You may not think much about your front door lock. You simply lock it when you leave or go to bed and forget about it. However, just like any mechanism in your home, a lock can fail you, especially if other people have keys, the lock is compromised or it just isn't strong enough. To prevent unwanted intruders from entering your home, check out these five reasons you should replace your front door lock.
It's a New Home
Moving into a new home is an exciting time, but all that excitement can quickly turn into despair if you don't replace the front door lock. Whether you knew the previous owners or not, you shouldn't just trust that lock because you don't know how many people the previous owners gave copies of the key to: family members, friends, neighbors, service technicians, etc. Your safest bet is to simply get a new lock, so those old keys become useless. If you purchase a new lock yourself at a hardware store, you can either install it yourself, or hire a locksmith to install it for you for only about $20 to $30.
A Roommate Moved Out
If a roommate or someone who was renting a room from you moves out, it's time to once again to change the front door lock. If you parted on bad terms, it's especially important to change the locks, so they can't access your home. Simply requesting the key be returned isn't enough because they may have made other copies for themselves or other people.
You Need a More Advanced Lock
Typically, when you think of a front door lock, you picture the standard cylindrical lock with just a hole for a key. However, there are many more advanced smart locks available that do an incredible job of securing your home. Many of these locks have keypads, requiring you to enter a code to unlock the door, but there are lots of different types of smart locks. Many of them allow you to control the lock from your smartphone, even when you are away, which makes it great for letting kids who have been locked out or neighbors who are watching your house while you're away. Plus, best of all, they are hard for most burglars to pick and break.
The Lock Is Old
Locks eventually get old and worn down. When this happens, it's time to replace the lock to avoid complications. A good sign that your lock is getting worn is difficultly when trying to unlock the door with the key, making it difficult to enter your home. The key may get stuck while turning, or the system may not turn at all, preventing you from unlocking the door. Older, worn locks are also not as secure as newer ones. A burglar will have an easier time picking or completely breaking the lock to sneak into your home and rob you. If your lock is difficult to unlock because it gets stuck, replace it.
Someone Has Broken into Your Home
If you've been the victim of a burglary, you may be thinking more about how to get back your stolen items than about your front door lock, but if your front door was the point of access for the bugler, you need to replace your front door lock fast. If the criminal entered that front door, it has turned your front door lock into a vulnerability. For example, if the burglar damaged the lock when entering, it may not be able to work properly moving forward, and if the criminal managed to get a copy of your key, they now have access whenever they want. Whatever the reason, the lock is now compromised and clearly not strong enough to protect your home or belongings.
A lock should keep your home, belongings and family safe, so if your lock seams weak, has been compromised, doesn't seem strong enough or you don't know exactly who has a copy of the key, you need to replace the lock. For more information about locks and lock replacement, contact a locksmith in your area today.
For more information, contact a company like Southern California Security Centers.
