VARIOUS KINDS OF LOCKS

Locks are as varied as the uses for them are. You can find locks securing valuables in homes, businesses, cars, government offices, schools, and hundreds of other applications. If you do an online image search for locks you’ll find an array of items from diary locks to biometric entry systems and hundreds of others in between. That’s why our Virginia Beach Locksmith pros decided that it would be fun to make a post about many of the varied kinds of locks in use today. Read on and see what we have to say; you might just learn something new and fun in the process! Don’t forget to call our shop or that of your favorite Virginia Beach, VA lock and key firm with any questions or ideas that you may have.

Always choose quality!

The best quality lock brands don’t have to be expensive or out of reach of most buyers. Just use the right lock and key shop and you’ll get affordable access to best names in the lock industry, including Master, Baldwin, Ace, Schlage, Dexter, ASSA, Primus, Medeco, Abloy, Sentry, Kwikset, Llco, Yale, Falcon, Sentex, Mul-T-Lock, and many others. Keep in mind that even the best quality locks will do little good if they are not installed properly and if they are not used! Anyway, here are some of the most common and useful locks in use today:

Padlocks

Padlocks are very common and very useful! You see them everywhere on storage rooms, bicycles, lockers, yard gates, and backyard sheds. One reason that they are so popular is that they are portable and not built-in. As such, they are easy to transport and re-use to secure other items. Padlocks use a dial with a number sequence or sometimes a key to open. Overall, they are secure and do the job needed though they can be opened with a lock cutter or pried open with a crowbar.

High security locks

These amazing locks are better made and offer greater protection as they are not able to be smashed, picked, pried or cut open! You’d think that they would be super expensive but in fact, they are quite affordable. Some high security locks are also bump proof and this desirable combination can give you lasting security and peace of mind when used to secure your home, business or recreational property.

Ordinary locks are usually made of tin and are hollow. Not high security locks! Solid brass rules the day, here! They also have steel inserts placed inside the lock that prevents them from being drilled open, too. How’s that for sturdy construction?

Deadbolt locks

Our Virginia Beach, VA lock professionals recommend deadbolt locks to all of our customers. There’s a good reason for this; they work! Deadbolts are simple, easy to install, affordable and when used; effective. You can use deadbolt locks at home, at your business or anywhere else that needs an added layer of security. We recommend getting a high quality deadbolt and making double-sure that it is installed right.

Here’s where the magic of deadbolt locks comes into play. They are small, unassuming and offer a much needed second line of security wherever they are installed. A burglar wants to get in and out of your property as fast as possible. They want the “goods,” not to linger and say hello! The longer a burglary takes, the greater the chance of discovery and that can lead to arrest, confrontation with the homeowner, and even death. Once the crook bypasses your main door lock, they are now faced with having to deal with your deadbolt. This takes additional time and effort. It’s so much easier to simply move on the next property or just give up and call it a day!

Keyless locks

How on earth can you have locks with no keys? It’s easy; just use keyless locks and you can forget having to lug around burdensome keys that can become lost, broken or damaged. Consumers have been using keyless locks for years on automobiles and in banks. Now, these special locks are virtually everywhere including jewelry stores, museums, hospitals, high rise condos, nursing homes, restaurants, office rentals, storage facilities, retail stores and hundreds more. We are now also starting to see keyless entry in residential homes in all price ranges.

Keyless locks can be operated by key codes, number sequences, remote devices, thumbprints, badges, magnetic strips, swipe cards and in some cases, even retina scanners! As keyless lock technology advances, you’ll see more and more use of it in day to day life.

Mortise locks

The word mortise means recessed and that’s what these locks are; recessed into the door as opposed to being installed on the door’s surface. This method of installation provides the lock with added stability and security. These locks are very common on residential front doors. These are the ones where you turn the handle from the inside to open it, and where you use your key and then push down on the handle to unlock from the outside. These locks can be a bit awkward to install on a do-it-yourself basis, so you might consider the services of a local Virginia Beach, VA locksmith to make sure that it’s done right.

Cam locks

Right off the bat you may not know what a cam lock is, but you sure would recognize one if you saw it! They are distinguishable by the “cam” or tail that rotates 90 to 180 degrees when you lock it. You see cam locks installed on mailboxes, file cabinets, vending machines, small appliances and other similar low level security items.

Find out more

The more you know about locks, the better your overall security will be. You don’t need to be an expert but you should strongly consider having 24-hour access to a full service Virginia Beach, VA lock shop. Preferably find one that offers all forms of lock and key expertise including emergency, home, auto and business needs. Locks are our friends and when used right, can save time, money, and even lives!

Aricle source here: VARIOUS KINDS OF LOCKS

IF YOU’VE MISPLACED YOUR TRANSPONDER KEY, HERE’S WHAT TO DO!

