Wednesday 16 November 2016

RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY SECURITY

Arvada Residential Locksmith

How do you best protect your Arvada, CO home from perils of all kinds? There are many ways and in this post we’ll show you some of the best and most cost effective ones! Our goal is NOT to scare you but to educate you so that you have a better grasp of your options.

We’ve all heard the story of the guy that comes home only to find a drunken intruder passed out on his couch. Of course the vagrant has made and eaten a sandwich and even played video games before losing consciousness. The story stops being amusing when it happens to you! Every year, burglars, homeless people and vagrants enter homes uninvited and with the rise in residential crime, actual home invasions and the need for drug money has escalated to the point where people want better security to protect their homes and loved ones.

SHOULD YOU GET A DOG?

Sure, if you want a pet! Dogs are meant to be companions and are NOT automatic home protectors. In fact, many dogs are so friendly and eager to interact with someone that they will be happy to see someone come through the door. Keeping a dog in the backyard as an automatic home protector is not fair to the dog and not a good choice for home security system. Ignoring a dog like that will not endear it to you and it certainly won’t want to protect your premises. Besides, there are better and smarter ways to secure your Arvada, CO property and here are a few.

SOME SIMPLE THINGS YOU CAN DO

Whether you live in a small condo or a large luxury home, you’ll want to take measures to ensure that your residence is less likely to be victim to unwanted intruders. Consider these simple and affordable options:

Deadbolts – A good sturdy and well-installed front door deadbolt can be a huge deterrent for a would-be burglar. Not only do they add a second line of defense to your home but they can buy you needed time to call for help. Robbers want easy access to your property. They want to “enter and go” as fast as possible. Once getting past your door lock they DON’T want to have to now bypass a solid deadbolt before helping themselves to your property. In most cases, they’ll give up or move on quickly.

Lock Doors! – The old days of leaving front and back doors unlocked are over! You may be best friends with your neighbors and live in a safe(r) neighborhood but all too often a burglar simply walks right into a home because the door was left ajar or unlocked completely. Even something as innocent as walking to the mailbox or working in the garage and leaving the garage door open can result in problems if a crook happens to notice or is targeting your property. Don’t be paranoid but simply use common sense and if you have children or guests, be sure to have them use caution too.

Trim hedges – What does your yard landscaping have to do with residential security? A lot, actually! Over grown hedges, bushes and trees can be hiding places for burglars, perverts and other crooks. Not only can they jump out at you when the occasion arises, they can observe your comings and goings as well as your activity inside the home if your drapes and blinds are not closed or even installed as in brand new homes. You don’t have to pave your grounds and turn your property into a parking lot; just nicely trim bushes, hedges, trees and other landscaping so that it makes hiding prowlers harder to achieve.

Arvada Lock Installation

WHAT ABOUT ALARM SERVICE?

Having a home alarm service is generally a good idea. The best services will be monitored in case the alarm is tripped and if you shop around carefully, you can get a good deal on installation, activation and monitoring.

If your home is new or doesn’t have an alarm system be sure to do your homework by checking online and making phone calls. Understand that not all reviews will be good ones as people can have bad experiences for many reasons but overall look for reliability of the system and fast response times by the alarm service. Many homes have alarm service but it may need activation or repair work and by calling your local residential locksmith service you can save money over outright installation and re-wiring by the alarm company itself. Here at Locksmith Arvada Co we offer help with alarm service so be sure to call us anytime for a free consultation and for free, no obligation price quotes.

BETTER LOCKS

Getting high security locks at home is not only smart, it is affordable and can add tremendous peace of mind to your already hectic life. Standard door locks are usually cheaper and will not hold up to lock bumping, lock picking, or hammer smashing. They are usually made of tin and other inexpensive materials and are easily bypassed. On the other hand a high security lock is much sturdier and made of solid brass. They can’t be bumped open, picked open or even smashed open with a hammer or crow bar. They are not expensive and any good Arvada, CO residential locksmith shop will be able to help you select the right ones for your needs.

ELECTRONIC VIDEO SURVEILLANCE

Another affordable and high tech way to secure your home and grounds is with CCTV surveillance including remote access viewing and cameras. This can be as simple or as complex as you like. With smart technology you can even run your bathwater or brew a pot of coffee from your smart phone while at work! If all the little extras like that are not important to you, you can still monitor activity at your home with this technology. From watching your children or pets play to being alerted when anyone enters your property, CCTV surveillance can be a useful tool in keeping your home safe from perils of all kinds. Be sure to call our Locksmith Arvada CO shop for additional details on any of the above!

