Jacksonville Locksmith Services Archives - Page 5 of 6

Installing a New Deadbolt Lock

By Pop-A-Lock | August 16, 2014 | No Comments

Installing deadbolt and auxiliary locks on homes is an economical way to secure one’s property. A deadbolt lock is installed in the door, while an auxiliary lock is installed on the door. Both types of locks can be purchased inexpensively at a home center store for between $7 and $10 on average.

Though many inexpensive locks do not have the features of higher quality locks, they are better than no deadbolt or auxiliary lock at all.

Installing a New Deadbolt Lock

Before installing a deadbolt lock, measure the thickness of the door. If the door is less than 1 ¾ inches thick, install a reinforcement plate, such asMAG’s Install-A-Lock, before installing a new lock. Though most do-it-yourselfers are able to install locks on their own, if a door requires major reinforcement or if a homeowner anticipates the installation process will be difficult, it may be easier and more effective to hire a professional locksmith to install the lock.

To install the lock, follow the installation instructions in the packaging. Drill and cut the edge bore, the cross-bore and mortise cut-out for the face plate. Then, use three-inch long drywall screws to attach the bolt or latch to the door rather than the shorter screws that came with the lock. The longer screws will hold the bolt of the lock more firmly to the door and make it more difficult to force open.

If using a reinforcement plate, mount it on the door at this point. Then, align the body of the lock according to the directions. Then, insert the screws that came with the packaging to fasten the lock to the door.

Next, measure the bolt hole and strike plate locations on the door jamb. Then, attach the strike plate to the jamb with drywall screws three inches long or longer. The longer screws require a bit more elbow grease, but will increase the strength of the strike plate.

Installing a New Auxiliary Lock

Auxiliary locks are easier to install than deadbolt locks because they are mounted on the surface of the door. The only cut through the door is a 1 ¼-inch hole for the key cylinder to be mounted on the outside.

Installing deadbolt and auxiliary locks is an easy, economical way to enhance security for many Jacksonville, FL homeowners. If you’re interested in learning more about deadbolt or auxiliary locks or to learn about how a professional locksmith can help, call us at 904-246-4590.

Ignition Giving You Problems? Call Pop-A-Lock Jacksonville

By Pop-A-Lock | August 8, 2014 | No Comments

It may be hard to believe, but when you have ignition problems, locksmiths can often be a cost-saving resource. While an auto repair shop or dealership can help with many repairs, they are not the only places to have a vehicle repaired.

Understanding Car Ignitions and Common Problems
The ignition controls a car’s power with a turn of a key. When a driver puts the car’s key into the ignition, it turns a lock that then triggers the electric ignition switch. The ignition switch connects the car starter to the battery, which delivers a surge of electricity to the motor, allowing the car to start.

The ignition can fail in two ways. Now and again, there are issues with the electric ignition switch. In this situation, drivers can insert and turn their car keys, but the engine doesn’t turn over. This issue, then, is a job for an auto repair technician.

However, the lock cylinder in the ignition can also fail. Drivers will know the lock cylinder fails if they find they can’t insert the key into the ignition, or if the key refuses to turn and catches in the lock. In such cases, a professional locksmith can repair the lock mechanism, helping the car owner avoid a costly trip to the mechanic or dealership.

The average price to replace an ignition at a dealership can be an astounding $375, and an independent mechanic may charge anywhere from $275 to $325 for this service. In both instances, the car will need to be towed to the repair bay, adding more expense to your overall bill.

How a Professional Locksmith Can Help
Instead of paying the high rates of an auto mechanic, Pop-A-Lock can replace the lock mechanism in a car ignition and are able to perform the service wherever the vehicle happens to be. Not only does this save you the cost of a repair at a shop, it also saves the hassle and cost of getting their cars towed.

If you find yourself unable to turn the key in your car’s ignition, call the professionals at Pop-A-Lock Jacksonville before calling your mechanic or dealership. In many cases, Pop-A-Lock may be able to save you 50 percent of the cost of a mechanic’s repair. If you’re stranded in a car with a key that refuses to turn, call Pop-A-Lock Jacksonville today at 904-246-4590 to schedule an appointment.

