Saturday, September 18, 2010

Keys to Finding a Good Locksmith

CRISIS!


Your house keys have been stolen or lost, or your home has been burgled.

DON’T BE VICTIMIZED A SECOND TIME, BY AN UNSCRUPLOUS LOCKSMITH—alas, it does happen, I hear about it with some frequency. Since you’re reading this post you probably have a reputable locksmith’s information in your personal phone book, just as you do a dentist, painter or car mechanic.

If that isn’t the case and you need to find a locksmith quickly, here are some suggestions:

BEWARE:

• of calling the first business that pops up on page one of an internet search

• of phone numbers on the web with 800 or 866 prefixes – they often go directly to out-of-state “call centers” and are then referred to someone local. This frequently results in problems with quotes that are not honored, followed by inadequate dispute resolution.

TRY THIS:

• Do you know a realtor or professional property manager you can call for a referral? (They tend to be a good source for all sorts of home improvement professionals.)

• How about a friend who can refer you to someone who provided them with a satisfactory experience?

• Or a neighborhood hardware store – another good source for local professionals.

• Perhaps a subscription-style referral/rating service like the HomeOwners Club in Seattle or Angie’s List can be helpful – situations in which someone else has ‘vetted’ the service for you.



ASK QUESTIONS:

• Will the locksmith meet you and provide a free estimate for the work?

• Is the locksmith clear about all charges?

• Licensed and bonded in Washington? Have a business license posted in their vehicle? (This is required in Washington State.)

• Will he/she provide a specific guarantee for the work?

• Is the business licensed through Washington’s L&I (Labor & Industry) Department (required of anyone doing locksmith work in Washington)?

• Does this person belong to a professional organization such as Northwest Locksmith Association (NWLA) or Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA)?

• FINALLY, and most importantly, is this person someone you feel comfortable having in your house? If the answer is “no”, listen to your intuition, and take the time to keep searching!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Can I be Bumped?

CAN I BE BUMPED?

Recent news stories have highlighted “lock bumping”, and created a bit of a stir.
Lock bumping has been around for 80 years, has been used historically by locksmiths as a last resort for opening a lock when keys are not available.

The technique involves the use of a specially cut key, called a “bump key”. Contrary to how easy it looks on TV, this process requires some practice and technique to master. A quick search on Google reveals many bump key sets available for purchase.

If you’ve seen any of these news stories around bumping, you might wonder if the only recourse is to invest in high security locks or systems. There may be other reasons to upgrade your security, but in most cases current locks can be rekeyed or repinned to protect against entry with a standard bump key. Often when rekeying to prevent bumping, the lock can also be refitted with pick resistant pins, which further increase your security level, without the expense of upgrading to high security locks.

These are good topics for discussion with a reputable locksmith, if you have concerns about the integrity of your locks.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

To rekey or not to rekey?

To rekey or not to rekey, is that the question?
Many people ask if it’s necessary to rekey their home or business. The answer is, it depends.
If the only keys to your property are in the possession of close friends, or trusted employees, then the odds of those keys being used for nefarious purpose is probably low. If on the other hand, you have just taken possession of a new home or business, it is - impossible to know how many keys to your property are floating around, and how trustworthy the holders are. A previous baby sitter? Dogsitter? Nanny? Contractor? You get the picture.

It’s always a good idea to rekey when you take possession of a new home or business, have given keys to a contractor for a remodel, or have lost track of who has keys to your home.
I recently rekeyed a houseboat after an unfortunate incident. It had been sold, and the new owner was moving in slowly. One evening when the new owner was away, a van pulled up, workers let themselves in, removed all the appliances, loaded them in the van, and drove away. This was observed by the neighbors, who assumed it was part of the ongoing remodel.

Ouch. Turns out the previous owner had not paid the contractor for work done prior to the sale of the houseboat, that contractor still had a key and “took payment” in the form of appliances. Instead of the minor expense of a locksmith visit/rekey job, the new owner was left to clean up a mess AND replace expensive appliances. Sometimes those old adages hold true. In this case: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, or even “Pennywise, pound foolish”. Okay, enough on rekeying.