 

 




Article source here: RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY SECURITY

Wednesday 28 September 2016

Is your car key stuck in the ignition? Here’s what to do!

Arvada Car Locksmith

If your car key gets stuck in the ignition, you certainly don’t expect it to happen, but if it does, it’s certainly frustrating. If your vehicle’s key is stuck in the ignition, and it’s just not budging, then you aren’t going anywhere. Still, don’t let yourself get stressed out over it.

There are a number of typical reasons why you’re in this predicament:

  • Maybe your car isn’t in park. Even if your gearshift lever looks like it’s in park, your car’s shift lock solenoid, or another crucial mechanism, may require replacement.
  • Your battery may be dead. With most cars nowadays, if your battery dies, your car key won’t come out of the ignition.
  • There may be a cable loose, either inside your dash or behind the ignition. It will probably need to be replaced.
  • Your wheel lock cylinder is simply worn out, and you’ll need a new one to be installed.
  • The column lock mechanism (an anti-theft device) is failing, which won’t allow you to remove your car key.
  • The transmission may be malfunctioning, not allowing itself to be put into park. Perhaps cycling the transmission a few times will make it possible to pull the key out.
  • A sensor in the transmission is failing, not transmitting the proper signal to the column lock, keeping the car key stuck inside.
  • The car key itself may be bent or otherwise damaged.
  • There may be some type of substance on the key, which is catching on the inside of the ignition lock.
  • There may be damage internally. A tumbler may bind inside the ignition, so the springs are unable to push it back out.
  • Did you force the key into the lock? It may be sitting inside the mechanism at the wrong angle, preventing the key’s removal.
  • Did you actually insert the wrong key into the ignition cylinder? You may’ve thought it was the right one, but now your key can’t be extracted.
  • Did your key break off inside the lock cylinder? Then it’s definitely not coming out.

Don’t despair. These are some likely possibilities, but there are still simple things you can try to get yourself out of trouble.

Before attempting anything, be sure your parking brake is on, because of course you don’t want to roll away while you’re paying attention to getting your car key out!

Arvada Keys

Try this:

  1. Test the park position.

Of course, the shifter must always be locked into the park position in order for you to remove the car key. Sometimes, your automobile just won’t lock into the park position properly. If you can still move the gearshift lever out of park after turning the vehicle off, then that means your linkage may be out of adjustment, or it could be utterly worn out.

  1. Check to see if your battery’s dead.

Did your dashboard light up when the car key was in the “on” position? Depending upon the make and model of your car, a dead battery will prevent you from removing the key, because the chip in your transponder key can’t be accurately identified by your vehicle’s built-in computerized theft-deterrent system.

  1. Check the position of your car key.

On the ignition switch, check to make sure that your car key is in the lock position. As cylinders get older, you may find it easier to turn them beyond the proper point. This is particularly true if your key has been attached to a variety of heavy objects on your key chain, which gradually put additional pressure on the cylinder, promoting excessive wear. Try pushing your key in, and rotate it forward slightly. In some cases, this will lock your ignition into place so you can pull out the key.

  1. Check your steering wheel.

Sometimes your steering wheel will lock. When this happens, the ignition switch will keep your key locked in one place until the steering system is unlocked. Don’t pull too hard on your car key! Be gentle. Focus on getting some movement from the steering wheel. Put your left hand on the steering wheel as you try gently rotating the key forward. Move the wheel very gently to one side, and listen until you hear a click. If you don’t hear it, try turning the wheel gently in the other direction. As soon as you hear a click, try removing the key. If you’re successful, then you’ll know that the problem originates from pressure coming from the steering wheel.

  1. Lubricate the key.

You can try spraying a small amount of electrical cleaner between the ignition and the key, followed by a quick spray of silicone or a drop or two of liquid graphite. Be careful ~ don’t allow anything to drip on your upholstery! Keep the car doors open so you won’t suffer from the fumes. Remember to avoid sparks and open flames. You may want to lubricate twice. Now, try turning the key a fraction of an inch, and then you can attempt to extract it. Move the key very gently, exerting only minimal pressure.

After all this basic troubleshooting, is your car key still stuck?

If so, then don’t waste another minute allowing yourself to go into a panic over your lousy circumstances. Just accept the fact that it’s time to hire a professional who possesses the expertise required to thoroughly inspect your vehicle’s ignition switch, gearshift lever, battery, and so forth; to properly determine the actual cause; and to bring you exactly the right solution.

If you’re stranded anywhere in Arvada, Colorado, you may want to choose Locksmith Arvada CO, whose mobile automotive locksmith specialists on staff work around the clock 24/7, always at the ready to come to your rescue if you’re in a jam.

