Replacing locks is something that most people never take seriously. To them, the only time to replace the locks is when there has been an attempt by burglars to break into the house. Others on the other hand will wait until the locks are completely old and can’t function properly before they replace them. However, the art of replacing locks should be etched into your brain as one of the ways of enhancing the security of your home or business premises.
It is even recommended that you have different sets of locks so that you keep on alternating them from time to time. In this manner, anybody who desires to create duplicates for your locks might not find it easy because you always use a different lock each and every time. But that aside, how often should you be replacing your locks?
Wear and Tear
Using the same set of locks for a long period is bound to wear them out and in the process compromise the security of the premises. After prolonged use, locks become very easy to pick and break and they also difficult to open even with the right key. It’s therefore recommended that you replace the locks whenever you start to experience any mechanical difficulty in their operations.
In addition to this, when you see visible signs of wear such as severe tarnishing or formation of rust on the surface, then it would be a good time to replace them.
When there are break-ins
It goes without saying that you need to replace the locks following a successful or a botched break-in. When burglars attempt to break into your house, they will try to use duplicate keys or considerable force to breach the padlocks.
Whichever the case, there are higher chances that the integrity of the mechanics of the locks will be compromised during the break-in process and ultimately compromise the integrity of the locks in securing your premises. You should also assume that your keys might have fallen into the wrong hands hence the only solution to continue securing your home is to replace the locks.
When your keys are lost or stolen
When you lose your keys, you are never certain on whose hands they might have fallen. Make it a priority to replace the locks whose keys are lost or stolen since you don’t know how soon someone might use the stolen or lost keys to gain access to your house.
When someone moves out
The other time you need to replace your locks is when a partner or a roommate moves out. This is especially important when they move out due to reasons that are not so friendly. They might be harboring ill intent and if they can still gain access to your premises, you can’t tell the amount of havoc they may decide to cause.
When you move to a new house
It is also imperative that you change the locks whenever you move to a new house or a new premise. The reasoning behind this is that you are not aware of how many copies of keys to your new house are out there. If you don’t change the locks of your new house, you basically allow any past occupant or anyone else with the keys access to your room.
These are just but some of the instances when you need to change your locks. If you need to replace your locks for any reason in Chicago, kindly contact Panda Locksmiths. We offer quality, affordable and reliable lock replacement services to the residents and business owners in Chicago and the suburbs of Illinois.