“What is a sliding glass door, Alex?” Ding ding!

You might think sliding glass doors are just as secure as any other entry point in your home, but they’re actually one of the most vulnerable. We discuss why this is the case and the steps you can take to address it.

Why Sliding Glass Doors Are Vulnerable

Of course, when you leave a door or window unlocked, that’s when your home is most vulnerable. But otherwise, sliding glass doors are one of the main culprits. According to a survey from the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI), only 34% of burglars enter a home through the front door. You would think that number would be higher since it’s the main point of entry, right? Well, 81% of burglars still enter a home through the first floor; they just choose the most vulnerable spot instead.

Sliding glass doors are vulnerable because of a variety of reasons. For one, they’re smashable. But their locks can also easily be opened. These types of doors can also be lifted off their tracks — even without tools. If the thief does have a tool (like a screwdriver), it makes the job even easier.

How To Improve the Security of Your Home

So, what can you do about the vulnerabilities of sliding glass doors? You basically have two options: do it yourself or call a residential locksmith. Here’s a little more about each of these options:

• DIY: One MacGuyver-like way you can improve the security of these doors is to jam the track from opening by putting something like a wood dowel on it. Or, you could purchase a door lock or sliding bolt and install it. The former will likely only slow the criminal down, while the latter may not work if you don’t do it right. This might be the cheaper option, but is it worth it?
• Residential locksmith: A professional locksmith, on the other hand, can identify the door’s weaknesses, give you an expert’s opinion on solutions and install any needed security upgrades. For example, the locksmith might suggest putting in some type of alarm system. Or, they could replace the standard factory locks in the door with premium, high-security locks. This option may be a little more expensive, but it will go a long way toward keeping your home safe.

If you’d like help improving the security of your home, give the A-1 Locksmith team a call today at 972-284-7500.

When it comes to residential locksmith costs, would you rather pay a little now or pay more later? When someone breaks into your home, replacing the broken door, lock or window (as well as any stolen belongings) can be much more costly than preventative security measures.

Reactive Locksmithing Services

Reactive services are when you react to an incident that occurred by hiring someone to address it. Many of these situations can be avoided with proper preparation and prevention. But once there’s an incident — especially one involving the security of your home — you have no choice but to address it. Burglaries aren’t the only situations that lead to reactively hiring a locksmith, however. Here are six examples of situations that require reactive locksmithing services:

1. Locked out of your home
2. Lost the keys to your home
3. Had a home lock broken or stolen
4. Moved into a new home where you don’t have the locks
5. Had your property vandalized
6. Had valuables or firearms stolen from your home

All of these situations have other consequences as well. Many also involve lost time, as you have to deal with getting everything back to the way it was. There can also be a lot of stress involved, in addition to other negative consequences.

Proactive Locksmithing Services

Proactive services, on the other hand, are when you prepare for an incident ahead of time so it doesn’t happen (or you at least minimize the possibility of it happening). Let’s take the six example situations mentioned above and see how a residential locksmith could have addressed them with proactive locksmithing services:

1. Spare key creation, so you can access your home even if you’ve locked your main keys inside
2. Key duplication (even if you don’t have the key) so you don’t have to worry about lost keys
3. High-security locks that are difficult to break or manipulate
4. New locks and rekeying so you’re all set once you move in
5. Security system and/or security camera installation to catch criminals in the act
6. Home and gun safe sales and installation to protect valuables and firearms

Invest in proactive locksmithing services now so you can avoid paying more for reactive services later. Give the A-1 Locksmith team a call today at 972-284-7500 to schedule a consultation or appointment.

Of course, in order to properly install an automated lock system in your home you will need to consider a variety of factors, and you may wish to even conduct minor research before making the decision. And here, your best resource to educate you on the matter, and help you take the first step in the process, is the team of professionals at A-1 Locksmith in the DFW area.

Fully Automated Lock Systems

What are some of the benefits provided by fully automated lock systems? For one, a fully automated set of home locks allows you to come and go without concern about the location of your keys; instead, you can rest assured that you will always be able to open the front door. In addition, it gives you the freedom of providing access to friends and family members without the necessity of creating duplicate keys.

And there are a variety of different automated lock systems from which you can choose to install on your home. Some automated lock systems allow you to lock and unlock your home using an app installed on your smartphone or tablet. Others give you the option of sending a “virtual key” to friends, family members, or anyone else you choose. Others still can detect your presence near the door through a Bluetooth connection, and can connect directly to your home’s security system so that when you lock the doors the alarms are set as well.

