Lockout Tips

Next to family and friends, your home is one of the most important things in your life.

Protecting it and everyone who lives within its walls is crucial. With crime and home burglaries on the rise, it is important to learn new and diverse ways to secure your dwelling. Let’s review a few helpful tips that can protect your home inside, outside, and while you are away.

When it comes to keys it may seem like a good idea to keep a spare set somewhere on your property in case you lose your primary set. While it is good to have a backup, do not put the keys under the doormat. Thieves will check there first. The best solution is to keep a lock box with your spare key in it hidden somewhere discreetly on the property. Just make sure you and
your family know where it is located.

There are several steps to help reduce the risk of your home being targeted by thieves. Carefully survey your home and do your best to identify any potential weaknesses. If a window or door looks easy to pry open, it may be time to change it out or improve its security. Also, pay attention to how visible some of your more valuable items are as they could become a primary target. If you need a second opinion you can contact your local police station and set up a home assessment.

Focus on making your yard more secure as well. Building a more open fence (chain link or ornamental) that is solidly secure into cement is a good deterrent as they cannot be easily moved and are difficult to hide behind. You will also want to keep any expensive outdoor tools or recreational items within your garage when not in use. Items like that will make your home more enticing. And as always one of the most obvious security steps you can take is to ensure your garage, fences or gates are locked!

Moving indoors it is even more crucial to lock up your doors and windows because most burglars are easily able to enter because the homeowners forgot to lock up! Always double-check your locks before you leave home for the day and even more so at night. Bracing your windows with a metal bar or wooden rod in the track is also a wonderful way to prevent a window from being pried open. It may also be necessary to change your locks, especially when moving to a new home; your local residential locksmith can easily provide that service.

It is always important to have some strong security measures in place when you leave for vacation. Always double, triple even quadruple check the locks on your doors and windows to ensure they are locked before you leave! Another common precaution is to have a timer connected to your lights so they automatically come on in the evenings. This will help deter unwanted guests. And, don’t post about your trip on social media. That just lets the thieves know you are away.

24 HR Lockouts is available 24 hours a day to help you secure your home. We aim to be your number one residential locksmith and offer a variety of services to keep you and your family safe. Contact us today.