United Locksmith

A great resource to learn about keys, locks and safety. We offer tips, advice and how-to's for consumers, locksmiths, and security professionals.

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How Can You Replace A Car Key Or Remote?

When you lose your car key it might seem like the end of the world, but is isn't. No matter the technology that was in it, any car key can be replaced.

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Security Tips All Cyclists Should Know

In order to understand bicycle security, you need to know about the different ways thieves steal bikes, and the important aspects of securing your cycle.

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The Locksport Travel Guide: Traveling With Lock Picks

Whether you are a competitive lock picker, security professional, or even a hobbyist, you need to a thing or two before you start traveling with lock picks.

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7 Best Practice Locks For Beginners | Learn To Pick Locks

Some locks provide no security, some offer challenges, but you can train with them all. No matter what you want from your training, there is a lock for you.

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Is Your Home Safe? How To Assess Your Home Security Like A Professional

Completing a home security assessment is the first step to improving your overall safety. And now you can perform one yourself with professional results.

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How To Avoid Choosing The Wrong Lock At Home Depot

When you walk into Home Depot to buy a lock there are some very important things to know. Where do you look? What do they have? And who can you complain to?

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12 Smart Devices To Turn Your Home Into A Smart Home

Converting your house into a smart home means knowing a bit about the best smart devices currently on the market. Find out what your smart home needs, here!

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Locksmith Services: Broken Key Extraction

The Importance of Broken Key Extraction

It is important to extract a broken key from your door (as soon as possible) for several reasons. First and foremost, is the fact that having a broken key within your lock can potentially damage the internal components of the lock, especially if you attempt to extract it without the proper tools handy. If you happen to damage the lock, then you will have to pay more money to either have it repaired or replaced and this is something that no homeowner wants to do.

Also, if you happen to break the key off within the lock while the door is still opened, then you will very likely be unable to lock the door to your home on your way out. This drastically decreases your home security until you are able to rectify these situations. There are some homeowners who will be willing to risk leaving their doors ajar because they feel as if they have other security measures in place. However, it is better to always be safe and make sure that your home security is working efficiently. Sometimes this involves calling a locksmith to take care of a broken key extraction.

Broken Key Extraction Process

As previously stated, a few times already, it is important that you let a qualified professional handle the key extraction process because there is a chance that you might cause more damage to the lock if you do not handle it properly.

In the event that your key breaks off and there is a part of it that is hanging outside of the lock, then you might be in luck. When a key breaks off in a lock, it might either be hanging out partially or it might be broken off completely in the lock. If it happens to be hanging out of the lock, then homeowners might even be able to grab the piece out by pinching it with their fingers. If there is only a sliver of the key hanging out of the lock, then homeowners should not use their fingers to attempt to remove it because they might end up pushing it further into the lock. They should instead make use of needle nose pliers to try and extract the broken piece of the lock. Please note that these options will only work if the key is protruding from the lock. If you do not have needle nose pliers on hand, then leave the door as is and call a professional locksmith to help you out.

In the case that the key is broken off in the middle of the lock, or there is no part of it that is protruding, then a professional locksmith will help you take care of the problem. The first thing that needs to be done before a locksmith begins the broken key extraction process is lubricating the lock. This is important because, in most cases, either the lock or the key itself have suffered a lot of wear, tear, and external damage, so it is best to make sure that they are well lubricated. Our professional locksmith can make use of professional lock lubricant or other similar products to lubricate the lock before they being the broken key extraction.

The locksmith will be making use of a broken key extraction tool, which they will insert into the keyway of the lock in a manner that allows the teeth of the broken key extraction tool to come into contact with the cuts along the key that is stuck inside. The locksmith will have an idea of just how far they are going to insert the extraction tool based on looking at the way the key was broken. A professional locksmith should be able to estimate how much of the key is stuck in the keyway of the lock. Once the teeth of the broken key extraction tool are caught on the bitting of the key stuck inside, the locksmith will begin to gently pull the key piece in their direction in order to remove it. This method obviously sounds easier than it actually is, so be patient with our locksmith if it takes a little bit of time. It is more important to do it right than to do it fast because this will prevent the lock from suffering any additional damage.

Once the piece has been extracted from the lock, our locksmith can help make you a new key from the broken pieces. Make sure that you make more than one copy because spare keys always come in handy for many homeowners.

How To Prevent Keys From Breaking In The Lock

Many homeowners tend to find themselves in easily preventable situations. This is mostly because they neglect the importance of preventative measures when it comes to some aspects of their homes. The same can be said when it comes to broken key extraction. There are several measures that homeowners can employ to mitigate the possibility of this happening. But many of them do not take advantage of this, and this causes them problems in the long run.

One of the best ways to help prevent a key from breaking off in a lock is to make sure that the lock is regularly lubricated. When a lock is not properly lubricated, or if it is never lubricated at all will not move as smoothly as a lock that is lubricated. The internal parts will grind together, and this friction will cause the lock to damage and deteriorate at a faster pace than usual. It is important that the locks in your home be lubricated at least once every 5 months. This will help them work more fluidly, and it will decrease the possibility of your key breaking off in your lock.

