What Is Inside Of The Lock Cylinder On My Door?

Posted on February 7, 2011 by locksmith

Clients seem to want to know what is inside of their lock. When I am on a rekey call I always invite my clients out to my truck. I show them what parts make up the lock cylinder on their door, and how they work in conjunction with each other, to secure their property.

Let me begin by saying that there many small parts inside of a lock cylinder, pins and springs. Without the proper tools to disassemble the cylinder, and the knowledge of how to perform this task, you will end up with parts flying all over the place. I don’t recommend you trying to dis-assemble a lock cylinder by yourself.

Standard Lock Cylinder

Standard Lock Cylinder

The lock cylinder (see picture above) is the heart of the lock. It accepts your key and enables the bolt or latch to be retracted or extended. The two main parts that make-up a lock cylinder are the housing and the plug (see picture above). The plug is the portion of the lock cylinder that accepts your key. It is also where the bottom pins reside that correspond with the cuts in your key. The bottom pins are flat at one end and come to a point at the other.The housing encompasses and houses the plug along with top (or driver) pins and a spring. The top pins are flat at both ends and are driven into the bottom pins (With the aid of a spring behind them) in order to push the bottom pins into the keyhole (the proper Locksmith term for keyhole is keyway).

When the proper key is inserted into the lock cylinder keyway, the bottom pins are raised to the proper level and the plug can turn. When the plug is turned this actuates the bolt or spring latch behind it.

There it is in a nutshell. If you would like to view the dis-assembly of a lock cylinder please watch our video at the bottom of this page.

Security Article Written by: John Farquharson – O/O Locksmith Toronto
http://www.locksmithtoronto.com/
416-429-0075 or 905-616-2565

This Article is Copyright and may be re-published provided that link and credit remain attached  – February 7, 2011 – Locksmith Toronto

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Why change the keys for your new home? What could Happen?

Posted on February 7, 2011 by locksmith
New Keys

New Keys

That’s a question that I am asked all the time. Before I get in depth on this subject, let me tell you what happened to a client of mine a few years ago. He had purchased a newly built house in a brand new sub-division. Since he was the very first person to reside there, he lived there for quite some time in the bliss of knowing that no one could gain access to his property. He felt that way because he thought that he was the only one who had a key. What he didn’t know is that his front door lock had been “Master Keyed” by the builder. He also wasn’t aware that the Master Key had been passed around from Tradesperson to Tradesperson. Used initially to gain access to the property in order for them to complete their assigned tasks. Somewhere along the way, the Master Key had fallen into the wrong hands and was duplicated by some unscrupulous character. That duplicated Master Key was later used to gain entry to his property. What the thief or thieves were after was his high-end auto.  Since my client was previously unaware of this situation, he would keep his car keys right by the front door. This made it very convenient for the thief or thieves to abscond with his car keys and his car. Unfortunately, a very hard-learned lesson. Don’t let this happen to you!

That is just one of many valid reasons to have your keys changed for the locks on your new or previously lived-in home. Consider this, just about anyone could have the keys to your new home weather it was built yesterday or a hundred years ago.

Back to the matter at hand. Of course, you could do the job yourself. Go to your local hardware store, buy all new locks and put them on yourself if you know how. There are several factors to consider when changing the locks yourself. The locks you are purchasing, do they offer more or less security for your property than the locks you now have, or do you even know? When you put new locks on your doors, any other hardware that was on the door previously may be stained or tarnished from the weather and the new locks will definitely be a different and brighter color of finish. The locks you buy may not be accomodated by the holes in your door that the original locks came out of. This means that some, or all of the holes may need to be enlarged in order for the new locks to fit on your door properly. Are you prepared to, and do you have the proper tools to do this? All valid questions.

Another course of action is to call a Professional Locksmith who is able to provide you with sound security advice. A Locksmith can change the keys for the locks you now have. It may also be possible to have a single key operate every lock you have (if the locks are all made by the same company). In the course of my business I am asked if there is any additional security risk in having all the locks work with one key. The answer is no. Once someone has gained entry to your property, it really is a null point. If they want in, they will do it weather all the locks operate with the same or all different keys. There is however, the convenience factor of using just one key to enter your home.

Security Article Written by: John Farquharson – O/O Locksmith Toronto
http://www.locksmithtoronto.com/
416-429-0075 or 905-616-2565

This Article is Copyright and may be re-posted provided that link and credit remain attached – January 31, 2011 – Locksmith Toronto

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Deadbolt Locks: High Security vs. Standard Type

