Jacksonville Residential Locksmith: Home Locks 101

February 17th, 2012 by Jennifer

A burglary takes place in the U.S. every 14 seconds, and the average loss per burglary is almost $2,000. Did you know that most burglars still get in through your front or back doors? Upgrading your home locks is a small investment with major payoffs. If you’re not sure what kind of locks are currently protecting your home in Jacksonville, take a look at the major types of locks to see what’s on your door — and how well it works.

A Key-in-the-Knob Spring Bolt Lock

Spring bolt locks

If your usual routine involves sticking a key in a door knob and turning the knob, you most likely have a spring bolt lock. Also known as key-in-the-knob locks, spring bolt locks are extremely common. The bolt is spring loaded and can be manually pushed in. Another giveaway that you have a spring bolt lock is if you can lock the door and then pull it shut behind you. The spring lets the bolt retract when it hits the door jamb. Unfortunately, spring bolt locks, while convenient, are not very secure. If there’s any gap between the door and the door frame, a burglar can simply push the bolt to retract it and then open the door. Spring bolt locks also make it easier to lock yourself out.

A Schlage Deadbolt

Deadbolts

Deadbolts are more secure than spring bolt locks because the lock cylinder must be rotated in order to retract the bolt, most commonly with a key on the outside and a thumb-turn on the inside. A half deadbolt is invisible from the outside (and therefore has no key way to be picked or bumped) and locks with a thumb-turn on the inside, making it a good way to stay secure while at home and overnight. A double deadbolt requires a key on either side to lock or unlock the door. If you currently only have a spring lock on your door, adding a deadbolt will deter thieves and increase your security.

Schlage Keypad Lock

Electronic access / keypad locks
Once reserved for commercial buildings, electronic access locks are now available for homes. These locks use an electric current to lock and unlock. Although you’ve probably seen electric locks at hotels that operate with cards, residential locks usually have number pads. Enter the right code, and you’re in. One major advantage: if you ever need to keep out someone who has the code, you won’t need to hire a locksmith to rekey your locks. You can just change the code. Pop-A-Lock of Jacksonville offers electronic, biometric, and many other digital locks.

Bump resistant / bump proof locks
About 90% of American residential locks can be ‘bumped’ open with a modified key blank and very little effort. If you haven’t upgraded your locks within the last 5 years or so, your lock is most likely vulnerable to bumping. Fortunately, lock makers have gotten with the program and now offer locks that are sturdier and more resistant to bumping and picking. Bump proof locks come in all sizes, shapes, and finishes. Some can be retrofitted into your existing lockset. Burglars go for easy targets; don’t let your house stay one!

Do you have questions about your home locks? Call Pop-A-Lock Jacksonville today for a home security audit. We are a full-service automotive, residential, and commercial locksmith in Jacksonville!

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10 Must-Do Things to Protect Your House Over the Holidays

