How quick and easy is it for someone to break into your home? The answer may surprise you! And it is up to you on how easy it can be done and just how easy your often innocent actions can give a potential thief the resources they need to break into your home. Statistics indicate that home invasions and vehicle break-ins are on the rise. The internet can be your friend but it can also be your enemy. There are literally thousands of sites and videos that demonstrate how to manipulate doors and simple locks to gain entry into homes and vehicles. The good news is you can take charge and follow the necessary steps to protect yourself and your property.

Break Ins in My Neighborhood

The number one form of entry into your home is your front door because although the main door lock is what most people secure when they leave their home, they often neglect to lock the deadbolt above it which inadvertently allows easy access into the home. The most common items stolen from homes and vehicles are weapons, medications, electronics, jewelry and other small items that are easy to pick up and worth some money. But remember you are in control and you can protect your home and belongings by following the expert advice of the experienced and knowledgeable locksmiths at California Lock & Key.

California Lock & Key has prepared some actions you can take to secure your home and help prevent theft and break-ins:

• Contact California Lock & Key for a home security evaluation. Our highly trained locksmiths can recommend a locking protocol, including upgrading your locking mechanisms, adding addition locks to patio doors and windows, advice on home security and installing a home safe for precious valuables and keepsakes.
• Don’t leave expensive items such as bicycles or scooters outside. It is an open invitation to lure thieves onto your property. Lock these items in your garage out of sight.
• If you purchase new items such as a TV or other pricey electronics, don’t leave the packaging box outside beside the trash. It is an instant advertisement to let everyone know you have something new and it may leave them wondering what other items you have inside your home.
• Leave a light on, along with music or the TV when you leave your home, doing so is an instant deterrent since a would-be-thieve won’t be able to tell that you are not at home which will dramatically lessen the chance of a break-in.
• Change your routine up so you are not leaving your home to run errands at the same time each day. Coming and going at different times will confuse would be burglars and make it hard for them to pin point your whereabouts.
• If you have sliding glass doors or windows always lock them before leaving your home. The professional locksmiths at California Lock & Key can advise you on the best sliding door and window locking systems for your home.
• Don’t leave a spare key outside, anyone could be watching and see you retrieve the key and know exactly where you hide it. It’s just a matter of time before a thief comes to get it and breaks into your home.
• Getting to know your neighbors and the people who live near you is one of the most important safety steps that you can take. Close knit neighborhoods generally experience fewer break-ins as neighbors are more willing to keep an eye on each other’s property and strangers will be immediately noticeable.
• Lock it up! Locking windows and doors are a must for protecting your home and belongings, along with contacting your California Lock & Key professional locksmith service to upgrade your locking systems is the best thing that you can do to protect your property.

Automotive, Residential & Commercial Mobile Emergency Locksmiths in Burbank, Van Nuys, Long Beach, Thousand Oaks, Santa Clarita, Culver City, Northridge & West Los Angeles CA

Contact the experienced staff at California Lock & Key today and schedule your home security evaluation. Our locksmiths have the skills and quality equipment to ensure that your home or business is properly protected and secure from would be theft and break-ins.

We know that a change in weather affects many aspects of our lives. When the fall sets in, all the leaves on the trees change color and begin to fall off. Another change that you can see when the weather changes is in the spring time, people will have an increase in their allergies. The summer time you will start to notice more bugs and insects are on the move, but have you ever wondered how the change in the weather affects your locks?

California Lock and Key outline what your locks can expect during the two most extreme weather seasons.

Effects the winter has on your car and door locks: During the winter no matter where you live the weather is going to cool way down. The cold weather effects many things in your house and around you. The cold weather, especially when it is freezing or below, causes the locks on your home and car to start to shrink. The problem with the lock and the framing around the door shrinking is that the lock will be much harder to engage. Many people will have to pull on the door handle from the outside to get the lock to engage. This is especially hard when you are using a deadbolt lock. If you start to notice that your locks are harder to engage in the winter months, you need to look into having a locksmith inspect the locks and see if there is a way to make them work right even in the cold weather. They can make some adjustments to the lock or the door frame to ensure they are working properly. When it comes to your car locks, the problem can be much worse. The car is left out in the elements and the lock can physically froze shut. The best way to get this problem solved it to heat up the actual key to melt the water that has frozen to the lock.

Effects that the summer has on your door locks: The summer months have the exact opposite effect on the locks and door frames. The summer months mean heat, heat and more heat and that means that the door frame and lock will expand. This makes it so that the lock will stick and you may need to wiggle the door back and forth to get it to come unstuck. When the door frame expands, it makes the area for the lock to engage in smaller, and that will cause the lock to stick or make it so that the lock will not engage. Hiring a professional locksmith will stop the problem because they can add some supports to stop the area from shrinking or open the space to allow for the space to shrink and still fit.

If you are interested in having your locks working better, or need any other mobile emergency residential, commercial or automotive locksmith services in Burbank, Van Nuys, Long Beach, Thousand Oaks, Santa Clarita, Culver City, Northridge & West Los Angeles CA, you had better give California Lock and Key a call today!