Five reasons to replace your locks

Having to worry about the security of your home or business is not something you want to add to your list of things to be concerned about, especially when there are so many ways to improve these security measures. One of these ways is to ensure you have good quality, strong, secure locks on all of your doors; this will give you the confidence to step away from your property and stop worrying about what might happen to it when you are not there.

 

Since locks are so important, it is also important to remember that there will be times when those locks – your last line of defence against intruders – will need to be changed. Here are the top five reasons why this might have to happen.

 

You’ve Moved Home

Perhaps the most obvious and important reason to change your locks is moving home. You will have been given a set of keys, and those keys will have belonged to the previous owners. You will have no way of knowing how many additional keys have been cut and handed out to tradespeople, or friends and family, and therefore you will have no idea of just who could enter your new home at any time they chose to.

 

One of the first jobs that will need doing when you move into a new property is to change the locks to ensure that you are the only one with access. If you want to have additional keys cut, you will be in control of who you give them to, and you will know who can come into your home.

 

You’ve Had A Burglary

As terrible as it is, burglaries do sometimes happen. When they do, you will want to change the locks as soon as you can to make your home secure again. In many cases, keys are stolen along with other important and valuable items, and these keys can then be used to enter your home at any time. Changing the locks immediately (something that might even be done through your home insurance) will give you peace of mind and make your home secure.

 

Even if your keys haven’t been taken, don’t assume that you can leave your locks as they are; the burglar could have taken an impression of your keys and had their own cut from it, so it makes sense to change the locks either way.

 

You’ve Lost Your Keys

Keys can be stolen, but more often they are lost. This is hugely inconvenient and can result in your being locked out of your home. Even if there is a spare key or someone there who can let you in, the fact that your keys could be anywhere and with anyone means that your home is no longer secure. Therefore, changing the locks means that you can make it more secure again, plus, if you are locked out, it will ensure that you can get back inside.

 

You Want To Change The Style

At some point, you may want to change the look of your home either inside or out (or both). This could mean changing the style of the front door, or perhaps just the lock itself. Although it is not essential that the locks are changed when you do this, it can make a big difference to the result and look much more aesthetically pleasing.

 

Your Locks Are Old

Over time, locks can stop working quite so efficiently. They might get stuck, or they might not seem to be locking as tightly as they once did. There are several different reasons why this might be happening, but age is the most usual, and if you have had the same locks for decades, then the time will certainly come when you need to change them for something new. When this happens, it is important to remember who has a spare key to your home, as you will need to provide them with a new one.