Author: vc_locksmiths

Garage Door Craziness: Don’t do this!

Today, we’re talking about automatic garage door openers. All too often, homeowners assume that because their garage door relies on a remote to open the door, this particular entrance to the house is secure. As a result, they assume they either don’t have to place a lock on the door from the garage into the house, or they never need to lock the door. Why bother, since no one can open the garage door?

Think twice. There are cases of other signals causing doors to open. While this is uncommon, why take the chance? A bigger risk is a hurried homeowner forgets to hit the remote to close the door as they rush away. Or perhaps they forget that all automatic garage doors are required by regulation to have lasers that stop them from closing if anything blocks the way. We’ve seen blowing snow or leaves trigger the door to re-open as the car is driving away.

The takeaway? Get a solid deadbolt put on the door into your house and use it. It doesn’t take much to add this simple layer of security.

Contact us at Valley Cycle Locksmiths

Keys – time to move on?

Keys can be a pain. You lose them, you give them to a partner who is now an ex, or you forget to take one with you when you walk the dog. The concerns never end.

Consider replacing at least one external door lock with a keypad system. There are many different types on the market, and some now even let your phone do the locking. These have a number of advantages. The most obvious is that you almost entirely eliminate the chance of locking yourself out of the house. Clearly, this is the biggest benefit to a keyless system. However, you also add new layers of security because you can provide a different code to each person who will ever need to access your house. If, for some reason, you no longer want someone to be able to get in, you can just change the code and avoid the awkward request to “get your key back.”

Make life a little easier with a keyless system. They are an affordable investment and will make your life a lot easier.

Contact us at Valley Cycle Locksmiths

Locksmiths and Fraud: Some cautionary thoughts

If you are in need of a locksmith, whether it’s a 24-hour on-call emergency because you’re locked out, or you are looking to re-key or add security to your home or business, be judicious in your selection.

Some things to check:

Ask for an estimate over the phone. If this is an emergency call, call someone else if it seems too low or too high.

Ask about licensing and professional registrations or membership in a professional association. If they seem to have no positive answers to these questions, look for another service.

Don’t give a credit card number over the phone as a pre-payment.

When the truck arrives, does it have the company name, location and/or telephone number marked? Be wary of unmarked service vans.

In short, don’t assume that all locksmiths are professionally trained or even legitimate. There are scammers in every field, and this business isn’t immune to them. Use common sense when appraising a service near you.

Contact us at Valley Cycle Locksmiths to learn more about our licenses and experience.

Automotive lockout – What can be done?

Locked out of your car? In case you’ve never considered it, there are solutions beyond towing the car to a dealership. Mobile locksmiths can be the answer.

These technicians have a truck that brings along everything they need to address almost all situations. But just because they are mobile, this doesn’t mean you can be sure of their professional reputation. Mobile locksmiths, even if they don’t have a physical office, should still carry licensing in states or provinces where it is required.

The truck should carry an identifiable and specific name, including the region/city they service, and contact information.

Contact us at Valley Cycle Locksmiths

Things that go bump in the …Day

Night may seem the more scary time of day. Goblins and ghosts and long-legged beasts populate nighttime fears, but as far as forced entry into homes, daytime remains the more likely time for a break in. Most burglars prefer to enter a home when the residents aren’t home, and that is more likely to be during the day. During the weekday, it is possible that entire stretches of houses on a street may be empty when everyone goes to work and school.

Because of this, it is important that you make sure you’ve done what you can to protect against a break-in. A trained, professional locksmith can provide you with a home evaluation and offer suggestions for improving your home’s security. From simple tips about how to make the place look “lived in,” to more secure locks and security systems, they can offer solutions to make you safer. Don’t think of locksmiths as folks who “just make keys.” They provide a full line of services.

Contact us at Valley Cycle Locksmiths for more information.

Keeping Your Home Safe While You’re on Vacation

There are a lot of basic items that should be on your checklist when you leave your home or residence empty.

• The general idea is to make the house appear lived in.
• Ask neighbors to check for packages and mail.
• Cut off newspapers. Anything that isn’t picked up and sits around means that the resident is away.
• Buy a few inexpensive timers so that lights, and perhaps the radio, go on and off throughout the day.
• Anything left out in the yard for an extended period is a sign that no one is home. For example, the toys used by a child or pet.
• Also, ask a neighbor or friend to check the outside and inside of the house periodically to see that nothing has gone wrong, such as a burst pipe. If there has been a power outage they can re-calibrate light timers so they aren’t going on at illogical times of the night or day.

These are some small actions you can take that can ensure a higher level of security at your home while you’re away.

A professional locksmith can also give you advice on high-security locks as well as home security systems.

