Here’s why.

In these types of retail settings, the aluminum door frame with a plate of glass in the center is probably the most common door type.

Somewhere in the middle of the frame will be a mortise lock cylinder that when turned with the proper key, operates a swingbolt or hookbolt to lock or unlock the door.

It’s this exterior mortise cylinder that could be a potential weak link.

Left unprotected this mortise cylinder, even if it’s a High Security type, could be twisted off with a common tool many burglars carry with them. Once twisted off, the burglar has access to the locking mechanism, and if he knows how to manipulate the lock mechanism, he can be inside your front door in a matter of seconds.

But there’s a simple solution and it’s very inexpensive.

Cylinder guard rings or armored collars slip around the mortise cylinder lock and are usually made from hardened steel. They are crush proof to wrenches, they are also tapered and free spinning so a wrench can not grab and twist the cylinder so the wrench just slips off.

Armored collars are very easy to install, so to beef up the security at the front door of your business call your local professional locksmith, and ask about having a armored collar ring installed. This simple solution might prevent a thief from walking right in your front door when it’s locked up for the night.

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“My family and I are going away for a vacation and our neighbor’s kid is going to walk our dog. Are there any unexpected problems that might occur?”

Unfortunately, yes, there are always potential problems lurking when you leave your house, but have you thought about your pets safety?

I’m sure the neighbor’s kid will do an excellent job walking Fido.

But what if he loses your key, or accidentally locks himself out of your house. What’s the plan then?

If the pet sitter is locked out of your house, he’s going to need a locksmith to get back in.

Although a locksmith has the ability to open a lock and get a door open, we really can’t “break-in” to people’s homes just because someone says they’re pet sitting.

We have to think liability for ourselves and for the homeowner, but we really don’t want Tiger or Fido in there alone and hungry, so here’s your solution.

• Get a blank sheet of paper, photocopy your Driver’s License and the ID of the person pet sitting onto it. Together, side by side, so we can see that you did it on purpose.
  
• Write down the name & address of whoever is going to be watching Fido or Tiger, also write down that he or she has permission to be given access to your home should keys be lost, stolen or just accidentally locked inside.
• Dates that you as the home owner/pet owner will be away should also be included.
• Sign it; get it notarized if you can.

The locksmith that arrives at the scene will require proof of identification from the pet sitter, neighbor, etc., that holds this document from you before we let them into your house.

Take this one extra little step before leaving on that relaxing vacation, and you’ll avoid breaking out in a cold sweat worrying about your pets if your pet sitter locks themselves out of your house.

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Secure these four areas and you’ll keep your family safer and make it much tougher on those who want to steal your valuables.

First, lets quickly and easily make it doubly tough to get thru your doors.

To double the strength of your door and locks, install a metal MAG Plate to reinforce your door. MAG plates wrap around the face and edge of your door to reduce the chance that someone can easily pry your door open.

Secondly, a reinforced door needs help in it’s weakest spot, the jamb. Adding a reinforcement plate to your door jambs is fast and effective and compliments the MAG Plate. Door jamb plates reduce the chance that a burglar can easily kick your door in.

Next up are windows. Burglars love to gain entry thru easy to open windows. Stop them in their tracks by installing upgraded window locks on all of your double hung windows.

Lastly, the patio door is often overlooked when upgrading the security of your home. I recommend installing after-market dead locks, patio bars or at the very least, a cut to length broom stick that is fitted into the door patio track.

I’ve previously written about patio door security, so follow that link for more patio door security tips.

If you have any questions concerning the security of these four areas of your house, contact your local professional and state licensed (if required) locksmith about getting a security evaluation done on your property.

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That’s right, when a person had ghosts in their house or business they called the professionals – The Ghostbusters (as portrayed in the movie).

The same goes when you have a lock problem with your house. Who ya gonna call? That’s right a professional locksmith, that’s who.

I really don’t have too many issues with the Big Box Stores, except for the fact that there is no one around when I really need help finding something when I’m in there.

But here’s the deal, when you’re having issues with something as important and as vital as the security for you and your family, do you really want to trust it to someone not specifically or professionally trained in the security industry?

Most of the workers in a Big Box Store will be glad to sell you a lock, but what if that’s not what you really need?

What you really need are solutions and that’s where a professional and state licensed locksmith is worth their weight in gold!