Preventing Locksmith Scams: Pop-A-Lock Launches Real-Time GPS App To Ensure Customer Security

By Pop-A-Lock | July 25, 2014 | No Comments

In an effort to provide greater service to customers and prevent the growing threat of locksmith scams, Pop-A-Lock has announced the launch of the Pop-A-Lock Customer Connect app. This app is designed with the customer in mind and enhances the Pop-A-Lock experience for clients, ensuring their safety by identifying their technician and providing peace of mind.

Due to the national epidemic of security and locksmith scammers, Pop-A-Lock addressed the issue by creating this free application available on Google Play for Androids and the Apple Store for iPhone users. More information about the application can be found at: http://www.popalocktracking.com.

Features and Benefits of the App

Real Time GPS reporting of the Tech who is coming to service you.
Electronic Estimated Arrival Time Countdown.
Picture of the Vehicle they will be arriving in.
Picture of the Technician who will be performing the service.
Quality assurance survey to give feedback on your service.
Social Media connector so you can tell people how great the service was.

“This new technology will help provide our customers with the piece of mind that the person pulling up to service their security needs is indeed a Pop-A-Lock technician that has been background checked, is in uniform and expertly trained,” said Don Marks, CEO of Pop-A-Lock and SystemsForward America. “Unfortunately, many customers in need of locksmith services call a company from the Yellow Pages only to find that when the ‘supposed’ technician arrives on the scene, the customer is scammed or –even worse- robbed.”

“By utilizing this new technology from Pop-A-Lock, customers will never have to question where their technician is or when he or she will be there,” said Robert Reynolds, Chief Operating Officer of Pop-A-Lock. “By providing a picture of the technician and the fleet vehicle they are operating the customer can be sure who is servicing them. Safety and security for our customers is Pop-A-Lock’s number one goal.”

Pop-A-Lock is the country’s largest group of locksmiths providing 24–hour locksmith service across the country. If you need a trustworthy locksmith here in Jacksonville, Florida, please don’t hesitate to call us at 904-246-4590!

The Better Business Bureau Recommends This Before Hiring a Locksmith

By Pop-A-Lock | July 18, 2014 | No Comments

With the rise of locksmith scams, the Better Business Bureau suggests a few tips in order to find a reputable locksmith in your area.

Here are some things the BBB recommends you can do before hiring a locksmith:

Call the business. If the business answers the phone using a generic name like “locksmith services,” be leery. Ask for the legal name. If the person cannot give it, move on. Go with a company with a specific business name.

Get an estimate that includes all labor and the replacement parts for the lock. Reputable locksmiths will be able to give you an estimate over the phone. Ask about additional fees such as charges for overnight service calls or charges for mileage. If the locksmith gets there and price increases, don’t let them work on your car and don’t sign a blank document authorizing work.

Check credentials to make sure the locksmith is insured so you will be covered in case the repair leads to damages. Ask the locksmith for ID, a business card and a locksmith license. Check if the business name and logo on their business cards match the name and logo on the invoice and vehicle. A reputable locksmith also will request to see your identification to make sure it’s actually your property they are doing work on.

With these tips, you’ll be well on your way to finding the right locksmith for you. In any case, we at Pop-A-Lock Jacksonville are here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! You can reach us by phone at 904-246-4590 any time you need us.

Myths and Facts About DO NOT DUPLICATE Keys

By Pop-A-Lock | July 12, 2014 | No Comments

Key Control: Myths and Facts About DO NOT DUPLICATE Keys

Unauthorized key duplication is one of the most violated security procedures in business. Most people seeking to copy a key meet little resistance getting duplicate keys cut. The fact is that nearly any standard key can, and will be duplicated with no questions asked regardless of any stamping on the key. Stamping such as “Do Not Duplicate” or “Restricted”, etc is not only often ignored but the key cutter may take it as a personal challenge and reply ‘Oh I can duplicate that’!

One source cites that nearly 40% of non-forced entry break-ins are a direct result of an unauthorized duplicate key (Assa Abloy 2011). These unauthorized keys can then be associated with billions of dollars of loss to business a year!

