Tech
How Often Should You Change Your Locks at Home
Over 2.5 million households became a victim of burglary last year. And if you’ve ever been the victim of a crime, you’ll know it can feel like a scary and unnerving experience.
But you can take action to make your life and home a safer place. One option is to invest in a modern, secure lock system. Here are some of the reasons why you should change your locks soon.
Change Your Locks After Break-Ins
Sadly, break-ins are part of life. And even with fantastic house security, you might find yourself in a position where a criminal has managed to get inside your home.
You should always change your locks in these circumstances, even if there is no evidence of tampering. You should also change your locks if you’ve experienced an attempted break-in.
You should call an emergency locksmith to replace a doorlock after a break-in or attempted break-in, ideally less than 24 hours after the incident. Consider replacing window locks too.
Change Old Locks Every Seven Years
Aging locks at home are prime candidates for a replacement because you aren’t using the most advanced and modern security for your house.
It also means criminals are more likely to understand the vulnerabilities in lock technology that is well-established and out-of-date. You should look at replacing any lock in your home (including windows) every seven years as a minimum.
Change Locks When They Show Signs of Damage, Wear and Tear
You may have slight damage to your lock, so it’s worth knowing how to assess it for wear and tear. Any damage is a sure sign that you should get it replaced urgently.
Signs to spot include:
- Visible scratches on any part of the lock
- A loose lock or door handle
- Problems turning the key
- Problems turning the door handle when locking
- A damaged doorknob
- Discoloration to the lock or door handle
If you aren’t sure what to assess, it is worth hiring a specialist like this South Austin locksmith to check your lock for damage. Though you may worry about expense, the potential security risk from a damaged lock is far greater.
Change Immediately If You Lose Your Keys
The biggest cause of locksmith callouts is missing keys. Always know the number and types of keys you have for your home, and ensure you can account for all keys at all times.
A helpful tip is to add a color-coded key cover for every key in your home. You can also add an air tag to help track down lost keys.
Change Locks Immediately When Lodgers Leave
Perhaps you live in a houseshare or have lodgers. Or maybe you host an Airbnb.
Whenever you give people outside your immediate, trusted family access to keys, you must take all necessary precautions for security.
That means constantly checking that someone has returned every key to you and inspecting the key for damage. If you are in doubt or missing a key, it’s time to replace your home locks.
Is It Time to Change Your Locks?
Don’t offer criminals easy access to your home by relying on old or damaged locks. If you tick the box for any of the reasons listed in this article, it’s time to employ the services of a locksmith and change your locks immediately. For more ideas on how to improve your house security, visit our home improvement section now.
Kenneth is a proud native of sydney, born and raised there. However, he pursued his education abroad and studied in Australia. Kenneth has worked as a journalist for almost a decade, making valuable contributions to prominent publications such as Yahoo News and The Verge. Currently, he serves as a journalist for The Hear Up, where he focuses on covering climate and science news. You can reach Kenneth at [email protected].
