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What Type of Electronic Deadbolt to Get

Category : Locksmith

electronic deadbolt differencesWhat type of electronic deadbolt lock should I get? This question frequently comes up on the job. There are many to choose from each having different features that may appeal to a specific person’s needs. There are options with and without a key override. Also there are options that do not have any remote capabilities, and there are those that you can control from anywhere in the world. Then there are those in the middle that have remote capabilities, but are limited to a short range from the door. This post will focus on residential applications. Commercial applications can have similar and more functionality, but I will not cover them here.

Key Override

Some electronic deadbolts have the option to have a key override. If you lose your keys often, a key override might not be exactly what you’re looking for. Having a key override is useful in the event that the batteries in your electronic deadbolt go dead before you have an opportunity to change them. If the key is not present, it is possible that you could be locked out.

Electronic deadbolts that do not have a key override will normally have two posts that are to be used with a 9V battery. When the battery is applied to the two posts it will temporarily power the electronic deadbolt. Powering the deadbolt this way will allow operation of the lock so that you are not locked out. However, this does require access to a 9V battery.

Remote Capabilities

These are electronic deadbolts that have the ability to be controlled without touching the lock itself. Some can be controlled from anywhere in the world and others from only a few feet away. The locks use different technologies such as Bluetooth, z-wave, or WiFi. Generally, electronic deadbolts that use WiFi or z-wave technologies can be controlled from anywhere in the world. The electronic deadbolts using Bluetooth are usually controlled from within a few feet. This isn’t always true since a mix of technologies can be found in some electronic deadbolts, giving them the options of using both forms of remote control. Some electronic deadbolts also come with options of bio-metric scanning or using RFID devices to trigger the lock to open.

At the end of the day, it is important to make sure you do some research when it comes to getting an electronic lock. This covers the items that people ask about the most. Aesthetics are also another area that people consider when getting an electronic deadbolt. Finding the right look with the right options for your application could prove challenging to some. Sometimes you may want a specific finish, and what could have been the perfect lock may not be offered in that specific finish. Either way, hopefully the little bit of information here has proven useful.

My Recommendations

I tend to strongly recommend electronic deadbolts by Schlage. While it is only my opinion, they seem to last longer and fail less than other brands from the big box stores. While I mention only 3 electronic deadbolts and only those by 1 brand, there are many other good ones. The 3 I mention are certainly not the end all be all suggestions.

Fairly new and gaining popularity it seems is Lockly, which I have become pretty fond of. If I liked the idea of biometric entry, this would be the lock for me. It is the only one I trust with as many forms of possible credentials to get a lock open. Lockly also has a very neat approach to privacy and distant prying eyes. The numbers are scrambled each time you activate the keypad so the location of your combination is different each time you use it.

Without bells and whistles

These are my recommendations for electronic deadbolts without all of the bells and whistles. I recommend the Schlage BE365 for a lock that has a key override. If you do not like the idea of having a key override, then I would suggest the BE375. Both of these locks will allow the user to program and delete codes in order to allow or deny  access to users. I have installed many of these locks. They are robust and last a long time. Other than people letting batteries die, even with fair warning, I haven’t personally seen one of these fail out in the field.

The batteries last long enough in these models that I have almost forgot they ever needed changing. I have family members that use this lock that ask me to change them when its time. I think I have changed the batteries 2 times in the past 5 years. The way these locks work give way to longer battery life. The lock itself doesn’t push and pull the deadbolt which in turn causes much less strain on the batteries.

With all the bells and whistles

The Schlage Encode is my go to for an electronic deadbolt that has all of the bells and whistles. It has a key override and connects directly to WiFi instead of using a gateway. The Schlage Encode, paired with the Schlage Home application, allows for complete control of the electronic lock.

From the application you can see what codes are used to access the property and when. You can create access schedules for times and days. For example, if you assign 1234 to a house cleaner, you can make that code only active on the days and times that they are supposed to be there. The application also give you the ability to lock and unlock the door with just the press of a button.

What do I use?

The Schlage Encode is the electronic lock that I personally use. However, there exists no bias since I have used and only stopped using many others because of failure. To further drive this point home, I will not even mention the others that I have used, so as to not bash them. I have had some fail because of condensation and some were just dead on arrival. Some I didn’t like simply because of how confusing it was to add or delete users. I like simplicity, and this lock hits that mark without issue.