If you provide security and life safety services here are some things you should know to help your clients understand their total security picture when it comes to key duplication:

Myth: Keys stamped “Do Not Duplicate” are protected by law.

Fact: Most keys that are stamped “Do Not Duplicate” do little more than discourage key cutters from duplicating keys. There is typically little or no legal connection or consequence. Companies offering restricted keys mean that locksmiths or key cutters are not allowed to duplicate them.

Myth: Most companies offer “Restricted” keys.

Fact: This term really only refers to that company’s distribution policy on the key and has nothing to do with duplication rights. Most restricted keys are easily duplicated.

Myth: Keys for all “high-security cylinders” are protected from unauthorized duplication. Only the key blank can be protected from unauthorized manufacturing, and then only if the key blank itself is patented.

Fact: Purchasers of “high-security” keys and cylinders should ask to see proof of patent on the key blank and not the cylinder that it operates.

Myth: Most key cutters will ask questions about your key and will normally comply with any warning or request not to duplicate that key.

Fact: Only professional locksmiths will honor such requests if they are familiar with the manufacturer. Non-professional key cutters such as hardware stores, shops or mall vendors will usually duplicate any key if the key blank is available to them.

Call Pop-A-Lock Jacksonville at 904-246-4590 for your commercial locksmith needs including master keying, re-keying and true high security and restricted key control systems. We are America’s Most Trusted Locksmiths.

Pop-A-Lock Launches Educational Awareness Series To Support Caregivers With Essential Tools to Keep Children Safe

By Pop-A-Lock | July 5, 2014 | No Comments

What Every Parent Needs To Know About Summer Safety

With the start of summer, thoughts turn to the school year’s end, family vacations and swimming in the community pool. However, in addition to typical safety concerns that most parents share – such as wearing sunscreen, bug bites and talking to strangers – Pop-A-Lock wants parents and caregivers to be informed about:

Keeping “latch-key” children safe and secure during summer vacation while their parents are at work;
Keeping one’s home secure while on summer vacation; and
The extreme – and sometimes fatal – dangers of locking a child in a vehicle during soaring summer temperatures.

The PALSavesKids Program is aimed to support local police and firefighters, and the program educates parents to first call 9-1-1, and then call 1-800-Pop-A-Lock. The Pop-A-Lock technician nearest to the scene will leave all other priorities aside to arrive as soon as possible to unlock the child from the automobile. This free community service was originally launched in 1991 and since then has saved thousands of children. The following are some daunting facts about the severity of leaving children in locked vehicles:

The Department of Earth and Climate Sciences at San Francisco State University cites that: “Last year, 2013, there were at least forty-four deaths of children in vehicles; thirty-nine of which have been confirmed as heatstroke and five which, based upon the known circumstances, are most likely heatstroke.”

Since 1998, media reports about the total 606 child vehicular heatstroke deaths shows the following circumstances:

52% – child “forgotten” by caregiver (316 Children)
29% – child playing in unattended vehicle (175)
18% – child intentionally left in vehicle by adult (108)
1% – circumstances unknown (6)

To prevent these situations from occurring, Pop-A-Lock’s PALSavesKids program includes a call-to-action:“PALSaves 1-2-3.”

The “1-2-3” reminds caregivers to “look before you lock” by:

1-stopping;
2-looking; and then
3- locking.

PALSavesKids’ mascot, PALS Puppy, is a gentle reminder to caregivers to always look in the backseat before leaving the vehicle. Specific recommendations on using the PALS Puppy as a visual reminder are noted in the campaign’s “PALSaves 1-2-3” Tips Sheet. The following is an excerpt:

Keep vehicles locked at all times; even in the garage or driveway and always set your parking brake.
Put something you’ll need like your cell phone, handbag, employee ID or brief case, etc., on the floorboard in the back seat.
Keep a large stuffed animal or favorite toy in the child’s car seat when it’s not occupied. When the child is placed in the seat, put the stuffed animal or toy in the front passenger seat. It’s a visual reminder that anytime the stuffed animal or toy is up front you know the child is in the back seat in a child safety seat.

