Recent Break-Ins In Your Neighborhood? 3 Ways A Locksmith Can Ease Your Worries
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), there are approximately 8,632,512 property crimes each year, so you should make sure you do what you can to secure your home. This is especially true if you have had recent break-ins in your neighborhood. You can ease your worries by hiring a locksmith to do the jobs that are listed below.
Secure Your Doors With Deadbolts
Hire a locksmith to secure all doors that lead into your home. They should install a deadbolt that requires a key if you do not already have one, or if your door has a thumb latch. In a case like this, a thief could easily break the glass, reach in, turn the latch, and open the door.
You should make sure you keep a key near the door just in case of an emergency, but keep it out of sight, and out of reach of an intruder if they break the glass. This will allow you to open the door quickly if you have a fire or other emergency.
The locksmith should reinforce the strike plate on the deadbolt. Many locksmiths do this by mounting a steel pocket in the jamb behind the strike plate. The locksmith may also reinforce it even more by using longer screws that will penetrate the stud when installing the strike plate. This makes it much more difficult for an intruder to knock in the door.
Secure Your Windows
It is easy for an intruder to pry open windows if they are not secure. You should ask the locksmith to check them and upgrade the locks, if needed. The type of lock that you should use depends on the type of windows your home has. The locksmith can help you make the right choice.
Secure Items Outside
Because an intruder will likely break into things outside as well, such as a shed, you should secure them with a padlock. If your home has a fence, install a padlock on all the gates.
If your garage door does not have an electric opener, install a padlock on the throw latch. Frost the windows in the garage so an intruder cannot look in and see your expensive items, such as your vehicle, boat, and lawnmower. The locksmith should have padlocks available that you can purchase.
Do not hide duplicate keys outside of your home, such as under a planter. The intruder may look for them before they even try to break in. For more information, contact a business such as Hicks Safes & Locks Inc.