For me, battery life with this type of lock is pretty good, even with all the bells and whistles (which normally lessen battery life). I personally have to change the batteries once a year, YMMV.


Keys to your home

Who Has Keys to Your Home and Why You Should Care

Category : Locksmith

Who has keys to your home?

Keys to your home

What is a key really? Most of us carry them every day. We secure many things with them. We secure our most valuable possessions with them. Personally I feel that we tend to take for granted all of the things we secure with keys by leaving them around, making multiple copies, and even sharing our keys with family, friends and neighbors. It seems that people would want to keep things that are secured with a key, secure.

Sharing keys with everyone doesn’t just mean not calling a locksmith when you’re locked out. What happens if and when a neighbor with your key gets robbed. Your homes security is now in question.

Who knows if the robber now has keys to your home. This could potentially be worse for you than your neighbor. They probably broke something to get into your neighbors house. Therefore, your neighbors insurance is going to cover them.

However, if the robber now has keys to your home, is your insurance going to cover you or are they going to say that the house was not secure. Maybe the insurance company will look at it as an inside job. Either way, make sure to check with your insurance company to check your coverage in this situation.

Sometimes we will lose keys, but we have a spare so we just continue to use the spare and make others. What do you think ever happened to the key you lost. Did it have anything that could possibly identify your house or you in general? Could that key eventually come home in the hands of an intruder? Who knows who will open your door next.

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Residential and Commercial Locksmith

Why You Should Use A Professional Locksmith

Category : Locksmith

ReasoningResidential and Commercial Professional Locksmith

Simply put, a professional locksmith is just that, a professional. He will act professional, have business cards and company uniform, and the correct equipment for the job. When you call on any random handyman, there is a good chance that he knows a little about a lot. However, he may not know a lot about any one thing. Locks just may not be his thing.

When you are dealing with a professional you deal with a person who knows their trade, a person that has studied and worked for years to perfect his craft. You are dealing with a person who has ran into your situation before. He will likely be able to have you back in your home, business or car, or have your locks working like new again with what seems like ease and in no time.

Keep in mind, this is your home or business. How much risk are you willing to take with your property and security? How well is your non-professional insured and is he insured for the reason you call him? You and your home or business security should never come second. Hire a professional and get the job done right the first time, or you could end up spending more in the long run.

Situations

If you find yourself locked out of your home, business or automobile, you will certainly want a professional locksmith to get you back in. Many times when a person is locked out of their automobile, they find themselves in an area they would prefer not to be out in for a long period of time. A professional will get you back in quickly.

As far as your home is concerned, who wants to stand outside of the place they call home after returning from a nice night out. Go ahead and have a professional on hand to get you back in as quickly as possible. Many locksmiths are available 24/7 to help with late night lockouts.

Many people give keys to neighbors and friends and who knows who else. Having a reliable locksmith on hand to re-key your locks to kind of reset your security from time to time is not a bad idea.

Moving into a new house or apartment? Make sure you always have your new home re-keyed. You want to make certain that the previous tenants or owners key holders do not have access to your things.

I only gave a couple examples of why it is important to have a professional locksmith on hand. However, they are important and reason enough to take action immediately.

Results

A professional locksmith will be able to give you a quote that will not change based on the information he receives. He will have the parts and items needed to complete the job the same day in the majority of cases. There is also a good chance that he will also offer 24/7 service.

Make sure you do some research and find a local and reliable locksmith before you need one. Doing your research will save you much headache, time, and most importantly your money in most cases.


crime statistics lake county fl - DNA Locksmith - 24/7 Locksmith

Crime Statistics That Affect You in Lake County, FL

Category : Locksmith

crime statistics

Crime Statistics That Affect You in Lake County, FL

 

As you can see from the infographic that is filled with crime statistics provided by the FBI, the highest rates of burglary are in the South. This, of course, includes us in Lake County, FL.

While it is near impossible to stop a determined thief 100% of the time, there are steps that can be taken to limit the possible access they have to your home. Steps can be taken that can make it take long enough that the burglar loses interest or feels that it is taking too long to access your home.

It doesn’t matter if you live in Lady Lake, The Villages, Fruitland Park, or the surrounding areas, give DNA Locksmith a call and we will help evaluate your security and possible security needs.

