Door Lock Tampered? Time To Call Surelock Homes!

One can never be too careful about the security of their homes, especially in the current climate where 2,000,000 burglaries are reported every year in the United States.

Thirty percent of these involve break-ins through the front door or the window and almost sixty-six percent of them take place in a residential setting.  

The statistics clearly indicate that anyone can become a victim of this particular crime. Installation of security systems can help. Statistics suggest there is an increased likelihood of break-ins in homes where there are no security systems installed.

There are several ways in which burglars can gain entry in your house. Some of these ways include:

They can force their way inside your home

Burglars want to get the job done as quickly as possible. Due to this, they might use brute force to gain entry inside your home.

This is especially common in homes with deadbolt systems installed. A deadbolt system is a lock bolt, which does not require the action of the spring. The only way of moving the lock bolt is by turning the knob.

This makes the lock very sturdy and prevents it from breaking up too easily thus preventing any kind of forced entry in the house. Deadbolts are made of steel; this means they’re incredibly durable and reliable.

They also do not require any kind of additional hardware apart from a metal strike plate. The metal strike plate helps in protecting the doorframe.

There are three different kinds of deadbolt systems that homeowners can install. These include:

• Single Cylinder deadbolt:This is the simplest kind of deadbolt system. A key opens it up from one side. The other side of the bolt has a thumb piece. Doors, which do not have any kind of glass near them, use these types of bolts.
• Double cylinder deadbolt:This type of deadbolt system activates on both sides through keys. They are ideal for use in case there is glass near the door.
• Keyless cylinder deadbolt: A keyless deadbolt systems are easiest to use since they do not involve the use of keys. Instead, fingerprint scans and password activates these types of deadbolt systems.

You have multiple options to choose from when it comes to the installation of deadbolt. Each of the three aforementioned types of deadbolts has their pros and cons.

In their hurry, burglars may end up drilling through the deadbolt lock system and gain entry inside your home. In such cases, burglars might leave behind a huge mess.

However, it is also important to keep in mind that forced entry does not always have to be messy. In case you notice your doorframe damaged or the latches on your door bent, you should take precautionary measure to check all your belongings and call the authorities.

Your door keys too may not fit in the lock. These are signs that someone has tampered with your door lock.

Lock bumping

In the past, this technique was employed by professional locksmiths in order to open locked doors. However, increased media exposure has resulted in increased awareness of this particular process.

It has also resulted in an increase in cases where burglars and robbers have used this method in order to gain entry inside a house.

This particular process revolves around filing the key to the point that it resembles a tiny saw. This smaller key is then inserted in the lock. The burglars take out the lock after a single click. Once they remove the key, they hit it with a blunt object.

After this, they withdraw the key and repeat the process until all the tumblers of the lock have been caught. Once this is done, the key can be used to open the door. If done right, there are no marks left behind.

On the other hand, an amateur might leave behind signs like fresh nicks around the key hole when they try to hit the key too aggressively. The edges of the lock might also look like someone has used force against it.

Lock picking

The most common form of door lock tampering involves picking the door lock. Usually this involves the use of items like small pins and screwdrivers. These items are used for turning the lock and raking the pins of the tumbler.

Some criminals even make use of items like a dental pick in order to pick the lock and access the premises. This technique requires skills as well as patience.

This method of tampering with the door is a lot more discreet. You might not even notice signs of the door been tampered.

You will have to closely inspect the door to identify signs. These include small marks around the key hole.

How to deal with these issues

In case you detect any of the aforementioned signs of something wrong with the door lock, it is important you stay calm and analyze the situation before you proceed. Inspect your home and see if there are any items missing.

It is also important to immediately get in touch with the police and report the incident. Next, you need to contact professional locksmiths and take measures to ensure that this does not happen again In the future.

Preventive measures

There are certain measures in order to strengthen the security of your home. One way of doing so is by changing all of the locks in your home. You can replace the locks you currently have in your home with electronic ones.

Some of the benefits of electronic locks include:

• They are more convenient since they eliminate the need for you to carry around the keys. You do not need to worry about losing the keys either.

• The physical locks wear down after some time and hence can easily break down after some time. This is not the case with electronic locks.

• Electronic locks are overall a lot more secure than conventional locks since there is no threat of the keys falling into wrong hands.

However, you also need to know that changing the lock will not prevent burglars from forcing their way into your house. In order to prevent this from happening, you need to update the security system in your home.

The alarm goes off as soon as unauthorized personnel enter your home and the camera records the footage. This helps authorities identify and apprehend the criminals responsible for the act. An advanced home security system also discourages burglars from entering your property.

You will need the assistance of a professional and skilled locksmith who can help ensure that your home stays safe. Get in touch with us.

We offer 24-hour locksmith services in NYC and have a team of highly trained professional who are experts in their respective field.

All of our services are available at an affordable price. In addition to commercial and residential locksmith in New York City, we also offer auto locksmith in Brooklyn.  We are a fully licensed and certified company that can help protect your property from damage.

Feel free to contact us at 347-753-9043 or visit our website for additional information.