Author: woodlock693

The Truth About Residential Safes

residential safesThe Truth About Residential Safes

A safe is a metal box right? Upon further investigation, you find that there’s more to a safe than you originally thought. In the unfortunate case of an emergency, fire, or burglary, there is no safer place for your valuable belongings and important documents to be stored than a secure residential safe.

Residential safes are designed for the home and are generally smaller and more lightweight than a more traditional safe. The truth is that many burglaries occur because someone in the family/friends tells someone else in an innocent way that they have a safe.

Gun Safes

Gun Safes come in many different styles and sizes. Many of which are merely gun cabinets without fire or burglary protection. Construction thickness of metal type of locking mechanism should be your first concern followed by fire rating. Gun cabinets have surprisingly thin metal similar to 16- or 18-gauge steel. A standard household hammer/large screw driver can easily break into a gun cabinet.

Door construction is also very important, so look for a gun safe with at least ¼ inch of solid plate steel. Fire ratings are often overlooked but should be one of your top considerations. We recommend that you purchase a minimum 1-hour fire rated fun safe. Why? Because, safes with less than 1 hour rarely survive a fire, especially in a woodland brush area such as Los Angeles which is frequently prone to wildfires.

Fireproof Safes

These specific safes do a great job of protecting paper documents and even small amounts of cash from heat and smoke damage. However, fireproof safes use very thin metal (16-18 inches). The metal in the construction of the safe which makes them easier to attack for a burglar. These safes are engineered and designed to protect your valuables against both burglar attacks and fires.


Modern Safes 

Called “Composite Safes” or burglar fire safes, Modern Safes are a combination of burglar and fire ratings. With these safes, you get the best of both worlds. When you’re considering purchasing a safe, think about the maximum value and type the contents you will ever store inside over the next 10+ years. Why? As your content value grows over a period of time.

residential safes

Floor Safes

Floor Safes are great for gold, silver, coins, jewelry and other valuables because they are engineered to protect against burglary attacks. Most people assume floor safes will provide excellent fire protection because 5 sides of a floor safe are surrounded by concrete. Nearly all floor safes do not have fire retardant material included in the door. Therefore, most floor safes are NOT a good product to protect against the ravages of a fire.

Wall Safes

These are wonderful little safes that can be concealed and don’t take up a lot of room, but they have severe limitations when it comes to burglary and fire resistance. Wall safes are typically constructed of thin gauge metal and are not the best place to keep large amounts of cash, high value jewelry or gold, silver and coins. Why? No need to break open the safe with heavy tools, when all you need to do is saw the wall to extract the safe from the wall.

“Out of Sight”

There is no “best place” to install a safe- it is an important decision that you will need to make based on your own concerns and convenience needs. Keep in mind, however, that concrete is much better than wood. Concrete floors with a good concrete expansion anchor “fight back” against burglars. With that in mind, the secure way to go then would be to install a monitored burglar alarm system. Here are some ideas on places to put your new safe.

  • Under an enclosed stairway with an access door.
  • In a guest bedroom closet
  • The Garage/ Attic
  • In a utility room
  • In your children’s play room

residential safesAdditionally, anchoring your safe is extremely important. Want to know why? Believe it or not, safes get carried out of a home by a few strong burglars and a utility dolly. Even if you think your safe is hidden, you still want to anchor it in case it is found by burglars.

Therefore, being extra careful and taking extra security precautions will keep your items safe. Almost all safes have anchor holes and it is fairly simple to anchor a safe into either wood or concrete.

Our Residential Safe Services

residential safes

We value the privacy of our customers, and experience has shown that those who don’t talk openly about what they’re protecting with a safe, increase their odds of avoiding becoming a target of a burglary. If you’re looking for some specific information according to your special needs, we encourage you to talk to one of our safe professionals.

We carry the most comprehensive line of safe equipment that can fulfill virtually any safe-related need you may have. Contact Locksmith Woodland Hills today and get all your questions answered. Let us help you find the right residential safe for you.

8 Reasons to Change Locks You May Not Have Thought Of

change locks today (818) 732-43128 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.

change locks today (818) 732-4312Preventing 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.
  • change locks woodland hills4. 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.

Stuck in a Car Lockout? 

Cars do not come cheap and no one would want to lose their car. One thing that frustrates more is losing or misplacing the keys.
There are also some people who forget to take out the keys out of the car when they step out of it.
This leaves them out of the car with no replacement keys.
Another worse situation arises when while twisting the key, you break it within the locks. In these said situations, people try to use clips, metal wires, and other tools to open the locked doors and some even break the screen to enter their car. However, all this exercise can cost you a lot more because using items other than keys can damage the locks and screens are expensive.

The best to do  in those situations is to call for the help of professional locksmith

Before a locksmith arrives at the scene, try not to do anything silly that can make you regret later on.
Try to maintain your calm and do not panic as it will allow you to perceive the situation in the best manner and try to come up with a solution.
You can check if any door is left open or you have left any window open.
By doing so, you will be able to get a better solution or at least give yourself a feeling that you are actually trying something. However, if nothing works in your favor, relax!

 

Still want to do it yourself?!

Here is step by step instructions:

Step 1: Use a wedge or tool to hold open the door space. Find something thin that can be used to open up a gap at the top of the door, between the car’s body and the doorframe or window.

Tip: You could use a putty knife, a ruler, or even a doorstop for this purpose.

Step 2: Slide the tool into the door gap. Wedge the tool into the space between the body of the vehicle and the top of the door on the side opposite the hinge (this corner can be pulled out the most). Pull the space open with your fingers to make more space for the tool to fit into.

Step 3: Keep inserting the tool until it is visible. Carefully work the tool down and into the space until it is visible through the window.

Note: Be careful not to tear or damage the weather stripping while inserting the tool.

Step 4: Make a hook. Now you can fashion a tool or hook to grab the locking pin. A clothes hanger works well, but you can use whatever is handy.

Note: The end has to be able to fit around the bottom part of the pin and pull it up to open the lock. This is tricky, and getting the right ‘lasso’ for the locking pin may take a few tries.

Step 5: Open the lock using the hook. Use the wedge to open up a space large enough to fit the tool into the car. Grab onto the locking pin with the tool and pull up on it until the door unlocks.

Tip: Depending on the vehicle and the type of lock, getting into the car may take a bit of patience. Locksmith Woodland Hills may just end up being the most efficient way to solve the problem. For this reason, it is a good idea to have a professional solve the problem unless the situation is an emergency.