close or need some jiggling before locking are an indication that the lock is not aligned correctly. Rust, corrosion, and discolored areas on the outer surfaces of locks are clear indications of deterioration on the inside. Sticking keys in locks or loose locks that turn in the door only by wiggling are indicators that need attention.
High-Security Lock Options for Jacksonville Homes
Though conventional residential locks are sufficient for most needs, high security locks provide greatly improved resistance against today’s methods of entry. Knowing the characteristics of high security will ensure homeowners understand their residential security investments.
Pick resistance is a basic high-security feature. Conventional locks can be easily picked using basic knowledge of lock picks and low-cost accessories obtained from the internet. High-security locks feature complicated combinations of pins, sidebars, telescoping pins, and other high-security components that resist picks even from professional locksmiths. There are high-security locks that defy picks completely, with locks so secure that an attacker will resort to other targets elsewhere.
DRILL RESISTANCE provides resistance against any attempted forceful entries that use drill machines. This is due to the fact that some fraudsters try to drill away lock cylinders in an attempt to bypass the lock function. High-security locks feature hardened steel cores, revolving ball bearings, and resistant protection plates that make drilling extremely difficult or take a rather lengthy process that deters any attempted criminal access.
Resistance to bump keys corresponds to a weakness existing within most conventional locks. Bump keys are specialized keys made use of based on the nature of conventional locks, and within seconds, doors open. This particular concept of breaking into houses and stores became popular through video demonstrations on the internet. High-security keys utilize specialized pins, unusual mechanisms, and arrangements not prone to the bump key attack.
Key control offers a vital element of security that goes beyond the lock itself. The manufacturers of high-security locks severely limit the distribution of their key blanks, making it extremely difficult or even impossible to produce a copy key by unauthorized persons. Many high-security keys are under patents, and their key blanks are accessible to trusted locksmiths only, who must be able to prove ownership to produce a copy key.
The quality of high-security locks is determined by their durability and quality construction. High-security locks incorporate superior materials and high-quality construction to ensure that they last many years or even forever while working properly under heavy usage. Investing in high-security locks is always cost-effective due to their durable quality.
High-security locks that are distributed by My Florida Locksmith include Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, Abloy, and Schlage Primus. Every brand that is mentioned above provides exceptional features and is known for excellence and innovation. Even if high-security locks are priced higher than ordinary residential locks—actually two to four times higher—they outperform ordinary locks significantly and suit residential properties in Jacksonville with valuable possessions and high crime rates.
Increasing Demand for Smart Locks Among Consumers in Jacksonville
Smart locks connect classic lock security with up-to-date technology, a trend that is now gaining popularity among residents in Jacksonville, Fla., as a result of their advantages over classic locks.
A keyless entry system removes the problems that come with using traditional keys. You are able to unlock the door through the use of an app from your smartphone, keypads, fingerprint scanning, or even speech commands from assistants. Such an act is especially useful if the user is-handling groceries, children, or if the person has the habit of misplacing keys.
With the remote access feature, you now enjoy an unprecedented level of control over your home security system. From anywhere in the world as long as there’s an internet connection, you can lock or unlock doors using the remote access feature on your smartphone. This feature is quite useful when you are at work or away on a business trip, but you wish to grant access to delivery men, contractors, or other visitors.
Access tracking offers a degree of transparency that regular locks cannot. Smart locks keep records of every time the door gets locked or unlocked, who accessed the door, and at what time. This goes a long way for parents who have teenagers in the home since it gives an account of when the kids are getting home from school. Additionally, the records are useful for people who have hired cleaning or construction workers for the home since the logs ensure that no one gets in who shouldn’t be there.
Temporary and time-based access codes provide convenient and manageable security solutions. You can generate access codes for visitors that will expire upon their stay, dog walker access codes that can be used for designated timing, and contractor access for designated dates. Such solutions eliminate the security concerns that come with hiding spare keys or having to physically distribute keys.
The integration of smart home devices opens many exciting automation scenarios. Smart locks can control other smart devices, for example, by turning on light bulbs as you unlock the door, setting the temperature when you arrive home, or disabling security alarms. At the same time, smart homes can control smart locks, locking all the doors when it is bedtime or when all family members leave home according to their GPS location.
Having a tech-savvy populace and a strong short-term rental industry in the city, the adoption of intelligent locks in the city is not unexpected. In fact, the convenience associated with intelligent locks, where users can easily change codes after a guest leaves and allow new users in without the hassle of exchanging physical keys, has ensured their widespread adaptation in the short-term industry in the city.
Reasons Why Professional Installation is Crucial
While some homeowners consider lock installation a DIY activity that can be carried out by themselves, professional installation that involves experienced locksmiths such as My Florida Locksmith provides key benefits that promote security, functionality, and durability.
Accuracy of alignment is paramount to lock functionality and security. The alignment of locks and strike plates should be perfect so that deadbolts lock completely into the door frames. Any form of misalignment guarantees that deadbolts do not lock fully into place, rendering a home’s or office’s security system ineffective and accelerating lock failure due to frequent use. Only a professional locksmith has the expertise to align locks perfectly.
The proper installation depth is directly related to the effectiveness of security measures. The installation of locks is required to be done at a specified depth as determined by the manufacturers, as installing locks at a lesser depth than the specified might make them prone to forced entry techniques, while at a greater depth than specified might result in the lock not working properly. The requirement for proper door preparation involves precise drilling that won’t be feasible for most homeowners. This can lead to damaged doors, compromised integrity, security risks, or improper doorhole alignment that will complete an improper lock installation. Locksmiths possess specialized tools such as jigs and templates that will drill holes accurately to ensure that the cutting will result in strong and attractive doors. Installation of smart locks is more complicated as opposed to common locks. This is because, in addition to mechanical hardware, there is an electronic component that has to be put in place. This involves placing the hardware in a manner that is able to connect through Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other wireless technologies. This can be taken care of by a professional locksmith. Hardware compatibility tests eliminate costly errors. Just because a product exists doesn’t mean it’ll work well with all doors. Door thickness, material, existing holes, and backset dimensions influence hardware compatibility. Experienced locksmiths evaluate such variables with regard to your situation and do not commit costly errors involving incompatible hardware. Code compliance for buildings guarantees that these systems adhere to local standards. Qualified locksmiths are knowledgeable about the Jacksonville building code requirements for fire safety measures to guarantee that all the requirements for these systems are met. This is especially important in rental buildings where code compliance is checked during inspections, as well as for homeowners selling their homes where code compliance can become a concern. A warranty guarantee may also need professional installation. It is a fact that most lock companies will void warranties if their products aren’t professionally installed by a certified locksmith. Warranties will be null and voided if homeowners install these themselves. When you are looking for home lock changes in the Jacksonville area, My Florida Locksmith provides the knowledge, quality, and installation skills necessary for safely securing your home for years to come. Call today and allow us to meet your home security needs.