Perhaps your front door lock is getting tougher to unlock, so you buy a new one. Can you install it properly? What if all you really needed was a new key? Major headache and more expense than was necessary.

When you call a professional locksmith, he’ll come to your home and evaluate the situation.

Then, and only if needed, he’ll fix your lock, cut a new key, lubricate your lockset or do whatever your situation demands.

While the locksmith is there, ask him to perform a security evaluation on the rest of your doors and locks.

Obviously, if you’ve had a problem with one lock, it’s easy to believe that more trouble might be lurking around the corner with another failed lock.

When he leaves, your family will go to bed at night with the peace of mind that comes from knowing that the lock was properly installed and is working to protect your family and your valuables.

This is what we do as professional locksmiths. This is our profession. We want our clients sleeping safe, sound and feeling secure.

Remember, when you call a state licensed, professional locksmith out to your home for something as simple as a lock issue, it’s an investment in your family’s security and safety.

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If you bring a key into a professional locksmith, most will honor the Do Not Duplicate notice as best as they can. Most will ask for a driver’s license or some other proof of ID that says you’re the owner of that key and have the right to have duplicates made.

As a Tennessee Licensed Professional Locksmith I have even required written authorization on company letterhead, a brief description saying the person with the key has the right to have extra keys made and a signature.

I’m saddened to say every person with the ability to duplicate a key doesn’t have these ethics.

Many of the keys out in circulation that are stamped Do Not Duplicate are just a generic key. If a local big box type store or a hardware store can match the head of the key up to one they have hanging up in stock, it’s a good bet it will get duplicated.

If this happens, the control you thought you had concerning your keys is gone. The control you thought you had over your property is gone. The security of your business is gone.

But there is a way to really put some teeth in Do Not Duplicate.

Available to Certified Professional Locksmiths are what we call restricted keys or patented keys. What this means is that these types of keys are not available to the general public, hardware store or big box type stores.

Sure, restricted keys or patented keys and locks may initially cost a little bit more, but in the bigger scheme of things, the security of your business is more than worth it.

By having a  restricted Do Not Duplicate key, you’re ensured that the professional locksmith that oversees the physical security of and keys for your business, your rental units, your storage units or your home is the only one that will be making duplicate keys and only when you want him to.

This means you have control over the keys used in the security of your business and allows you to sleep well at night knowing that extra keys to your business are not getting made without your knowledge or permission.

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Have you noticed lately that when you try to unlock your door that you might have to “wiggle” the key just a bit to get it to unlock? Or maybe you are hearing a slight “clicking” sound as you turn the key?

Here is what’s happening inside your lock when you place your key inside.

Inside your lock cylinder are springs and different size pins that move up and inside the cylinder so that when the proper key is used it works. Keys are typically made of a softer material than cylinder pins; usually brass, and because of this over time keys can get “worn.”

If over time you have noticed that you have to wiggle the key just a bit or your key has a “sticky” feeling to it when you try to unlock your door, there is a good chance that your key is worn just enough to cause this.

You think of this as just a minor inconvenience at the moment, and not a big thing, but over time you might be weakening the key with every stick and every click. A weak key can lead to big trouble at the worst possible moment by breaking off in the lock.

If you are now starting to notice this clicking or sticking feeling with your keys, now is the time to call a locksmith.

A trained, certified, professional locksmith will come to your home, check out your locks and keys and provide you with an economical solution.

If you call before you break a key off in your lock, it’ll be much, much less expensive to fix than if you wait until you get locked out of your house.

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You aren’t expecting anyone, so you wonder who it could be.

Instead of picking up your child and leaving the kitchen, walking to the door and looking thru a peep hole that sometimes gives you a distorted view of your visitor, wouldn’t it be nice to pick up your phone and see who’s at the door?

To me, a trained security expert, that feels much easier and maybe even a bit safer than actually going to the door and possibly putting myself in harms way.

So for this weeks podcast for SecurityExperts.tv, I  had the opportunity to interview Phil Wright, the GM for MAS Intercom USA and although I jokingly referred to him as Superman, his door phones and intercoms do give your clients the ability to see through their front door so they know who’s ringing their door bell.

During tough economic times, these door phone/intercoms can be another avenue of revenue for the smart locksmith.

