Locksmith Services Blog

I was reading an article recently about a spate of burglaries in the Atlanta area. A group of men were identifying garage doors that were open or ajar and taking whatever they could find. Homeowners reported losing power tools, wallets, recreational equipment, and even alcoholic beverages that they were storing in their garages.

This is not the first time that I have heard about burglars getting into garages, and as I make my rounds every day I invariably notice a lot of overhead doors that are either left open due to carelessness, or in such bad shape that they simply won’t close properly. This is an invitation to potential intruders. The odds are that they won’t notice the opening if it happens every now and then because someone forgot to close and lock the door. But if you actually need overhead door repair work done, and you procrastinate and leave the door partially open over a significant period of time, the criminal element will eventually notice, and you are likely to be victimized.

Commercial buildings that utilize overhead doors are especially prone to burglary. Many of these types of businesses are located in industrial parks or areas that are zoned for commercial use, so they get pretty lonely at night. And of course, any business is going to have valuable equipment and inventory inside, so thieves know they will come away with a haul if they can find a way past the door. It’s easy to take a look at your old, rickety overhead door as you’re closing it at the end of the day and think that “someday” you need to have a new one installed. But that day may be the day after you’re business has been ransacked, when it should have been done long before.

Fortunately, these recent burglaries outside of Atlanta were confined to the garages themselves. But if nobody is home, and a thief can get into your garage, he has total cover to do whatever is necessary to get into the main house through the door leading into the garage. He even has access to your tools to help him do it!

Whether you have overhead doors at your place of business, or simply guarding the garage at home, you need to make sure that they are in good repair and adequately serving their purpose. There are cases of garage theft that occur when the homeowners are actually home, but in the backyard. It is not wise to expose yourself to this type of risk when a simple and affordable overhead door repair will ensure the security of your property.

If you have any garage doors that need to be serviced, it might be a good time to call a professional. And if you’re in Atlanta: Atlanta Overhead Door Repair.

It is difficult to know all of the different home security locks and keyless entry systems that are available to you if you are not a locksmith, and locks are something that most of us don’t put a lot of thought into. As long as they work when you turn the key, you assume that all is well, but in fact, that may not be the case. Locks serve a very specific purpose, and if you don’t have the right locks installed throughout your home you may be putting your family and your belongings at risk.

Lock bumping is a very big problem these days, and the vast majority of the locks that people are using are not bump-proof locks. Very briefly, lock bumping is a method that thieves use to fashion a particular type of key, called a “bump key,” that they insert into your lock and tap until it catches and allows entry. This can be done in a matter of just a few seconds in some instances, and bump keys are available online for as little as a couple of dollars. Since around 90% of the locks that are out there are vulnerable to lock bumping, you really need to have a locksmith analyze the locks that you are using around your home to be sure that they cannot be so easily compromised.

Other aspects of home security that people do not pay enough attention to in many instances are their patio and sliding glass doors locks. These almost always need to be upgraded to ensure a reasonable measure of home security. A professional locksmith can install high security tamper-proof and pick-proof sliding glass door and patio locks that will keep this vulnerable area of your home safe and sound.

Window locks are also a key aspect of home security that can be overlooked by the layman, especially downstairs windows that are easily accessible from outside. A professional home locksmith can take a look at your windows and the means that you are using to secure them and make recommendations for improvements (like keyed window locks) that will make your home very uninviting to potential intruders.

Garage door locks are another way that homeowners can make their homes more secure, and quality garage door lock installation is a relatively inexpensive way to be certain that your garage is completely protected from would-be thieves.

Having a locksmith inspect your property and let you know what your home security options are is a must for any homeowner. Few of us have unlimited budgets, but a seasoned commercial locksmith can work with you to help you prioritize the most important security upgrades that your house needs, and you can tackle these issues one by one. For a home security analysis from a certified security locksmith, call 24/7 Locksmith Services and we will arrange an appointment that fits into your schedule. We can and do respond to locksmith emergencies that require our immediate assistance, but Locksmith Services 24/7 gets far greater satisfaction from preventing break-ins before they happen.