Your home should be as safe and secure as it can be, and that should be a given. Nobody wants to feel unsafe in their home.
The purpose of door locks couldn’t be stressed enough. When you have reliable locks, you can keep all your loved ones and valuables in your home safe and secure. Good quality and reliable locks are very important, but have you ever wondered when the right time would be to replace them? We’ve highlighted seven situations below.
1. If You’ve Recently Moved To A New House
Moving to a new place can be hectic and overwhelming for anyone. And changing the locks might have probably taken a back seat in your mind because you were too focused on the logistics of your move. Sooner or later, you’ll come to realise there might be other people who may have duplicates of your house keys. Your house could have been accessed by contractors, construction workers, your real estate agent, previous homeowners and others.
Considering these possibilities, you could put all you hold dear at risk, especially at night when you and your loved ones in your home are asleep. To be entirely sure no one but you and your family have access to your home, you should change the door locks using the best locksmith York, or the best your area has to offer.
2. If You Can’t Find Your Keys
Times when you can’t find your keys happens to everyone, so don’t feel bad if you find yourself in this situation. It’s possible you dropped your keys, or you left them somewhere you simply can’t remember.
This is an important security issue. In this case, it’s best to have your locks replaced. Whether you finally find your keys again, or someone else beat you to it, you won’t have to worry, because you already have new safe locks installed.
3. If Your Locks Were Damaged
With time, your locks can get damaged or malfunctions. Depending on the brand, model, quality and other factors, you can find that your door locks only work for a certain period of time. They’re not created to last a lifetime, unfortunately. Hence, you need to check and assess whether or not they’re still safe and working. When you feel your locks don’t go through all the way as it used to, then it’s time to replace them.
4. If You’ve Been A Victim Of A Burglary
If your house has been broken into, you should change the locks immediately, and probably consider other home security measures as well. The locks might have been damaged even if the burglary failed. And the damage might not be evident with a cursory inspection.
Therefore, to prevent another break in, it’s best to install new door locks. This is especially true if the thieves managed to have copies made of your keys and locks. Furthermore, burglary attempts may have damaged your old locks, which could lead to malfunctions and lockouts.
5. If You Haven’t Changed Your Locks For A Long Time
Even if you haven’t faced any of the problems mentioned previously, it’s advisable to replace your residential locks every few years. Security technology advances and changes constantly. Having updated locks will contribute to your peace of mind and overall security.
6. If You’ve Ended Your Relationship With Your Partner
Whenever a relationship ends, most people don’t put much thought into their home security. Prioritise your safety and change your locks. Whether or not your ex-partner needs to come back and get their belongings from your home, you can’t afford the safety risk when another set of keys are out there.
7. If You Want To Have A More Simplified Lock System
To make life easier, changing your locks to a less complicated system is a great idea. At night, you might not be able to find the right key to one of the doors of your home if you have different keys for each. By updating your locks to make it simpler, you can opt to have doors that can be unlocked with just one key.
This reduces the number of keys you’ll need to carry. You can even consider upgrading your entire lock arrangement into a keyless entry system.
Conclusion
To ensure maximum security, you need to make sure you have choosen the right options when you decide to replace your door locks. While the circumstances mentioned in this article shouldn’t happen to you, just follow your gut and change your locks whenever you feel the timing is right. This should strengthen your security and your peace of mind. Both will allow you to rest well at night, knowing your home is safe.