December 5th, 2011 by Jennifer
The real Grinch who steals Christmas isn’t a sneering, green book character: it’s the burglar who targets your home around the holidays. According to the FBI, every year there are over 400,000 burglaries in November and December alone. Why are thieves so active over the holidays? Two reasons: 1) many people travel during these months, leaving behind empty houses, and 2) the high value gifts you bought for your friends and family can be stolen and resold.
If you’re away from home for the holidays, here are 10 must-do things to keep your celebrations Grinch-free and your home safe from burglars. And if you’re staying put this winter, keep in mind that all of these tips are great any time you leave your house for more than a day or two.
  1. Keep valuables out of sight. Be careful where you put your collectibles, gadgets and wrapped presents. If they can easily be seen from a window, move them out of sight. Not only are they targets, but they also tell burglars that your house contains more valuables. On the same note, be careful disposing of boxes from expensive items like plasma TVs and other gadgets. Don’t just leave them out on the curb for anyone to see. Break them down and turn them inside out.
  2. Fix your outdoor lighting and trim your hedges before leaving. Both increase visibility, which burglars hate. Replace any burned out lightbulbs and tidy hedges and low tree limbs to reduce access and cover.
  3. Activate your burglar alarm. Monitored alarms that are alert authorities — not just make noise — are effective deterrents and a good investment.
  4. Beef up your window security. Your windows are one of the most vulnerable parts of your house. Unlike doors, windows typically do not have strong locks.  A residential locksmith can give you an idea of what options are available for securing your windows.
  5. Stop your mail and newspaper delivery. Nothing screams ‘empty house’ like a bunch of newspapers piled up on the driveway.
  6. Arrange for your driveway to be plowed regularly if you live in a snowy area. Here in Florida, snow doesn’t tend to be an issue. But if you’re in a colder climate, a snowy driveway is a dead giveaway that no one’s home.
  7. Keep quiet on Facebook or Twitter. It’s tempting to post about your upcoming trip, but unless your security settings are high, your posts are visible to the public. Don’t make assumptions about who might or might not be reading. A burglar who knows that your whole family will be in another state for Christmas is much more likely to target your house.
  8. Put your appliances on timers to make it appear like someone is at home — or better yet, ask a housesitter or friend to stay over part or all of the time. At minimum, get a neighbor to put out your garbage cans on garbage day (and take them back in). The more occupied your house looks, the less attractive it is to a burglar.
  9. Remove your spare key if you keep one outside. It’s really not a good idea to have a spare key under the door mat or a conspicuously fake rock by the front door. Burglars know where to look. However, if you do have a spare key lying around outside, put it away before you leave. And find a better place for it when you come back! Leaving your spare with a trusted neighbor or friend is a much better bet than the door mat.
  10. Lock all your windows and doors before leaving. Obvious, but worth mentioning. Check everything — side doors, sliding doors, garage doors. And leave your phone number with your neighbors if they see anything suspicious in your absence.

Does your home security need a boost for the holidays? Call Pop-A-Lock today at 904-354-8566 for reliable, honest residential locksmith services in Jacksonville. Here’s to a happy and safe holiday season!

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Meet a Pop-A-Lock Jacksonville Locksmith Tech

November 7th, 2011 by Jennifer

Mike Withers of Pop-A-Lock Jacksonville

Ever wonder who might be coming out to your car when you call Pop-A-Lock, your local Jacksonville locksmith? Here’s your chance to meet one of our employees! We’re pleased to announce that Mike Withers has been awarded the 3rd Quarter Customer Service Award. Mike came to us in February and has quickly become a valued member of our Jacksonville team. Mike has many years of experience in the automotive industry, mostly in maintenance and repair. Mike has shown a very keen sense of customer service and stood out from other valued members of our team for the 3rd Quarter of 2011. Congrats, Mike!

Did you know that Pop-A-Lock of Jacksonville provides 24/7 roadside assistance in the greater Jacksonville area? Friendly, experienced techs like Mike come out to your car and offer a full range of roadside services, like tire and battery changes, jump starts, fuel deliveries, and more.  Put our number into your phone today! That’s 904-354-8566.

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5 Warning Signs of Untrustworthy Locksmiths

September 14th, 2011 by Jennifer

In an ideal world, you’d research local locksmith companies and program a reputable one into your phone in case of future emergencies. The side of the road just isn’t the best place for checking out different companies, reading up on customer reviews, and verifying ALOA (Associated Locksmiths of America) membership. However, if you’re locked out and have no choice but to resort to the yellow pages or internet listings, watch out for these 5 warning signs that you’re about to fall for a locksmith scam. Locksmith scams are common all over the country, including in Jacksonville.

Warning Sign #1: The locksmith company answers the phone without saying the company name. Disreputable locksmiths use many false business names, addresses, and phone numbers that all feed into one remote call center. Because there are so many different company names, the person answering your call may only say, “Locksmith.” In contrast, if you call Pop-A-Lock of Jacksonville, our name will be the first thing you hear.

Warning Sign #2: Conspicuously low quotes over the phone or in an ad. It’s a classic bait and switch: a dishonest locksmith company offers you what seems like a great quote so you agree to the service. When the locksmith actually comes out, the initial quote turns out to cover the service call only. The actual labor adds on another $50-$100 (or even more if the locksmith sells you on unnecessary services). If you sense any evasiveness when you ask about pricing on the phone, trust your instincts and try another Jacksonville locksmith that offers firm quotes. Written quotes are even better.

