Have you ever locked yourself out of your home? It’s extremely inconvenient.
After you check all of your house windows to see if they’re unlocked, what do you do? Break a window to try and get in? Absolutely not, unless you want to pay for a brand new window and get the police called on you by your neighbors.
The easiest way to solve this problem is to call a locksmith. Especially here in Fort Worth, you can have a professional locksmith helping you out 24/7.
There’s no reason to sleep outside in the cold. We don’t recommend that you try tampering with or fixing locks yourself, for reasons listed below.
And did you know there are many other ways a locksmith can help make your life easier and more secure? Here are the top 10 reasons to call a locksmith for greater peace of mind.
Why You Shouldn’t Try Installing or Repairing Locks
Locks, by nature, are complicated. And they serve an extremely important role. Locks protect you, your loved ones, and the things that are most important to you, including your home, your cars, your business, and everything inside.
As a result, you want to ensure the locks work properly. They need to be installed with precision in order for them to work properly and keep unwanted visitors out.
A lock installed improperly can cause frustration to you (at best) or give access to intruders looking to harm or steal (at worst). You deserve the peace of mind that comes with properly serviced locks.
For that reason, it’s always best to call a locksmith and let them professionally ensure your safety. And when you give them a call, here are 10 ways they can help you out.
1. Locked Out of Your Home? Call a Locksmith First
There’s never a good time to get locked out of your house. Whether you are on your way to work and forgot something inside, or you come home on a cold rainy night, you always need access to your home. Whether you simply locked your keys inside the home or you’ve lost your keys and need new ones made, we can help.
The main benefit of calling a good home locksmith is immediate service. Even at night or on weekends, you can be back inside the comfort of your home in as little as 30 minutes. No need to risk injury trying to climb to a second-story window, hoping it’s unlocked.
On occasion, people do get locked inside of a house or a specific room and need the door opened from the outside. Or maybe it’s not that you lost your key or locked it inside, but the lock itself is broken. We can help in all of these cases.
2. Car Lockouts
Unfortunately, it’s easy to lock yourself out of your car. When you do this, you run the risk of being late to work, missing an important event, or being unable to pick up your children from school.
Wherever you are, a car locksmith can meet you and help you gain access to your vehicle quickly and damage-free. Don’t even think about smashing your window.
Calling a locksmith is much more affordable than damage repair. If you need extra keys, we also provide car key duplication.
3. Replace Lost Car Keys
If you’ve lost your car keys, whether you are at home or on the road somewhere else, we can come to you to create another one. We come prepared with the right tools to quickly provide new laser cut keys.
We can even replace or repair key fobs, or proximity keys, that contain computer chips that are linked with a computer chip in your vehicle. These allow you to lock or unlock your vehicle from a distance. We can do this for any vehicle, foreign or domestic.
If you have a transponder key, which is more common with newer vehicles, we are able to reprogram these if needed. Transponder keys add an extra layer of security by preventing vehicle theft.
They contain microchips that are programmed to a chip in your car. When you start your vehicle, a security check happens where your vehicle verifies the key. The car starts only if the verification is successful, preventing the ability for someone to “hotwire” your car and drive without a key.
Occasionally, your key may need to be reprogrammed if the verification fails and your car won’t start.
4. Business Lockouts
As a business owner, the last thing you need is for you or your employees to be locked out of your building. Especially if you are out of town or on vacation, you can’t always be there to help your team access the building.
Whether you have a simple keyed lock or a high tech smart lock, a professional locksmith can get you back in your building. They can let your employees into work so you can go back to enjoying your much-needed time off.
5. Repair Car Ignition Switch
Sometimes, it’s not the missing car key that poses a problem, but a malfunction in your car’s ignition switch. If the starter of your car does not receive the proper ignition from your switch, you won’t be able to power your vehicle’s accessories or turn your car on.
These can break if you try to forcefully insert or remove your car key. This happens especially if the switch is old and has experienced much wear and tear over the years.
An examination of the switch and steering column is required before repair to evaluate the extent of the damage. Sometimes, a simple repair is all that’s needed, while other times, a replacement of the entire switch is required.
Attempting to fix this issue yourself without the proper skills could result in further damage to your steering column or components. Have a car locksmith come to you to ensure your car functions properly.
6. Key Extractions
Sometimes, you break a key in a lock. When this happens, you need to get the broken piece out of the lock.
We can extract the broken key without causing damage to the lock or ignition. We will also create a new key for you.