“We launched this program in 1991 to educate caregivers about the severe dangers of leaving children in unattended vehicles or mistakenly locking a child in an automobile,” said Don Marks, CEO of Pop-A-Lock. “By using our expertise in the security industry, we are able to quickly and efficiently remove children from harm. This program is one of the numerous ways we give back to the community.”

For more information about Pop-A-Lock, Pop-A-Lock’s Summer Safety Educational Awareness Series, or the PALSavesKids Emergency Door Unlock Program, please visit: http://www.popalock.com/ and follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@popalock).

Security Checks for Sheds and Outbuildings

By Pop-A-Lock | June 24, 2014 | No Comments

We tend to spend more time outside in these summer months. As a result, we tend to spend more money, as well. After winter, we’re outside tending to our gardens and lawns, cultivating their beauty with our expensive garden and landscaping tools. Garden equipment may seem like frivolous items, but like many of your possessions, they are worth protecting. Therefore, it is important to make sure that any sheds, garages or outbuildings are properly protected against theft. The Master Locksmiths Association (MLA) recommends ways to keep your tools safe.

Security Checks for Sheds and Outbuildings

Tip #1
This may seem obvious, but it is important to put your tools away after you’re finished using them. Not only does this keep things in its proper place, but it also prevents any thieves from the temptation of taking any equipment that is not properly stored.

Tip #2
Always check doors and windows on any outbuildings. Check for:
weathering,
rust,
broken windows, and
any other sign of weakness.

It is also important to check all of your padlocks, to make sure they are in good shape.
Many consumers purchase simple locks and install them themselves. However, with your expensive garden equipment, consider hiring a professional locksmith for the task.

Tip #3
Make sure to install lighting around any outbuildings. Another option could be an alarm.

Expensive tools are worth protecting; however, be aware that they are often used as a means to break into other buildings, as well. This is even further incentive to make sure they are securely stored. These small investments in security can prevent you both loss and damage.

Need help with your shed? Reach out to us at 904-246-4590 for a top quality, professional and honest locksmith in Jacksonville.

Types of Keys

By Pop-A-Lock | June 13, 2014 | No Comments

As owners of houses, cars and businesses, it’s important to be knowledgeable on the different types of keys that exist. Since there are so many keys for so many different types of locks, it can get a little overwhelming. Car keys and house keys are common and easy to recognize. But then there are a multitude of different keys that aren’t common enough to be instantly recognizable.

Here is a list of some of those more uncommon types of keys:

Double/Four-Sided Key

Typically used on home locks, double-sided and four-sided keys differ from normal keys in that they have either two or four sets of teeth on them. The set of four teeth results in a more durable key. The extra sets of teeth also makes the lock more difficult to pick, employing a simple way to increase security in your home and deter burglars.

Transponder Key

A transponder is also known as a chip key. The transponder is an electronic key used in modern cars, which is activated by a radio signal sent from the car when placed in the ignition. Basically, transponder keys have a chip inside them that typically connects to the ignition of the car. These types of keys are designed to prevent theft, and they are very difficult to duplicate. Because of this, it decreases the chance of someone making a copy and attempting to steal your car. In some situations where the wrong key is used, some car models will shut down completely.

Skeleton Key

Also known as a passkey, a skeleton key is a simple key with a cylindrical shaft and a single toothed end, which is used to open warded locks. However, warded locks are no longer in use, so the term “skeleton key” has become somewhat of a catch-all term for keys that can open any lock of a certain type. The well-known “keyhole” icon comes from the design of warded locks.

Abloy Key

The Abloy key is used on disc tumbler locks. These types of locks use a special key that rotates disc like a tumbler and aligns them into place to unlock. It is springless, and recognized for being impossible to pick. Nearly every house in Finland utilizes an Abloy lock and key system.

Dimple Key

A dimple key is a simple type of key that uses matching cone-shaped dimples on the key to match up with two sets of pins in the lock. The dimples are aligned on each side the same way, which means the key doesn’t need to be oriented a particular way to work properly.