Why You Need a Locksmith for the Job

Clearly, there are numerous benefits to installing an automated lock system in your home. But before you do, it is important to contact a professional locksmith for help, who can assist you in a number of ways. Most importantly, due to his or her experience, a locksmith will be able to educate you on the various options and help you decide which automated system is right for you. In addition to this, a locksmith can help you install the system in your home comprehensively and professionally, ensuring that your home is protected.

Are You Looking for a Locksmith in DFW?

Have you been searching for an experienced locksmith in the DFW area? Don’t hesitate to reach out to the skilled professionals at A-1 Locksmith at one of our many locations. We have broad experience with different types of automated home lock systems and are willing to put that to work with you today.

Holidays are the time of year when family can get together, eat awesome food, open gifts and…getting burglarized. Yeah Sparky the family dog might be an awesome watch dog.. but he can’t dial out for help. In fact, nearly 400,000 burglaries take place in the United States each year, according to the FBI. So if your home if filled with lots of new gifts or plans to travel you should take extra precautions to prevent being burglarized.

Burglary Facts

• Homes without a security system are 300% more likely to be broken into.
• 2,000,000 burglaries are reported each year
• Only 17% of the homes in U.S. have a security system.
• Police usually only clear 13% of all reported burglaries due to lack of witnesses or physical evidence.
• Nearly 66 percent of all burglaries are residential (home) break-ins.
• The highest percentage of burglaries occur during the summer months.
• Break ins usually occur in the daytime when occupants are at school or work.
• Most breaks are through front or back doors.

Why Should I Get A Security System?

• Increases the potential of burglar being caught.
• Save your possessions and/or a life.
• Burglars will usually bypass a home that they believe has a sophisticated burglar alarm.
• 1 out of 3 residential assaults are a result of a burglary.
• Every 13 seconds a home intrusion is committed.
• Home Break-Ins (Burglary) are the most common threat to our home.
• Having a security system will give you peace of mind & security.

Securing Your Home

Burglars are lazy.. if they have to work too hard for what they want they’ll most likely just go to their next victim. You worked hard for those belongings in your home, don’t make it easy for someone to come in and snatch up a salaries worth of house hold items.

Tips For Securing Your Home

• Have a home security system installed.
• Don’t advertise that you’ll be going on vacation, or that you’ll be alone.
• Don’t show off gifts, cut up any boxes advertising expensive items purchased.
• Update/secure all entry points in your home.
• Always be aware of your surroundings.

It’s always better to be safe than sorry, right? So before becoming a part of the statistics save your family and home by adding a security system and updating your entry points to your home. There’s nothing better than having someone to protect you and your belongings even while your away.

Most companies nowadays offer various locksmith services. Whether it is commercial, automotive, industrial and residential, they tend to offer lots of services. Among the many areas which they cater, residential locksmiths are commonly found. This entails to the fact that they serve the people living in houses, mansions, lofts, bungalows, apartments and everything that fits the residential category. Now we all know that homes are just the most important part of our lives. This one valuable possession actually guards all the other possessions in our lives. This means that it is mandatory for your house to be secured in every way possible. This is done to ensure you feel safe within the comforts of your house. There are many residential locksmiths that install a very efficient locking mechanism that is hardly seen in houses. Some even require codes so that you may find it safer even more than usual. Thus, you have to make sure that you opt for a very strict locking mechanism if you want to feel secure. This is even important if you are often out on trips and need to have some solution so that your family is safe in your absence and you do not have to worry much. Furthermore, if you find that you need to lock the house because it has valuable possessions and you are often out of town, turn to the residential locksmiths for all the necessary assistance.

There are many companies that even give you the option of free security audits, thus, you should call them whenever the need arises. They will be at your service right away without delaying much.

It is important for you to know that the story does not end here. There is much more to it. Residential locksmiths do not simply find you a locking key system. They can be hired for other relevant services too. Is your house locking such where it takes you a few minutes to unlock it? If this is so, then you would like to ring the residential locksmiths because a failing lock and a damaged lock can be quite troublesome. This is basically an open invitation to all those robbers and burglars who might be keeping checks on you and waiting for the right moment to attack. In such cases, these lock systems will only make things worse for you and will give them a favor allowing them to attack just when you would step out of the house.

Surveillance systems are just another offering by these residential locksmiths. Some people have cameras installed inside their homes to keep a check on the movements or maybe because they have doubts. Residential Locksmiths at A-1 Locksmith DFW can help you with this too!