A broken key is usually the result of an old lock that is difficult to turn. When you constantly put too much pressure on the key, it will eventually break.
Even new keys can break. When a new key is cut, there are often sharp edges that protrude too far. When you use this key repeatedly, you cause unnecessary tension, which can crack the key.
While you don’t need to replace the lock right away, it may be time to consider having new locks installed.
7. Rekeying Your Locks (Instead of Replacing Them)
There are many reasons to have your locks rekeyed (rather than replace them). A professional locksmith can adjust your locks to accept a new key and reject a previous key.
Anytime you move into a new house, you should get your locks rekeyed. You do not know how many keys the previous owner had or who might have those keys. It’s a simple step to boost the security of your new home.
If your house has older doors, they may not work with new locks, so rekeying them is the best option if you aren’t ready to replace the entire door and door frame.
We can also rekey your car’s locks. This is a smart move when you have lost your key and are afraid someone may have found or stolen it. Rekeying the lock would prevent the old key from driving the vehicle.
8. Upgrading Your Locks
There are times, however, when upgrading your locks in your home or business is a better option than rekeying them. Many locks in older homes or on older commercial buildings are simply not as secure.
They may be loose, or they might be too basic, making it easier for someone to break in. You might want to install a deadbolt onto your doors as well. Deadbolts are one of the most secure locks to install but are uncommon in older homes.
If you have a commercial building, a mortise lock is incredibly safe and reliable. Burglars will have a very difficult time trying to pick or pry a mortise lock compared to a basic locking mechanism; they are large, shielded, and complex. Only professionals should attempt to install a mortise lock.
Locking systems typically have about a 30-year life span. If it’s been more than that, it’s time to upgrade your locks.
9. Installing HighTech Smart Locks
For maximum safety, convenience, and peace of mind, installing high-tech smart locks at your home or business is the best option. There are many newer smart locks that increase security and make it easier for the right people to gain access.
Some smart locks are designed to work on top of existing hardware. The most options are replacement smart locks though.
Types of Smart Locks
For convenience, there are many types of keyless locks. There are keypad and combination locks that allow you to set a custom code to type in. Keypad locks are typically found in commercial buildings.
Codes can be set, deleted, or changed easily. This is helpful for businesses with a lot of employees. As people stop working for a company, you’ll want codes that change on a regular basis so only current employees can access your building.
You can also get wifi or Bluetooth controlled locks that you can manage from your smartphone. Smartphone controlled locks are also a great option for residential or commercial buildings.
You can find both knob and deadbolt style smart locks. Both work great, though many people admit they feel safer with a deadbolt lock. You can even get combination locks that allow you to use a key, a key fob, or a keypad.
Benefits of Smart Locks
Smart locks are very convenient. For example, if you aren’t home but would like a service provider, such as a house cleaner or plumber to enter your home, you can provide them with a temporary code that will expire in one day.
Smart locks are great for short term rental properties. If you are renting out your house, or have a specific property for short-term rentals, you can create and send each new guest a unique code that is only valid for the duration of their stay.
For those of us who have teenagers living in the house, how often do they come home really late, only to find their house key is missing. What do they do? Call their parents or ring the doorbell to wake them up so they can get inside.
You can also get smart locks for your garage, your RV, a shed, or a storage unit. And you can manage them all from your phone.
Smart locks make it easy for everyone. We can professionally install the lock of your choice and ensure it’s as functional and safe as possible.
10. Burglary Damage Repair
Unfortunately, burglaries are common. Across the country, they happen every 22 seconds. While many happen as the result of doors being left unlocked, burglars also try to unlock or destroy locks.
For those who have to deal with a break-in, it’s likely there will be some form of damage to your lock. In the case of theft damage, we can help repair existing locks or replace them with new, updated locks or high-tech locks.
Your Professional Locksmith in Fort Worth
Fort Worth Locksmith Pros is your professional team of highly trained locksmiths ready to serve you at a moment’s notice. When you call a locksmith, you deserve excellent service. We do our best to solve your problems quickly and efficiently.
Each one of our pros is fully licensed, bonded, and insured. We can arrive in as little as 30 minutes and offer upfront pricing; no surprise costs.
Our goal is to make your life more convenient and give you greater peace of mind and safety. Whether you need us in case of an emergency lockout or want to preemptively upgrade your home, car, or business, we are here for you.
You can check out our price estimates here. Or call us anytime at (682) 990-9333.