Contact us at Valley Cycle Locksmiths

Saving Your Business Money with a Commercial Locksmith

If you are a property manager, you might want to evaluate how you are using locksmith services to save you time and money. With multi-tenant properties, you may be using a locksmith on an as-needed basis for re-keying, lockouts, new padlocks and deadbolts. Using these services on an ad-hoc or emergency basis can be fairly expensive. 24/7 emergency services often run higher than a scheduled service call.

The best alternative is talking to your technician about a service or maintenance contract. This would mean you are first priority for an emergency call. More importantly, it could also mean a periodic review of the property and fixing things before they become emergencies. A long-term service contract might be a good solution to the expensive “wait til it’s broken” approach

Contact us at Valley Cycle Locksmiths

The Internet of Things and Home Security

Perhaps you’ve heard of the Internet of Things. This is where “things” become able to send data back and forth to each other. A simple example would be a coffee pot that you could turn on with your phone while you are still miles from home. The Internet of Things will impact home security in a variety of ways.

There are already keyless door locks that can be opened and locked using a mobile phone. Beyond that, security cameras can now be viewed from your laptop or mobile device. You can also install light fixtures that can be controlled with your phone. Other monitors can check the temperature of your house. Not only is this useful if you want the house to be warmed up by the time your get home after a long day, it also adds to your security. This same tool can alert you if there is a drop in temperature, so that you’d know you have a failure in your heating system long before the pipes freeze.

If you’d like to learn more about these and other devices to make your home more secure, contact a professional locksmith for a full review of the latest security technology.

Contact us at Valley Cycle Locksmiths

Re-Keying …why?

Re-keying is a simple service you may not think you need. There are a number of reasons this might be necessary. Given how easily a good professional locksmith can re-key your locks, you might want to consider this option if it is time to make this change.

Primarily, you re-key locks whenever there is a possibility that someone, who has a key, should no longer have access to your home or apartment. A prime example: you just bought a new house. You may trust the previous owners to never try to come back, but you have no idea who they may have passed keys to over the years. Friends, in-laws, exes, or even a neighbor or two.

Also, these same issues apply to you. Perhaps over the years you’ve given neighbors keys, and they have moved or become “not-so-neighborly.” A re-key is the answer.

Another situation when you’d need to re-key a lock is a lost key. You or a child may have lost a key near your home, or it may have been lost along with identifying information. If that is the case, you should re-key immediately.

Finally, you may just be carrying too many keys. Consider re-keying a few locks so that the same key works for the front and back door. It would make your life a bit easier, but no less secure.Contact a residential locksmith for more re-keying options.

Contact us at Valley Cycle Locksmiths

Social media and home security

Undoubtedly, you’ve heard that social media sites like Facebook, Linkedin, etc. can be places where too much is shared, (think kitten videos) but have you thought about home security issues?

Do you or anyone else in the family announce that you are going on vacation? Do you use mapping that lets Facebook users know where you are? Do you snap pictures of your meal, so everyone knows that you are out on the town for a special dinner? All of that information is just an announcement that your place is empty. All those daily postings from Europe? They are just vacancy signs.

We don’t want to overstate the security concerns, but it is important to recognise that shared information can reach a lot of places you never intended.

If you’d like to learn more about what you can do to secure your home, contact a professional locksmith for a consultation. Locksmith’s do a lot more than make keys.

Contact us at Valley Cycle Locksmiths

Business Security: are you using home locks?

As a commercial business, it is important that you approach security differently from a homeowner. Let’s look today at one simple thing you may be doing wrong. Can your door keys be copied? If there are standard keys that can be copied at a hardware store or home improvement center, it is time for a change. There are proprietary high security locks available that make it is almost impossible for someone to get a copy if they aren’t authorized to do so.

There are also excellent systems for controlling key access. These limit the use of a specific key to users who have an access code. Each user has to enter an authorized code to retrieve a key. This helps cut down on inappropriate access. If you’d like to learn more about the innovative solutions to increase your business security, contact a professional commercial locksmith.

Contact us at Valley Cycle Locksmiths

Locksmith services – More than a spare key

We’re pretty sure everyone’s image of a locksmith is a dusty storefront with peg racks all over the walls and rows upon rows of key blanks. Think again. Locksmiths offer a wide range of products and services to residential and commercial clients.

Of course, we offer many types of locks, but think outside of the keyhole. Locks now come in a variety of hi-tech iterations. Now you can be unlocking your house with your phone or tracking when every individual employee uses any key anywhere in your business. Locksmiths also offer security services. Going far beyond selling a padlock, professional locksmiths offer entire security systems that can include intercoms, cameras, and other high tech burglar alarms and protection platforms. Finally, for commercial users, consider looking beyond the “emergency” model of a locksmith. We can provide managed service contracts that ensure all of your door, window, and other security apparatus are maintained in top condition, so your need for emergency services can be cut down. Service contracts also mean that when you do need emergency lockout service, you get first priority.

Contact a commercial or residential locksmith to learn more.

Contact us at Valley Cycle Locksmiths