8 Reasons To Change Locks You May Not Have Thought Of

Few things are as important as investing in your home’s security. And the most basic form of this security is none other than your door locks. That’s right, while your home may have all the latest bells and whistles as it pertains to a high-tech security system, its main line of defense is still the locks on the exterior doors. With that in mind, it’s important not to neglect maintenance and change locks more often.

While door locks aren’t something that you’ll likely have to change very often, there are certain incidents that warrant such an update. This post will take a look at some of those incidents. Door locks aren’t like other aspects of home maintenance that need regular updating.

For instance, you won’t need to change them out every month or two, like you would with the filter on your HVAC system. You won’t need to change them out as regularly as the light bulbs in your hallway. They don’t need servicing every three months or 3,000 miles like your car. No, instead the frequency at which you should change your door locks should be dictated on certain incidents.

Why You Should Change Locks Often

There are various other situations that may warrant lock replacement. For instance, if you live with roommates, be sure to change the locks from time to time after old roommates leave and new roommates move in. The same goes for if you regularly lend out the key to repairmen or contractors for upgrades to the home while you’re at work.

You just never know if these professionals are taking inventory of your home’s prized possessions and making copies of the key at the local hardware store on their lunch break.

Finally, you may also choose to change out the locks after a major life event or purchase, simply because you want to outfit your home with the latest and safest technology. For instance, if you’ve recently had a baby, you may want to do everything in your power to keep that child as safe as possible. Changing out your current locks with the latest and greatest can help to accomplish that.

Preventing Future Lock Issues

As you can see, when it comes to door locks, there’s really no timeline on how regularly your locks should be changed – just certain incidents and situations that warrant it.

In many of these situations, you should think of changing your door locks like insurance as preventative measures to safeguard your home from the unknown and unanticipated. But in other situations, changing door locks are high priority.

Our 8 Reasons To Change Locks Immediately

• 1. Divorce

  • Most people strive to ensure that divorces and breakups are amicable, especially if there are children involved in the situation. But the fact of the matter is that emotions run high during these trying times, so much so that people might not always be thinking straight. On that note, it’s not uncommon for individuals to enter the home when they know their ex-partner won’t be around and reclaim some of their possessions. We’d imagine you wouldn’t want to come home to find many of your prized possessions missing.

• 2. Moving Into A New House

  • Perhaps the No. 1 reason to change out locks is when you’ve taken occupancy of a new residence. One thing you should consider when you move into a new house is that you don’t know how many copies of the keys the last occupant made and more importantly, who has them. This can greatly compromise your personal security because you also don’t know who may people have lived in the house before you moved in.
  • While you receive the keys to the house at closing, there’s no telling how many other spare copies of the key are out there floating around. For this reason, it’s much better to be safe than sorry.

• 3. Missing Keys

  • Keys get lost all the time and after a while, you may find that you have lost keys to important rooms in your house. Secondly, you may find that you no longer have spare keys for critical doors in your house. This is also another good reason why you should consider changing your locks. Any good locksmith will recommend you change locks if you’re missing spares for over 4 locks in your home.
  • Missing keys can also fall into the wrong hands. Especially when you use a key ring that contains personal information that can allow a stranger to find your house. Missing keys are a security risk and you are better off erring on the side of caution by simply changing the locks to your house.
• 4. Malfunctioning or Old Locks
  • It can be annoying when your locks are becoming difficult to open. A worn out lock would need more effort to open, leading to irritating delays. An old or worn out lock is also less sturdy and can easily be broken into compared to a new lock. You have the option of calling a locksmith in Woodland Hills to help you maintain and service old locks. But this is just a temporary solution which could end up costing you more money than simply replacing the lock entirely. Old locks also increase the risk of you being locked out of your house. Especially in the event that the keys broke inside the lock or get stuck. This can waste your time and restrict your access to the house in times of emergency either getting in or going out. As lock technology becomes outdated, you should just replace your locks and increase your home security.

• 5. Simplifying Your Life

  • Today’s locks have become so versatile and advanced that there are smart locks that you can even unlock remotely. How convenient is that?! Hence, it is always a great idea to change locks to something more convenient for you. There are many options in the market right now and for larger houses, you can find a lock set that would allow you to open most doors with either the same key or a digital key. Having one key to open most or all of your doors is a wonderful way to make your life so much easier.
  • There are also a lot of keyless entry and Bluetooth lock options that can allow you to access your house using your smartphone, biometrics (fingerprint or face scan) or other, more effective modern ways. These new locks can also keep records of who entered or left your house, giving more control over access. Some are even equipped with video and audio capacity to take snapshots of passers. They can also alert you when the door is unlocked so you never have to worry about it and lock your doors remotely instead of running back home.

• 6. Increasing the Safety of Your Family and Property

  • One of the biggest reasons to change locks (if not the biggest) is to protect your family and belongings. Undoubtedly, you simply want to give yourself the best possible protection against burglars and other unauthorized intruders to your home. Old locks, outdated locks and faulty locks can cost you a lot of money and even personal injury because they are unable to keep burglars out. You also want to be able to travel and feel like your house is safe instead of panicking in silence.

• 7. Lock Damage

  • Locks are like anything else within the home – they require a little bit of maintenance to stay effective. And while we strongly advise making lock maintenance a part of your daily/ weekly routine. It’s also worth noting that locks will eventually fail or become damaged to the point where they’re a security liability. If that becomes the case, be sure to get them replaced immediately. It would be a shame to become the victim of a home burglary simply because your door locks were not an effective line of defense any longer.
• 8. Home Burglary
• Another reason you should change locks is if you’ve been the victim of a home burglary. However, in a situation like this, you’re not necessarily worried about spare copies of the key falling into the wrong hands. Instead, be more concerned about potential damage to existing locks and the lapse in home security that just occurred. With that being said, if you’ve been the victim of a burglary or a home robbery. Calling your local locksmith should be one of the first calls you make. Perhaps only after a phone call to the police and to your insurance agent.

Contact Us Today!

Speak to a home security expert today at Woodland Hills Keys Service and get a free quote over the phone. This will allow us to advise you properly on how best to improve your home security. Don’t wait for your home to be broken into before considering changing your locks at home or at the office. A good locksmith in California won’t waste your time and have a security assessment ready within a day or two.

There is no price that is too high to pay for the security of your home, family and personal belongings. Consider making security changes to your home and start with the locks. We are there to help you every step of the way to keep your home intruder free at all times. Call Woodland Hills Keys Service today at (818) 732-4312 and secure your home today.