Not all areas of Lake County, FL will be affected as much as other areas. For example, The Villages, FL will tend to have fewer burglaries since security is constantly roaming the area and the neighbors tend to look out for each other. This, of course, compared to Fruitland Park, FL, and Leesburg, FL, where the houses may not be located as close together or they may not have a community watch like The Villages.

Here are a few other alarming crime statistics that we should all be aware of.

Number of Burglaries In A Residence
Residence (dwelling) – 1,425,732
Residence Night – 394,852 = 27.7%
Residence Day – 755,178 = 53%
Residence Unknown – 275,702 = 19.3%
73.9% of burglaries are in residences

Number of Burglaries In A Nonresidence
Nonresidence (store, office, etc.) – 502,733
Nonresidence Night – 205,639 = 40.9%
Nonresidence Day – 183,031 = 36.4%
Nonresidence Unknown – 114,063 = 22.7%
(26.1% of burglaries are in non-residences)

Types of Entries
Forced entry 1,022,551 = 59.3%
Unlawful entry 592,856 = 34.3%
Attempted forcible entry 111,067 = 6.4%

Amount Stolen and Recovered
$14,741,818,452 in property was stolen
$2,832,231,843 in property was recovered
19.2% of all property was recovered


DNA Locksmith auto lockout service - DNA Locksmith - 24/7 Locksmith

The Catch 22 Automotive Lockout

Category : Locksmith

Automotive Lockouts and the Catch 22’s

The Realization

You come out of your favorite venue and promptly realize that your keys are missing. First, you panic and
blame everyone else andDNA Locksmith auto lockout service only after everyone is off your hit list do you realize that you were the last one in possession of said keys.

The next thought process is, I can do this. I can get these keys. I have watched way more TV than the average person and a buddy of mine still uses metal coat hangers. You call your buddy and he arrives quickly and excited that he is now here to assist you. He offers his expert advice and refuses to hand over the coat hanger until he has given it a try. After all, it is HIS metal coat hanger.

After a few good ole boy attempts and a few paint chips later he hands over the coat hanger stating that if only it were a little longer or that this is an impossible job. You take the coat hanger even after watching your buddy because you want to show him how its done and prove that you have more skills in the way of coat hanger-dom. You fail and have the paint chips to prove that you are merely as equally skilled as your buddy.

Then you both huddle up and come up with plans that no other human on Earth has ever thought of. You execute said plan(s). Each and every plan has now provided you with only more paint chips and dings in the car. After hours of exhausting every possible thought, you decide, perhaps a locksmith can assist with your auto lockout.

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Make deadbolts more secure by making sure the throw extends a full 1 inch

Why do you NEED a locksmith as a property manager?

Category : Locksmith

Why do you NEED a locksmith?

More than the minimum

As a property manager you may ask the question, why do I need a locksmith? Perhaps the answer is not immediately clear, and hopefully I can help you make a better business decision.

First off, let’sYou may need a locksmith to make deadbolts more secure by making sure the throw extends a full 1 inch and properly operates be honest. As a property manager, your main focus and goal is to find and place tenants in properties and take care of many other day-to-day operations concerning each property.

How much do you really pay attention to the security of the home? Is it normally just, “good enough”? Do you check the deadbolts to make sure that they extend a full 1″?

Do you check that the deadbolt bore hole is not impeding the full extension of the deadbolt? It is very easy to overlook these security risks.

Do you toughen the deadbolt with screws that actually provide any kick resistance? Many deadbolts come with the typical 3/4″ screw, this just isn’t enough to provide any real kick resistance. Longer screws should be put in to replace those smaller screws so that they can reach the studs.

Also bare in mind the cheap 7.00 locks that I see many property managers use, are not secure, there are many ways to defeat these locks very easily.

Value added services

While I am sure you test the smoke alarms in each home, did you know that you are only testing the battery? What this means, is that the smoke alarm could still be faulty. Therefore, the only real way to check if the smoke alarm is working properly is to use a smoke detector tester like SMOKE.

From a legal liability perspective, it is always better to have third party documentation to show what services have or have not been done in a property, it leaves less to be called into question.

At DNA Locksmith we will take care of, and document everything above on the invoice. Taking pictures is another service we offer while at the job site. Sometimes the home owner or bank will request photos of their property, we will gladly take photos with a professional camera while at the site during a rekey special. 

