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door with latch

3 ways a latch guard can help your security efforts

As we all know, house break-ins are extremely common today and it’s essential to take all the necessary measures to avoid them. A decent lock plus a home security system with cameras and alarms undeniably provide your house with a high level of security. However, they don’t guarantee that an intruder won’t try some old methods like lockpicking or a credit card trick to get inside. So, you might consider getting some other simple devices that’ll make the process harder for the criminal. For example, a door latch guard is a simple yet pretty effective feature that can prevent the intruder from breaking your lock. Sure Lock & Key knows everything about this little device and we would like to share our knowledge with you, so keep reading.

fire exit door

What is a fire-rated door

More than 330,000 house fires occur in the United States annually. Not to mention the ones that occur in business facilities. A fire is a kind of emergency that might be impossible to predict or prevent, so it’s extremely important to take some fire security measures in advance. You may install heat sensors and smoke detectors that’ll help you detect the fire break out. Usually, these sensors are connected to your home security system that’ll send you a notification in case of an emergency. Another great measure to decrease the damage caused by a fire is a fire-resistant door. These doors are composed of certain materials that can help to slow down the spread of fire and smoke. Sure Lock & Key would like to tell you more about this type of door and the benefits it offers, so keep reading.

keep your house

Keep your house secure when selling

You may think there’s nothing dangerous when it comes to house selling. What can happen? However, the period when you’re looking for potential buyers is when your house is the most unprotected. So many strangers enter your property every single day. You never know what their intentions are. In most cases, they’re ordinary people just like you, who are looking for a new house. However, there’s always a risk that some of them might be criminals that want to use the fact that your house is easily accessible. So, what can you do to protect your home in that unstable period? What are the best security measures you can take? Sure Lock & Key has years of experience in the security industry, so we’ll gladly answer these questions and assist you in securing your home.

door lock maintenance

Signs Your Locks are Failing

If we lived in a perfect world, everything would work correctly and never fail. Unfortunately, or thankfully, the world is full of imperfections. A broken lock might be a problem, but not if you know how to act. A lock that seems like it’s going to fail might not become a problem at all if you know what to do. However, how can one figure out that something is going to fail? Don’t you need appropriate knowledge to ensure that a lock is indeed close to breakdown? Yes, you need them. That’s why we’re here. After more than three decades of experience in the locksmith and security industry, we know everything there’s to know about locks, how they work, how they should be treated, and how they shouldn’t. We feel like it’s time to share our knowledge with everyone who needs it. After all, locks and keys are an important part of our lives, so why not learn a bit more about them? Let’s dive in!

how to set up mortise lock

Mortise Locks: How They Work and What Benefits Can They Offer

Today, there are many different locking mechanisms out on the market. It might be a bit hard and confusing to choose the best one. There are all kinds of mechanical locks, like deadbolts, mortise locks, knob locks, padlocks, etc. Also, there are many different options for keyless locking systems. The ones with a code or systems operated by fobs, cards, or even smartphones. Which one to choose depends on many factors – the type of door, whether it's for commercial or residential purposes, etc. Let's discuss one of the most commonly used mechanical locks – the mortise lock. How do they work? What kind of purposes do they serve? Are mortise locks secure? Sure Lock & Key is ready to answer all these questions and provide you with additional information on mortise locks.

wall safe

3 Types of Concealed Safes - How Do You Hide a Safe

Choosing a safe is a task that requires maximum attention, thorough consideration of each option and professional assistance. That is the principle we highly recommend applying because pitfalls are everywhere. Your safe will be a place where you will store your most precious valuables, so it’s better to be reliable. But what makes a safe reliable? Have you ever heard about concealed safes? Unlike safes, which are placed on an open surface, concealed safes are specially masked to provide an even higher level of security, so a thief will have to spend more time finding where it is due to disguise. These safes also have high-quality and difficult-to-break locks. Now, consider which types of concealed safes are the most common. Underfloor safes. Usually, these safes are small in size and installed under the concrete floor of your house. Even knowing the exact location does not always mean that someone will be able to get to your valuables. These safes are really hard to uninstall or even to get to them. In addition, they are equipped with reliable locks that are difficult to break. Thus, underfloor safes provide almost the highest level of security. Floorboard safes. Similar to underfloor safes, this safe type is also installed under the floor in your home. However, if the first ones are designed only for concrete covering, a floorboard safe may be disguised under a parquet base or other material. To install floor safes the locksmith needs to make special holes in the floor and mount them with joists and bolts. Wall safes. This safe is installed in special holes in the house's wall and fixed with special fasteners. That makes the safe virtually impossible to uninstall without the necessary effort. Another aspect that makes the wall safe extremely secure is the high level of disguising. After all, these safes are often hidden behind cabinets, paintings, TVs, or other objects, which makes them practically invisible.

key in deadbolt lock

What is a deadbolt

Today many people use deadbolt locks for their front doors. You might be curious why these locks are that popular. They are one of the best ways to enhance your home security. Deadbolts are really hard to pick and almost impossible to open with the help of a credit card or knife. These locks are made of solid materials, so they are resistant to various attacks. There are two types of deadbolt locks – single-cylinder and double-cylinder ones. The first type is quite common. It has a keyhole on the outside and a thumb turn on the inside. It’s extremely convenient, as, in case of an emergency, you won’t have to search for a key. The double-cylinder one requires a key on both sides. It is considered to be the most secure option. Sure Lock & Key knows everything about deadbolts and we want to share our knowledge with you.

house break in

Restoring your Home Security after a break in

Unfortunately, there’s always a possibility our home might become a target for a thief. That especially applies to those buildings that have a weak level of security and are not equipped with either security systems or trivially good lighting. However, we can always take steps to make our homes burglar-proof. For this, it is necessary to ensure that all entrances are well-lighted and that all doors and windows are securely protected. However, what to do if a break-in did happen? The article will help you avoid getting confused and making mistakes that might later become an obstacle to the investigation. The text is also intended to help you choose effective security measures to make your home safer and prevent this from happening again.

door lock lubricate

Most common door lock problems

There are so many different reasons why your door lock might not work properly. Sometimes it's a result of poor maintenance, and other times a problem can occur unexpectedly. Either way, there's nothing good about non-functional door locks. First of all, it makes it impossible to enter or leave the building. If your lock is broken or your key got stuck, you have no option but to stay there, with an unlocked door. Most of these lock issues happen when we're in a rush and have no time to resolve them. So, what should you do if something like that happens to you? As a company with years of experience in the locksmith industry, Sure Lock & Key knows everything about door lock problems. We are happy to share our knowledge with you! If you decide that you need a professional locksmith's help, we'll gladly provide you with our services.