For your clients, these door phones let the homeowner know who’s at the front door quickly and easily. All they have to do is lift up the phones receiver, press a button and see who’s at the front door.

Your clients can have up to four phones throughout their house, which means they can literally see who’s at their door from almost anywhere in their house without stopping what they’re doing and answering the door.

So, hit the start button on the player below, sit back and listen as Phil Wright and Trapper Sherwood explain how technology can help you “see through” doors and keep homeowners safe and secure.

PS…Another cool tidbit you’ll learn by listening to this interview is how these door phones can even protect you when you’re away from home.

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When a satisfied customer gives a referral to a person in need, it’s much easier for that person to trust your solution to their problem.

With the advent of the internet and now with social media being so prevalent in our society, everybody and their brother has a  “Facebook” account. But not all locksmith’s have taken the opportunity to really take their businesses to a higher level thru the use of social media.

If you’re hesitant to take the plunge and immerse yourself into the world of Facebook, you’ll lose out on the “easier than you think it is”  interaction that’s known as a Facebook Fan page.

As the person in charge of interviews for SecurityExperts.tv, I recently had the opportunity to interview Ryan Olson, Manager of the Social Media Channel for Locksmith Ledger International magazine.

During the interview Ryan and I covered a lot of ground, all of it geared towards helping fellow locksmiths quickly and easily head in the right direction.

Some of the topics were:

1. Why you should use Facebook for your business

2. How to quickly and easily build and start using your Fan Page

3. What to do and what to not do

4. Types of updates, – audio, pictures, links, products, etc

5. Monitor, Measure and Report and what that really means

6. Things we see users doing the wrong way

And much, much more. We covered a lot of ground in a short period of time.

Enjoy and good luck!

PS… There was no possible way to cover a topic this broad in this short interview. We want you to listen, comment on what you hear and ask questions. When you tell us what other questions you have, we’ll do a followup Q & A session to specifically answer those questions.

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NEW YORK, NY, September 30, 2011 — Sherwood Locksmithing has been selected for the 2011 Best of La Vergne Award in the Locksmith Shop category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

The USCA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2011 USCA Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

About U.S. Commerce Association (USCA)

U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a New York City based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USCA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

SOURCE: U.S. Commerce Association

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There had been some previous issues with the security of that equipment, so I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to lower their risk and the expenses of continually dealing with those issues.

They didn’t really need anything that might be considered “High Security” due to the fact that they have security guards that patrol the premises, but they wanted something to “keep the honest people out.”

After doing a walk through and evaluating their situation, I suggested 6 inch hasps, with #1 Master laminated padlocks.

You may be familiar with laminated padlocks because they’re used on the vast majority of self-storage units in and around Metro Nashville and the rest of Middle Tennessee. That’s also what most people use on the storage sheds in their backyard.

Here’s why I like recommending laminated padlocks: The laminated design of bank vault doors, where you can imagine the enormous strength’s required, inspired a locksmith to develop the laminated padlock.

Did you know that twenty-two plates of hardened steel are riveted together, under 150 tons of pressure, to form the body of a laminated padlock?

To keep the padlock from rusting due to the changes in the weather that Mother Nature throws at us in Franklin, La Vergne and Murfreesboro, Tennessee, the original laminated padlocks used a coating of pure cadmium metal, but nowadays most laminated padlocks are chrome-plated.

Laminated padlock’s are extremely versatile in part due to the different widths of the padlock case and in part due to the different length’s available for the shackle. Also, in this case, security comes at a reasonable price.

There are two basic versions of the laminated padlock, one has a pin tumbler cylinder, and the other one uses what is called a warded key.

The warded key type padlock is the least complex, least expensive and because of the locking system inside its case, it can be manipulated open very easily. The key to this type of lock would look similar to what a child’s diary key would look like; a flat steel key with notches cut into the edges of it.

The other type; the pin tumbler cylinder, is more secure than the warded design, and the key looks similar to your house key. To make your life even easier on you, if you have a need for two, three or even twelve padlocks, you can get these padlocks all “keyed alike” so one key fits them all and you won’t have to carry a bunch of different padlock keys around with you.

So, if you’re looking to secure anything from your tool box, to a bicycle, to your storage shed, you might be able to secure some of your valuables with a laminated padlock.

But don’t guess or assume. Call us today for a security evaluation and take the guesswork out of your security needs.

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