We will email the pictures to the requester as soon as possible after the completion of the job. We take pictures inside and out and include any damages that we find at the property. Hopefully we have shown you why you need a locksmith. Let DNA Locksmith make your properties more secure. We serve Lady Lake, The Villages, Fruitland Park, Summerfield, Weirsdale, Leesburg, Mt. Dora, Eustis, and surrounding areas.


24/7 Residential and Commercial Mobile Locksmith Serving Lady Lake, The Villages, Fruitland Park, Summerfield, Weirsdale, Leesburg, Mt. Dora, Eustis, and surrounding areas

It is not a good idea to install Kwikset Smartkey locks on your doors

Category : Locksmith

 

Not a good idea to install kwikset smartkey

Notice the small slot to the left of the keyway, this indicates that the lock is a Smartkey lock

 

The Good

So you want to install Kwikset Smartkey on your doors, or you just did and have waited until now to do some research on them. Surely these locks can’t be all bad, right? Of course not, they do have their good points.

  • They are easy to be re-keyed by the owner as long as they have a working key.
  • These locks are also very resistant to lock picking and bumping techniques.

 

The Bad

Now let’s talk about why it is not a good idea to install Kwikset Smartkey locks on your doors. First of all, these locks tend to fail under normal usage, even within the first year many times. People have reported that they left their home and locked it up as normal, only to come back and find that their key no longer operates the door that it locked just hours earlier.

Here is an article that has a focus on all of the ways the well known Marc Tobias has found to defeat the Kwikset Smartkey. The one thing that the article does not seem to mention (newer versions weren’t out yet) is that these locks have gone through different versions, as many things do. While Kwikset did address a few of the issues, they didn’t really solve the problems altogether. They made the wafers thicker, the older version has thinner wafers that are easier to defeat.

These locks have also had plastic in them, yes plastic. Locks and plastic really do not have any place together in my opinion. Since then, in most if not all, the newer versions use a weak pot metal which replaced the plastic. While they have made these changes and a few others, they still fail. In my opinion, they are not the Grade 1 locks they claim to be. Think about this before you install Kwikset Smartkey on or in your home.

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Locksmith Scammers

Category : Locksmith

Locksmith Scammers

How did you happen across this post? Hopefully, you did not get caught up with one of these locksmith scammers! The reports have been out all across the country for years now, and the problem is only getting worse.

These scammers are preying on vulnerable people stuck in a jam, looking for a cheap way out of their predicament. Spotting these scammers may be easier than you think, and avoiding them is even easier as long as you know what to do before you need a locksmith.

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Mobile vs. Brick and Mortar

Category : Locksmith

Defined

Before we can compare and contrast mobile vs. brick and mortar, we must define both, even if they are self-explanatory. A mobile locksmith drives a van or other vehicle which is set up to take care of almost any job. He will have all the tools and usually a workbench with his key machines and pin kits on board. He serves his customers by going to their home and generally charges a service fee for the trip. A strictly brick and mortar locksmith is going to have all the tools to do the same job, but will also stock many more products. His customer base comes to him with the locks off of their doors or key in hand he wants to duplicate. Since DNA Locksmith’s inception, we knew that being a mobile locksmith was the direction we would want our business to go.

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Install electronic deadbolts - DNA Locksmith - 24/7 Locksmith

What does a locksmith do?

Category : Locksmith

When people think of a locksmith, their first thoughts are usually of a professional that gets them back into their home or car when they have locked themselves out or have otherwise misplaced their keys. While this is certainly one of the services most locksmiths will offer, it is only a small part of what locksmiths may offer regarding services. Locksmiths may also specialize in a variety of disciplines within the realm of locksmithing. Some of the disciplines are residential, commercial, and automotive. Some locksmiths prefer to accept a job at an institution such as a college or hospital; these professionals are considered institutional locksmiths. At DNA Locksmith, we are focused on residential and commercial locksmithing. Eventually, we will offer all services, but for now, we stay busy enough!

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Business Hours

DayFromTo
Monday12:00 AM12:00 AM
Tuesday12:00 AM12:00 AM
Wednesday12:00 AM12:00 AM
Thursday12:00 AM12:00 AM
Friday12:00 AM12:00 AM
Saturday12:00 AM12:00 AM
Sunday 12:00 AM12:00 AM