Paracentric Key

A paracentric key is a key used to open a paracentric lock. This key has small teeth at the end of the key and is recognized by its contorted blade shape. The paracentric key is frequently used in prisons and is used to deter lock picking.

Tubular Key

A tubular key – also known as a barrel key – is a small key with a cylindrical shaft used to open tubular pin tumbler locks. These keys are often found in items like vending machines and bike locks. These keys are typically more difficult to replicate than standard tumbler keys.

Keycard

These days, most hotels use keycards; and chances are, if you’ve ever stayed in a hotel you’ve used a keycard. Keycards are small and flat, and are inserted into a mechanism on the door to unlock it. The mechanism reads the signature, commonly found on a magnetic strip on the card, to unlock the door.

Whether you need new keys, key duplication or to rekey your locks, you can count on Pop-A-Lock Jackonsville!

Keep Your Kids Safe in Summer Heat

By Pop-A-Lock | June 7, 2014 | No Comments

It can be tempting to leave a baby alone in a car while we quickly run into the store. And sometimes, babies and young kids can sleep so peacefully that we forget they are even there. The problem is that leaving a child alone in a car can lead to serious injury or even death from heatstroke.

Heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths for children. On average, every 10 days a child dies from heatstroke in a vehicle. Young children, in particular, are at risk as their bodies heat up three to five times faster than an adult’s. Tragedies like these are completely preventable. Below is a short guide to help keep your kids safe from heatstroke.

Reduce the number of deaths from heatstroke by remembering to ACT, according to Safe Kids Worldwide.

A: Avoid heatstroke-related injury and death by never leaving your child alone in a car – not even for a minute. Also, make sure to keep your car locked when you’re not in it so kids don’t get in on their own.

C: Create reminders by putting something in the back of your car next to your child such as a briefcase, a purse or a cell phone that is needed at your final destination. This is especially important if you’re not following your normal routine.

T: Take action. If you see a child alone in a car, call 911. Emergency personnel want you to call. They are trained to respond to these situations. One call could save a life.

Remember, in an emergency call 9-1-1, then call Pop-A-Lock Jacksonville at 904-246-4590. PAL Saves Kids, our free community emergency door unlock program can rescue your child who is accidentally locked in your vehicle.

Using a House or Pet Sitter When Away on Vacation

By Pop-A-Lock | May 30, 2014 | No Comments

It’s that time of year when the weather’s great and you got time off of work. You’ve piled the luggage and kids into the car, and you’re headed out on the road, or maybe you’re on the plane. Regardless of how you’re getting to your summer destination, there’s one thing that needs some attention while you’re away: Your house.

Using a House sitter or Pet sitter for Summer Vacation?

When you’re away on vacation – whether it’s for a few days or a few weeks – you’ll probably want someone checking up on things. Perhaps you’ll even hire a house sitter. House sitters are a great way to get peace of mind when you’re out of town. They water your plants, keep your pets company, and most importantly, they keep your home occupied – which deters burglars and their tendencies to target empty houses.

But what if your house sitter gets locked out? With you thousands of miles away, he or she will need a locksmith to get back in. This is where the situation gets a little tricky. Although a locksmith has means to open a lock and get that door open, locksmiths can’t just “break-in” when told, especially when someone says he’s house sitting.

Locksmiths have to think about liability – not just for ourselves, but for the homeowner as well.
But we also don’t want to leave your home empty – because your pets need food and water! More importantly, however, a solution to this problem is to have the information of the person who is house sitting readily available. Information, such as a Driver’s License and ID will do.

Photocopy their information onto a blank piece of paper side by side. Then, write down the name and address of whomever is going to be house sitting for you. You should also write down that he or she has been given permission and access to your home should your keys be stolen, lost or accidentally locked inside. Another important thing to include on a piece of paper are the dates you will be away.

With careful planning, your vacation should be smooth sailing.

Happy summer!

Here at Pop-A-Lock Jacksonville, we are committed to all of your residential locksmith needs. Give us a call at 904-246-4590 for reliable, honest residential locksmith services in Jacksonville.