In the meantime, until help arrives:

  • Use a spare key to manually lock your vehicle to keep it secure.
  • If you can, make sure your stuck key at least stays in the lock position, so you can avoid running down the battery.



Article source here: Is your car key stuck in the ignition? Here’s what to do!

Friday 3 June 2016

Tips To Hire a Good Locksmith

If you live in Arvada, CO, you should be able to find a trusted locksmith business with ease. Having said that, because the issues for which you may need a locksmith may be a bit sensitive, it pays to be prepared when it comes to selecting the best lock and key service providers. You need to be able to trust that the professional you hire is fully licensed, insured, and qualified to deliver the services that you are looking for. If that’s not enough, you need to be able to rely on your professional to come to your assistance promptly in the case of emergencies, and to provide affordably priced solutions for all your lock, key and security problems.

So, how can you identify the best locksmith for the job? This is what we are here to tell you.

Here are a few tips and guidelines to follow when selecting an Arvada, CO, locksmith. These tips should help you hire someone trustworthy and respectable.

Arvada Rekey

Be prepared

You never know when you will need emergency help with lockouts, break-in repairs, a key stuck in your car’s ignition, or any other unexpected lock and key matter. That is why we advise all Arvada, CO, locals to be prepared in advance. Locksmith help should be reasonably affordable but, if needed, keep some money saved up in an emergency fund to make it easier to get the help that you require. Find a locksmith service provider that you are certain you can call whenever you need assistance, and save their contact details in an easy to access place. Some ideas could be keeping their phone numbers saved into your contact book, bookmarking the business’s webpage, or keeping their business cards handy in your wallet.

Do your homework 

To start with, look for referrals from friends, family and trusted acquaintances. As with most services these days, word of mouth can really help you get an idea of a business’s reputation. Gather as many recommendations possible, and then research each company to see which one is the best fit for you.

We can’t stress this enough – researching the company is vital. You need to be certain that both the business and its professionals are fully licensed and insured, and it is your prerogative to ask them to see all required certifications. If they refuse, that is confirmation they are not to be trusted.

We also recommend that you look through locksmiths’ websites, and the information they have about their services. Make note of their options, contact details, and rates if you can find them. Keep in mind that some locksmith service providers may offer a full set of lock and key services, whereas others are more focused on specifics like residential, automotive and commercial solutions.

Use the information on the website as a reference when contacting the business in relation to the services you are looking for, and request a consultation and price quote from them. Most reputable locksmith businesses will offer these two services at no cost – and once again, if there is a refusal to go into detail about any of their services, move on to the next business on your list.

Arvada Keys

Proceed with caution 

That brings us to a very important point. You need to make sure the business actually is locally based. Locksmiths further afield will most likely charge extra for traveling to your location. You should be able to find out if the business is local by their office’s address, but never take this information at face value. We recommend that you confirm that the address provided actually belongs to the locksmith business, as there are dishonest operations around who will put fake addresses on their websites. Locksmith Arvada CO is a quality, trustworthy business.

To further avoid being scammed, always be on guard. Here are some check points that will show you that the locksmith you have hired is trustworthy:

  • When calling a company, listen to how they answer their phone. If a business uses a generic term like “locksmith service” rather than the full name of the company, proceed with caution. Ask the person on the other side of the line to provide you with a full business name – and if they refuse, hang up immediately.
  • Take notice of the vehicle the locksmith is driving – you should be able to see the company logo, contact details, and other information that identifies the business they work for.
  • On arrival, reputable locksmiths will inquire for your identification for security purposes. Take this opportunity to request the same from them – including business cards, as well as license and insurance information. Once again, refusal is the best indication that they are not to be trusted.
  • Finally, ask for itemized invoices and receipts. These should include the company’s full contact details as well as a full breakdown of the repairs (including the parts used, labor, mileage and price) that the locksmith performed while at your property.

Final points

Found the best locksmith service provider for the job? Great! Continue to keep their contact details handy in case there is a next time. Hopefully, the locksmith you hired is able to provide you with a wide range of services, including automotive, residential, emergency and commercial, so always having their information on-hand will save you time if you ever need any other type of assistance.

We hope we have helped the decision-making process a little bit easier to navigate through. Your security is an investment, so finding the best suited locksmith business in Arvada, CO, should be an investment too. Reputable locksmiths will help you with everything you are looking for – you just need to know how to distinguish between the real pros and the scamming businesses. Caution is key, and preparation will save you from unexpected surprises. Doing just a miniscule amount of research on your end will help out tremendously.

 

 

 

 




Article source here: Tips To Hire a Good Locksmith