Follow these tips to always keep your home secure
Crikey, it’s been warm recently, almost as if summer’s on the way. Perfect weather for being outside enjoying the lovely sunshine. Or for being inside, hiding from the sun, bemoaning the hot weather. I cater for all tastes here, you see, whatever your weather opinion – it helps to not antagonise half your customer base. That’s why you won’t see me state an opinion on Brexit, Marmite, or which is better out of dogs and cats, though obviously we all know the answer to the latter.
But anyway, being outside, hey. It’s all well and good as long as at some stage you can get back inside. Which is a major problem if you’ve locked yourself out of your house. Okay, it’s not quite as annoying at this time of year as in the freezing winter, but it’s still pretty inconvenient, especially if you’ve left the iron on or the potatoes boiling over on the stove.
Avoiding being locked out
So what can you do to a) stop you getting locked out of your house in the first place, or b) get yourself back in if you’ve failed the first task? Well why don’t I tell you and then we can all go about our day.
Firstly, and most obviously, keep your keys on you. We all know of Yale-type locks that will lock you out if you let the door slam shut behind you, and where would the history of comedy be without people getting locked out of their front doors or hotel rooms whilst in a state of undress? When it happens in real life, however, it’s not quite so funny, and there’s rarely a nubile Miss Jones next door prepared to take you under her wing.
Duplicate keys are also a must. That way, if you find yourself locked out having lost your keys or left them in your house, you’ve still got a backup plan. Leaving a key with a relative or trusted friend who lives nearby is a godsend in these situations and will save you having to call out…well, someone like me to gain entry.
Having said that, what if you’re locked out, there are no spare keys about, and you need to gain entry. Without wanting to blow my own trumpet too much (I can’t even play the damn thing), this is the sort of situation where I’m the chap for you. I can help you get access to your home and ensure that everything remains secure after I leave. Don’t underestimate the value of the latter point – yes, you could break a window to get access, but you’re then left with a major security flaw and a hefty glazing bill. A professional locksmith is a much cheaper option.
Choose your locksmith wisely
Whilst we’re mentioning professionalism, I should also emphasise the importance of calling a fully trained, registered locksmith who’s had all the security checks. Sadly there are some people who pass themselves off as locksmiths yet are nothing of the sort – they may turn up quickly in an emergency, but do a bodged job, whilst taking the opportunity to notice any security flaws in order to come back at a later, uninvited date when you’re not in. For this reason I’d recommend everyone has the number of a trusted locksmith saved in their phone in advance – that way it’s always there if needed, and you won’t be ringing any old Tom, Dick or Harry in a panic after a brief search, without knowing the first thing about them. Nothing against people called Tom, Dick or Harry, of course, I’m sure there are some lovely Tom, Dick and Harrys out there.
So it’s quite a short list of tips this month, but to recap:
Remember your keys any time you step outside your house to avoid the hassle of locking yourself out
Ensure someone nearby has a spare set of keys in case you do end up locking yourself out
Make sure that you have the number of a trusted locksmith (hint…mine is at the bottom of this page) saved in your mobile phone so that you can quickly gain access if no key is available.