It took you six months to find the perfect house, and now your family is finally moving in. However, you may not be aware of who else may have a key to your new home. Just imagine the possibilities; the former owners may have given a duplicate key to the neighbors, babysitters, repair people, teenage kids, or relatives. If someone used an old key to enter your home, there would not be any sign of forced entry and even worse, the burglar could return to take more items.
By far, the most common threat to our home is burglary. According to the FBI, a burglary occurs somewhere in the United States every 15.4 seconds. Many people simply do not realize the danger that they may be in by neglecting to change or re-key the locks of their new home. "Every lock comes from the manufacturer with two keys. If your new home has three doors with deadbolts then you should have four keys to each door which is a total of 12 keys", says Rob Reynolds, Director of Locksmith Operations for Pop-A-Lock. Reynolds adds, "You have security with a lock only when you can account for every key; if you are buying an existing home, pay for a qualified and reputable locksmith to change the keyways and establish good key control from the outset".
Additionally, Key-in-the knob locksets offer virtually NO security; if your home is equipped with these, they should be replaced. The most secure locks are double-cylinder deadbolts, which require a key to operate from either side. The bolt (the part that extends from the door) should be at least one inch long, and should be hardened steel. The strike (the plate which the bolt sticks into) should be installed with screws long enough to engage the structural stud behind the doorframe (and not just the door frame or trim like many are currently installed).
Pop-A-Lock provides residential re-key services and can change out the keyway to your new home at a fraction of the cost of replacing the entire lock hardware. In addition to fulfilling customers’ needs in a quick, professional and safe manner, Pop-A-Lock offers competitive rates, guaranteed service and unsurpassed technical training to guarantee customer satisfaction.
Pop-A-Lock serves more than 4,000 cities and communities in 38 states across the US. The company was founded in 1991 in Lafayette, LA., by local law enforcement officers and has pioneered the Emergency Door Unlocking Program which provides FREE service to anyone who is locked inside of a car or home. For more information about the EDU program, go to www.popalock.com or call 337-233-6211.
###