Posted on February 3, 2011 by locksmith

Schlage B-560 Deadbolt

Schlage B-560 Deadbolt

HIGH SECURITY TYPE DEADBOLT LOCKS

Available on the market today are many different brands of “High Security” type deadbolt locks. Medeco, Abloy, ASSA, Mul-T-Lock are just a few of the name brands available for you to purchase. Some offer unique features but the one thing they all offer is “Key Control”. You might ask, what is Key Control and how does it work?
The idea is quite simple. When you purchase a High Security Deadbolt Lock you are usually given a card that indicates you are the owner of that specific lock and usually the only one that can have keys duplicated. In most instances, the only place that can duplicate the key for you is the Locksmith or Locksmith Company that supplied and installed the lock. This allows you to have complete control over the number of keys that are duplicated. It is a great idea from that point of view but there are other factors involved that you should consider before laying out a bundle of cash to have one put on your door.
The Pros:
1) Usually the Lock Cylinder and face of the lock are made of hardened tempered steel and are resistant to drilling.
2) The ring that encompasses the lock face is usually also made of a hardened tempered steel able to resist brute force attacks with ViseGrips or Crowbars.
3) Most High Security lock cylinders have some type of mechanism in place to defeat picking or bumping the lock open, like a side bar and a unique key style.
The Cons:
1) The lock is only as good as the door it is going on. If you have a flimsy door or even a window in your door you are wasting your money.
2) Gives you a “FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY” because break and enter artists have many different methods of entering your property and the door is not the only way.
3) Locks were created to “KEEP THE HONEST PEOPLE HONEST“. If someone wants into your property they are going to gain access regardless.
STANDARD TYPE DEADBOLT LOCKS
There are also many manufacturers of “Standard” type deadbolt locks available in the marketplace today. There are also various materials used in the manufacture process of these locks. Some maufacturers use solid brass to make the lock cylinder, others may use a cast metal process and others plastic. Some may have a hardened tempered steel ring that encompasses the face of the lock and others only suppy a hollow ring that can be crushed with Vise Grips.
The Pros:
1) Standard type Deadbolt Locks are readily available through hardware stores and other outlets.
2) They are usually sold at reasonable or dirt cheap prices.
3) They are usually available in a variety of finishes so matching the finish to your existing door hardware is usually easy.
4) You can have the key duplicated almost anywhere.
The Cons:
1) The manufacturing process will determine the cost of this type of lock. Remember, you only get what you pay for.
2) Those that come supplied with a hollow ring that encompasses the face of the lock will enable entry to your property by several different methods, ViseGrips or Crowbars.
3) Most deadbolt locks sold through retail outlets can be picked or bumped open. There is however, a new style of lock available called a “Smart Lock” which is pick and bump resistant.
4) If you choose to buy a “Smart Lock” you should know be aware that they have been known to malfunction in the past, usually locking out the property owner.
5) You can have the key duplicated almost anywhere.
Let me repeat myself, the lock is only as good as the door it is installed on. Locks were originally made to help keep the “Honest People Honest”, and, if someone wants to gain entry to your property, your door is not the only way in.
Security Article Written by: John Farquharson – O/O Locksmith Toronto
http://www.locksmithtoronto.com/
416-429-0075 or 905-616-2565
This Article is Copyright and may be re-posted provided that link and credit remain attached – January 31, 2011 – Locksmith Toronto
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You’ve Just Moved Into Your New House. How Secure Is It?

Posted on February 2, 2011 by locksmith
Is Your New Home Secure?

Is Your New Home Secure?

Many new home owners don’t even think twice about the locks on their doors when they first move into their new home. It’s what you don’t know or even realize that could put you, your family and the contents of your new home at risk.

If you have bought a home that was previously lived in, you don’t have any idea of who might have the keys to the property. Your new next door neighbour, the previous owners family or friends or even worse, some unscrupulous characters.

If you have bought a home in a completely new development or sub-division then it is very likely that the front door lock is “Master Keyed”.

Everyone has heard of a Master Key before but do you really know what it is?

A Master Key is usually a single key used to gain entry to many doors within a property. A “Master Keyed Lock” is one that is set-up to allow more than one key to operate it. As a matter of fact, a Master Keyed Lock which has a “Master Pin” in each of 5 chambers will be able to be opened with as many as 32 different keys. Think about it, 32 DIFFERENT KEYS!

Now here’s the scary part. Land Developers have every front door lock in a new development “Master Keyed” for their own convenience. That way, they only have to keep track of one key to gain access to every house in the new development. Quite convenient for them and their Trades People but not very secure for you and your family.

Something else to note, a lock that is Master Keyed will be considerably easier to “Pick Open” than a lock that has no Master Pins.

By now you are likely thinking to yourself, how do I keep my family and Property safe?

There are two avenues that one can go down:

1) You could run down to your local hardware store and buy all new locks and put them on the doors yourself. A very cost-effective idea for sure, but, if your not quite sure of how things come apart (your old locks) and and don’t know how things go together (your new locks), then you could be entering into a very grey area. Something else to consider, some of the holes that the existing locks fit into may not be large enough to accept the physical size of the new locks. The other problem is that some of the locks on your doors may be tarnished by the weather so if you replace the deadbolts the finish may not match the other weather worn hardware that is on your door.

2) You could call a Professional Locksmith Company like Locksmith Toronto .com who can help you assess the best, most cost-effective manner in which to proceed. In most instances, there is no need to replace the locks on your doors, a simple lock re-key would directly address the matter of someone having a key or the existance of a “Master Key”.

We would only recommend lock replacement in the instance of a badly worn lock due to years of use or one that is functioning incorrectly or damaged.

(F.Y.I.: A “Lock Re-Key” is a process that a Professional Locksmith goes through in order to make your lock or locks work with a new and different key.)

The method you use to gain the security for your family and property is entirely up to you. There are professionals out there like locksmithtoronto.com who are willing to help. The matter is in your own hands.

The only words of advice I can offer you is act on it sooner than later because later, may just be too late.

Security Article Written by: John Farquharson – O/O Locksmith Toronto
http://www.locksmithtoronto.com/
416-429-0075 or 905-616-2565

This Article is Copyright and may be re-published provided that link and credit remain attached – January 30, 2011 – Locksmith Toronto

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