When is your house no longer secure?

Most people normally wait until their keys are lost or the lock itself is broken before they consider changing their door lock. But there are many other times where changing locks is imperative for your security and that of your valuables. Below you can see when and why you should change your locks.

Break-ins

If someone breaks into your home, it’s a clear sign that your home is not secure. Replace old locks immediately, especially if there is no sign of tampering. This could mean that the person may have had spare keys to access your home. It might also be a good time to upgrade your security and choose high security level locks such as a 5 lever lock or cylinder lock.

Renovations

While contractors need access to your home to do their renovations, once the job is completed, you don’t want a random builder in your house at any time of day. Changing locks or upgrading your system can prevent this.

Lost or stolen keys

Many people are aware that losing keys can compromise your security yet a lot of homeowners often overlook changing their locks after losing keys. If your keys get lost or stolen, it is advised to change your locks immediately as anyone can find it. This means that they can have access to your home anytime they want and you certainly do not want wrong people having access to your home.

Rusted locks

Locks that are rusted and worn out are easier to pick or force open. This means that your home is vulnerable to break-ins from intruders. It is recommended to change old locks as soon as you notice rust signs. For external locks, always ensure that you use weather resistant locks, these locks can withstand rain and coastal conditions, allowing you not to worry about any rust.

Moving house or renting your home out

When you are about to move into a new home, you should always change the locks to all your exterior doors (sliding doors, patio doors, stable doors – all of them!) You never know who has had access over time, or how many copies of those keys are out there. And if you’ve rented your home out, and are moving back in, the same applies – change them again, it’s just so much safer.

A much simpler solution to changing door locks is to install a smart door lock. A smart door lock will not require you to change locks every time each of the listed scenarios occur. A smart door lock allows you to update access to your home anytime you want. You can grant and withdraw access rights as you wish. The system is keyless, so you will never have to worry about lost or stolen keys.  Yale offers a range of smart door locks, allowing you the convenience of keyless entry.  This Keyless Connected digital door lock keypad from Yale is IP55 rated. This means that there is no need to worry about rain beating down on your keypad.

To find out about our residential solutions please contact ASSA ABLOY on 011 761 5000 or email za.info@assaabloy.com