Back in the day, if you lost your car key, you could get a spare one duplicated at the hardware store, a locksmith company, or at your dealership. Nowadays, however, losing your car keys has become much more complicated than it was before the 1990s ~ that is, before computer chips. A regular car key, with its singular cuts and grooves, used to be just like a house key, so you could get it copied for almost nothing.

The disadvantage to a basic car key in those days was obviously that, since it was so easy to copy, it was also a breeze for a car thief to steal your vehicle. Vehicles are much more difficult to steal today because of advances in transponder key technology. Unquestionably, a transponder key, even though it’s expensive, is worth the peace of mind you get from it.

But what should you do if you lose your transponder key?

What’s kind of transponder key have you lost?

Inside the transponder key’s plastic head is a transponder chip, which sends a unique signal, which goes to the receiver in your car, telling it to start up. The major difference between a transponder key and a standard key is that the chip inside the transponder key has to be programmed. For most automobiles today, an electronic key fob (also referred to as the remote) is an integral component to your key set. It’s imperative that you safeguard your transponder key, because, depending on the complexity level of its design and on the automaker, the replacement of a lost electronic fob is often very expensive. The fob must be properly programmed. There are some dealerships that will do it for nothing, but most will charge a lot.

A switchblade key is another type of key with a transponder chip inside. A switchblade key has a shank, which folds into the fob when you’re not using it. Press a button, and it pops out. This key has either a regular cut or a laser cut. One benefit of the switchblade key is that you can get the parts separately. If you’ve really lost your key for good, then both components will require programming.

For some cars, the transponder key and the fob are all in one unit. Also known as a laser-cut key, the shank is a bit thicker, and has fewer carved-out grooves. Laser-cut keys are sometimes referred to as “sidewinder” keys, because of the winding-shaped cut on the shank. The laser-cut key’s built-in transponder chip has to be programmed. It’s more difficult to get a spare key made anywhere, except at your dealership. It costs more, but your car’s more secure.

A smart key is not a key at all ~ not in the usual sense of the word. It’s just a fob. You either put it into the dash, or you keep it in your pocket, on your belt buckle, or in your purse. You just sit in the driver’s seat, and start or stop your car with the press of a button. A smart key is extraordinarily secure, because it has rolling security codes. That means it’s continuously randomizing the correct code, a significant feature that prevents a potential car thief from hacking it using a code grabber. Get your smart key replaced at the dealership.

Make a spare key.

Are you constantly unable to find your keys, bickering with your spouse or teenager over who lost whose keys? Save money on transponder key programming when you make a third spare key. Since you probably already have two keys (which you would have received when you bought your car), a lot of makes and models will allow you to program a third key. First, hire an automotive locksmith to cut a third key for you, and then you can follow your owner’s manual to program it on your own.

The following procedure will work on many American-made vehicles. But before you spend any money, check with your dealership or with a local automotive locksmith professional to ask if it will work with your specific vehicle. If you’re located anywhere in Virginia Beach, Virginia, find a local reputable locksmith, such as the skilful mobile automotive locksmith specialists on staff at Virginia Beach Locksmith.

1. Insert one of the two working keys, and turn the ignition to the “on” position for about 3 seconds (don’t start the car).
2. Do the same thing with your second key.
3. Now insert the new third key, and turn it to the “on” position for another three seconds. This will successfully program your extra key.

DIY.

One thing you can do to get in your car is that you can get only the basic key, without the transmitter. This costs less, and you’ll at least have a key to get you inside your vehicle. This comes in handy if you lock your car keys inside the car. The programming element, which does the remote locking and unlocking, is a luxury, since it’s not required for gaining entry or for driving your car. You can program this part yourself by following the owner’s manual’s instructions, or hire a professional automotive locksmith technician in Virginia Beach to do it for you.

Never lose your transponder key again!

Any way you slice it, a transponder key is expensive. The best defense against misplacing it again is to prepare ahead of time. Don’t tempt fate! If you have only one car key, it’s a lot better to have a backup spare key made right now, than to get stressed out over it later, when you’ll end up spending more than you wanted to, in what will likely be a crisis.

Anywhere you choose to program your transponder key, you will need:

• your vehicle’s chassis number
• proof that you’re really the owner, with two forms of ID
• the code from the manufacturer’s original code card, which came with your vehicle

If you don’t have that code, track down an automotive locksmith technician who will do the proper reprogramming to get you back on the road again. A trustworthy professional will be highly qualified to help you, normally at a lower price than what the dealership charges.

Aricle source here: IF YOU’VE MISPLACED YOUR TRANSPONDER KEY, HERE’S WHAT TO DO!