Another way that homeowners can reduce the possibility of their keys breaking in their locks is to make sure that they have several spare keys on hand. Before you get confused, you will not be using the spare key to gain access to your home while there is still a broken key within the lock. That will not work. Having replacement keys on hand will prevent the key that you normally use from suffering excessive wear and tear. If you see any visible damage on your key (cracks etc.), then make sure that you stop using it and switch to using a replacement key. This is not a foolproof method to stop keys from breaking in locks, but it is a really good preventative measure.

Also, it is important that homeowners do not force their keys to turn if they feel it offering even the slightest resistance. A homeowner that uses their keys and their locks day in and day out will know just how the lock feels if there is something wrong with it. It is essential that they pick up on these small cues so that they prevent any long-lasting damage or any inconveniences from springing up. Many locks are damaged because homeowners continue to force the key to turn in the face of resistance. In most of these cases, not only is the key damaged and broken off within the lock, but the lock itself is damaged. This will put homeowners in the precarious situation of paying for both a broken key extraction and a lock repair or replacement.

Read more at http://united-locksmith.net/home-locksmith/broken-key-extraction

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School Safety Statistics [INFOGRAPHIC] School Security Stats

This informative infographic depicts the latest school safety trends. Everything from school crime stats, to the effectiveness of metal detectors.

From metal detectors to fear of violence to incidents of crime, schools need to prepare for the worst.

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Challenge Accepted. Tell me where I can find a bar like this!

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How To Make Sure Your Kids Are Not Compromising Your Home Security

Keeping children safe is on the forefront of every adult's mind, but how does your child affect your home security? It may be them, who is endangering you!

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Doors Around The World: Bryn Mawr Historic District, Chicago, Illinois

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14 DIY Security Cameras That Are Simple And Easy To Install

These DIY Security Cameras are simple to use and easy to install for any homeowner. These cameras will definitely boost your home security and safety.

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Locksmith Services: Car Key Cutting

In order to successfully cut a car key, you need a great many things. To get around the years of training and financial investments in professional equipment, you can simply call on a person that already has the things required. You will need to find a locksmith. Car key cutting can be done by the dealership, but there are several issues with turning to them. The first is the experience. The dealership may know cars, but locksmiths know keys. Go with the company that has a true knowledge of the processes and tools they are using. The dealership will also be the most expensive option. There is no real incentive for the dealership to give you competitive pricing, especially if you are only interested in getting new keys cut. There are options such as big box stores, which offer key machines that you can use yourself. In some cases, there may be a customer service representative that does the work for you. This will be very cheap, but you are going to get what you pay for. There will be no professional insight that the worker can offer. In fact, these employees are often misinformed, or they do not understand security enough to be helpful in instances of locksmithing.

Cutting Keys By Code

As was stated earlier, car key cutting can be done by code. Key codes refer to the numbers and characters that are used by professional locksmiths to fashion or remake keys. This is an integral part of the car key cutting process. There are two main kinds of key codes that locksmiths make use of and these are bitting codes and blind codes. The bitting code refers to the specific numbers or code that a locksmith would use on a blank key whereas the blind code is a key code that employs the use of specialized programs and charts in order to derive the bitting code. The bitting code is also referred to as the direct code while the blind code is also referred to as the indirect code.

A majority of keys make use of a blind code, which is why it is important to make sure that you utilize the services of a professional locksmith to carry out the car key cutting process. In order to cut the car key by code, it is essential that the locksmith have the code available for use. In some cases, it is really easy to get the code that is required to cut the key. For instance, the key code might be attached to the tag that came with your keys on the first day you obtained your vehicle. In other cases, the code might be stamped on your key. The key code might also be stamped onto the lock face plate (this is popular with much older models of cars). In addition to these methods, the car owner or the locksmith can also opt to call the car manufacturer and provide them with the VIN so that they can obtain the code for cutting the key.

However, if the code cannot be obtained by any of the above methods, then the locksmith will have to disassemble the lock. This is done because the key code is usually stamped on the barrel of the lock, so a locksmith will have to take the lock apart so that they can obtain the key code for the car key cutting process. In lieu of this, the locksmith can also opt to decode your key in order to obtain the code. This is done by measuring the key to determine the cuts of the bitting and outline the profile of the keyway.

The process of fashioning a new car key by code was once handled manually, but now it is as simple as entering the key code (once it has been obtained) into a code cutter that cuts the key to correct specifications, which are derived based on the key code.

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Second Amendment Rights: Are Guns The Best Security?

Is the best defense a good offense? Take a look at guns as safety devices, and decide for yourself if firearms make for the best security.

Remember that guns deliver lethal force no matter what it says on your ammunition. If you are not in a situation that does not demand lethal force, do not use a gun.

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Spool Pin catching at the shear line.

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6 Hot Tips For Protecting Your Beach Bag

Nothing says summer like the beach. Whether it is your local beach, or an exotic location, there are some universal ways to make sure that you will not be losing your beach bag or the valuables inside. I love the beach, and have spent a good portion of my life. In all of my year …

Summer time means beach time! Learn how to keep your belongings safe this summer when your relaxing at the beach.