Warning Sign #3: Locksmiths who show up in unmarked cars. An unmarked car is a major red flag that you could be dealing with an untrustworthy locksmith. Shady locksmith companies use out of state call centers but hire local contractors who are often poorly trained, unequipped, and uninsured. An inexperienced technician can cause serious damage to your locks, doors, and windows. A local locksmith company in Jacksonville that provides its technicians with tools, uniforms, and marked cars is a much better bet, not only because you’re likely to enjoy better service, but also because you can hold them accountable if anything goes wrong.

Warning Sign #4: Locksmiths who talk up the price before even starting to work on your lock. Ask about pricing before a locksmith begins to work on your lock. If he’s already tacking on additional fees, you know you’re going to be paying a lot more than you bargained for. Although you might be tempted to just go along with it, keep in mind that bad locksmiths can damage your locks and end up costing you even more money and time. Pop-A-Lock is often called to repair damage done by less trained locksmiths. It’s not too late to dismiss this locksmith and call another.

Warning Sign #5: Locksmiths who want to drill your lock. It’s true that there are cases in which your lock cannot be picked and must be drilled. However, they are relatively rare, and legitimate locksmiths view drilling as a last resort. If a locksmith works on your lock for only a few minutes before declaring that it has to be drilled, don’t let him. Drilling a lock means you’ll have to pay for installing a brand new lock. Get a second opinion instead —  it could save you hundreds of dollars.

Prefer to do things the easy way? Pop-A-Lock of Jacksonville is a locally owned and operated, ALOA certified locksmith in Jacksonville, FL. We’re proud of our transparent pricing and effective locksmith services. Check out what our customers have to say about our services and give us a call at 904-354-8566 if you need help!

Pop-A-Lock – your trusted Jacksonville locksmith.

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Did You Know Pop-A-Lock Locksmith Jacksonville FL Is Over 15 Years Old?

November 10th, 2010 by admin

We here at Pop-A-Lock in Jacksonville were recently remiscing about all the changes we’ve seen over the years.  Since we started here in June of 1995, Jacksonville has gotten to be a much more cosmospolitan place.  It’s hard to believe that the Jacksonville Jaguars football team didn’t even exist when we got started!

Not only has the city of Jacksonville changed, but our organization has changed too.  We got started almost exclusively helping people get back into their cars if they got locked out.  We were so busy in the early days handling that business we never imagined we’d branch into advanced auto locksmith work much less residential locksmith work such as home rekeying jobs and lockouts.  Today we’re a full service locksmith and can truly service almost all locksmith needs from auto to home to business.

But the area we are most proud of is our work with the community via our free EDU program.  With this program we will unlock a child or any person who’s life is in danger for free if they are locked inside a car or house.  Many people are taken aback when they hear us mention this service because they say it can never happen to them, or they think how irresponsible it is for someone else to lock their child in a car.  The truth is that it can happen to anyone, and DOES happen to many people.  We have helped save literally thousands of children from these situations.  And, despite popular misconceptions, none of these situations have been the result of ill will or true irresponsibility.  Things just happen in the course of our busy lives that result in sticky situations like these.  We are proud of the fact that we’ve been able to help so many people.  Over the years, we’ve actually gotten hundreds of thank you’s from people whose lives we’ve helped.  You can see many of these on our Jacksonville locksmith reviews and testimonials page.  In the upcoming months we’re going to attempt to post even more of them from the archives.

Many of the locksmiths who started with us in the early day are still here helping us.  As we reminisce about our own history and all the people we’ve come into contact with, we would truly enjoy hearing from our customers over the past 15 years.  Please send us a note, write a review on one of the review sites out there, or give us a call.  We would appeciate hearing from you.

Time to get back to business.  Please keep an eye on our blog we have some interesting areas of locksmithing we’ll be discussing.

Regards,

The Pop-A-Lock Management Team

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Pop-A-Lock Locksmith Jacksonville Site Is LIVE!

August 24th, 2010 by admin

Pop-A-Lock of Jacksonville is proud to announce that our new website is LIVE.  Come visit us here.  We have expanded our website to explain more fully our entire portfolio of services.

Many people think of us as just being the Jacksonville car locksmith, but we are actually the leading full service 24 hour locksmith in Jacksonville!  We offer full automotive locksmith, residential locksmith and commercial locksmith service.

We also service the entire Jacksonville area, including Jacksonville proper, Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach FL, Neptune Beach FL and Orange Park FL.

Please give us your feedback on the new website.

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