Locked out of your House? – Tips on what should you do
If you have ever had that sinking feeling that goes with the discovery that you have locked your car keys in the car, or that you have closed the front door from the outside to only to realise that you left the latch key on the inside, then you will be pleased to learn that should it happen again there is no longer any need to panic; if you lock yourself out this winter then Tunbridge Wells Locksmith can help 24 hours a day.
Don’t panic
Unfortunately many people do panic when they lock themselves out and try to deal with the situation themselves. All too frequently this results in them doing more harm than good and not only do they fail to regain entry, they also do significant damage that results in an expensive repair bill.
Without the right tools and the necessary skill, regaining entry into a modern car without causing a great deal of damage is almost impossible, and the same goes for breaking into your own home.
Do it yourself?
When you look on the web you will find that there is no shortage of advice on ways to break into your car and your home; there are even videos on YouTube that take you through every step.
It is amazing how easy it appears to open your car armed with no more than a metal coat hanger.
Perhaps a decade or so ago with a little skill it was possible, but with a modern car it doesn’t work, it is likely to damage the paintwork and the internal fabric, and it is even possible to set off the airbag in the door panel.
In desperation you might try a screwdriver in the lock and a heavy hammer, or even breaking the door window, but not only is this dangerous, the damage you will cause almost certainly won’t be covered by your insurance policy.
We have all seen in the movies how easy it is to open a door latch with nothing more than a credit card, but if it really was that easy then it would be almost pointless having locks in the first place. Some older latches are not particularly secure and can be opened in a manner of different ways, but it is beyond the skill of most us to do so even if we had the right tools.
So what should you do?
Fortunately all you need do is make a phone call to your local Locksmiths Tunbridge Wells which provides 24 hours a day service that is guaranteed to get you back inside your home and anywhere or anything else that you might have locked yourself out of.
Changing your locks
If you are locked out because you have lost your keys then you should consider changing your locks as soon as possible. There is always the danger that you keys have been found by a thief or they might even have been stolen.
Most people don’t change their locks frequently enough. You should always change them when you move to a new home as you have no idea who might have copies of the original keys. It is also important to change the locks should you move into a new build as many people will have had access to the keys.
Prevention is better than cure
Many people decide to leave a spare set of keys with a family member or trusted neighbour. This can be very useful, but it isn’t entirely foolproof. The key holder might not be available and there is always the additional security risk that they keys might be stolen by a third party. Whatever you do, don’t leave a spare set of keys in the shed or under a plant pot, it is the first place a potential burglar might look.