7 Times When You Should Replace Your Locks

Admin • June 22, 2020
A Woman Opening A Door Using A Key — Menlo Park, CA — A-A Lock & Alarm Inc
Your house is your refuge from the cares of the world, a place where you can enjoy time with family and friends. You want to do everything in your power to keep your home safe and secure to protect its sanctity.

With this in mind, the first part of your home you need to focus on is your locks — specifically replacing them when necessary. Below, learn more about which situations might require you to change your locks.

1. You Bought a New Home
If you bought a new home, have a locksmith replace all the locks before you move in. Previous owners could have given copies of the key to contractors, renovators, or other people, and those individuals might not have returned those copies.

2. A Member of Your Household Lost a Key
You may take care to safeguard your house key, but not everyone in your household may do the same. Kids, for example, might easily misplace their copy of the house key or lose it on their way home from school. Or perhaps your partner accidentally dropped their key while running errands.

While the possibility is unlikely that someone could find your lost key, know it belongs to your property and use it to access your home, you might still worry about this happening. Replacing the locks entirely will help give you peace of mind and feel safer when you're at home or away.

3. Outsiders Are Working in Your Home
Did you recently renovate your home or build an addition to the property? If you hired professionals to do that work, you likely gave them a copy of the house key so they could enter and exit the premises according to their schedule.

Even if your contractors returned their copies to you, you might worry that they made copies and could use them to gain entry to your home while you're away. If you have any concerns or doubts, replacing your locks can help you feel calmer again.

4. You Suffered From a Break-In
A break-in completely changes your life. After something like this happens to you, you probably feel extra alert and aware of your surroundings and the things that go on around your neighborhood. While new locks don't guarantee you won't experience a break-in again, they can mitigate the risk and help you feel more in control.

5. Your House Has Old Locks
Your house's locks might be as old as the property itself. And with that age comes wear and tear, weakening and breakage in addition to outdated technology and security. New locks make your home more secure because the newer technology is a little more difficult to bypass. Additionally, the new locks aren't damaged or compromised, which further enhances your home's security.

6. You Recently Ended a Relationship
Sometimes relationships end up not working out. If your relationship ended less than amicably, you can change out the locks to ensure you stay secure in your home and that your ex-partner is less likely to get into your property without your knowledge or permission.

7. Your Home Was Built With Cheaper Materials
As with old locks, cheap mechanisms prevent your home from being as secure as possible. They're easy to break through, and they might not be strong enough to withstand brute force. You should choose new, stronger locks over cheap ones to increase your home's security and put your mind more at ease.

When you're ready to replace the locks in your home, contact the team at A-A Lock & Alarm Inc. We'll help you keep home safety a priority by changing your locks whenever you need us to. And if you aren't sure if your locks need servicing, we can help you determine the best course of action.

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