So you are locked out? What are you thinking, smashing a window or kicking down the door? Getting locked out is undoubtedly a very stressful situation that often happens to us. It creates a kind of discomforting situation when you stand at the door with a hand full of groceries and do not get a way to get back to your home.
In a fascinating city like New York, everyone is in a rush all day. And because of a busy schedule, people tend to forget their keys and stuff, leading to lock-outs. It places them in an awful situation. But who do you think can help you escape such situations? So, here is the answer: you can rely on a locksmith for your lock-related requirements. The
home lock-out service in NYC is speedy and helps you get back to your place in no time.
What Is A Home Lockout, And What Are Its Reasons?
A home lock-out is when you cannot unlock the bolt to get inside the apartment. Several reasons can lead to a situation of a lock-out, which are:
Missing Keys
We often forget to pick up our wallets or keys while leaving someplace. As the key is small and lightweight, it usually gets lost or slips out of our pockets or hands, and we realize it when it’s too late.
Forgetting Keys Inside
Many apartments have a system of automatic locks that close the door with a key or without a key. But it creates a situation when you notice that the door is shut, your pocket is empty, and the keys are inside. Not always do the keys get missed or lost, but sometimes we leave them inside the house while locking up.
Broken Or Damaged Keys
The keys might be brass or steel, but they are still not unbreakable. With time the pin of the keys gets worn down, which makes it hard for the key to work with the lock itself. It can also lead to the breaking of keys inside the bolts due to excessive pressure and create the situation of lock-out.
Door Jambs
The temperature of apartments and houses is unpredictable. The changes in moisture or temperature can lead to the contraction and expansion of door frames, making them stuck. Bolts can also be jammed through frequent wear or rust. In such situations, even if your key is in good condition, you still can’t open your door without breaking it.
Read Also:- Commercial Locksmith NYC For Security Needs: Safety Locksmith
Stolen Keys
Sometimes, the keys can be stolen by someone while you forget them sitting around, and in such situations, you are not left with any choice of getting back home.
Home Lock-out Services
The locksmith provides several solutions to deal with lock-outs. The service that will be suitable for your concern depends on the kind of situation you are in. The primary services offered by almost every locksmith are:
Quick Risk-Free Door Opening
Locksmiths have the skill to quickly and safely open doors in a few minutes, no matter what the model is or how complicated the bolt is.
Rekeying Services
The Rekeying service given by a locksmith saves you a lot of money and the hassle of purchasing and installing new bolts.
Advance Keys
The locksmiths also offer advanced and fully functional keys instead of tubular, antique, laser-cut, and standard ones.
Lock Installation
The Locksmiths provide lock installation services for all ordinary or complex doors.
How To Stop Getting Locked Out Of Your Home?
Sometimes the situation of lock-out can be intimidating at times of emergencies. It could also ruin many properties and valuables if the step is not taken timely. So to prevent further chances of getting lock-out in your house, here are several methods that will help you avoid such situations.
Do Double-Check
It is basic but important to check the keys twice while leaving home. Double-checking of keys ensures that you did not forget them inside the house before locking the bolt. It should be like a habit to check it twice for your benefit. Also, you can make a smart move by putting an alarm in your phone to remind you to double-check keys before leaving your place. And if it sounds like a job, you can also hang your keys close to your door, so you can notice them automatically while you leave.
Use An Extra Key
People might not have parts of the bolts but keeping the spares of keys is one of the major things that can help us in situations like lock-outs. So firstly, visit the nearby locksmith and get a spare key for the original one. This duplicate key will help you gain access to your home if you lose the original one.
Keep The Extra Key In A Lockbox
We often keep the extra keys outside our homes to avoid lock-out situations. And if we lose the key, we can easily access our house from that other key. But keeping the key outside at some place does not assure us of our safety. Nowadays, burglars are fully aware of the places where people hide their keys outside of their homes, and they check on those selected places to get access to your space.
So rather than placing keys outside at random places, please keep them in a lockbox and ensure every member of your house knows the code or combination to unlock it. This lockbox will allow emergency access and provide security from intruders.
Give Key Someone You Trust
Giving an extra key to your neighbor or the person you trust can also help you during lock-outs. It would be best if you gave the spare key to such a person whom you can fully trust and rely on. They can also look after your house if you are not home or have gone on holidays or vacations. But make sure the person should be trustable; if you have mixed thoughts about that person, don’t hand over the key to your space to him and instead go for another solution.
Keep A Key Finder
If you have a memory problem or don’t remember things for too long, you can keep a key finder with you. The phone app, the sound of clapping, or your voice can activate these key finders. It will help you when you get locked out of your home.
Cleaning Of The Bolts
The exterior of the locks looks fine all the time, but the interior of the bolts needs maintenance to work smoothly. Lubricating the door bolts is one of the essential things one can do for its maintenance. You have to spray a small amount of lubricant at the key pin area and then move the key gently in all directions. Every time you will move the key in and out, each time the debris gets removed. Try to do this procedure minimum of once a year for the smooth functionality of locks.
Use A Smart Bolt
The most secure thing you can do is change your locks with smart or keyless locks. These advanced keys don’t need any keys to open doors; instead, they work with a combination lock or fingerprint lock. This way, you don’t have to worry about keys and their misplacement.
Have A Trustable Locksmith Ahead Of Time
It is better to have contact with a close and trustable locksmith so that you can immediately reach him during a lock-out emergency. Because no one knows what can happen next, we always have to be prepared for such emergencies. Keeping contact with a trustable locksmith can save your efforts, time, and stress in such situations.
How Much Does A Locksmith Cost?
The costs one can expect to pay for a locksmith service depend on some factors; let’s read about them.
Type Of Locksmith Service
Not all locksmith offers all services; some work for a specific concern, while others cover all possible locksmith needs, such as rekeying, changing locks, and installation services. Based on the complication of the project and the need for integrations and drilling, you might need to find a professional locksmith. You usually expect to pay around $100 to $250 for fast and easy service. The cost can rise with the advancement of locks.
Emergency Call Charges
Most of the locksmiths serve full day. But if you book them for help during off hours like on holidays, nights and weekends, you might have to pay more than the usual hours. For instance, you have returned to your home late at night, and you lost your keys on your way. In such a situation, reaching out to a locksmith can cost you more. It can cost you around $150 to $260.
Location Charges
If you live out of the city or in a rural area, then calling out a locksmith in that area can be costly as it comes outside the location of their regular service. You can be charged between $50 to $100 for his travel charges to your home. That is the reason it is better to reach a locksmith in your local area so that you don’t have to pay more than the actual service cost.
Prime Hours
Some portions of the day are indeed much busier for locksmiths than regular days like morning or evening. These are the peak times when people find out they have lost their keys or cannot find them. That is why in such situations finding locksmiths are very difficult as they all are mostly busy somewhere. You can expect to pay around $150, which is more than the usual charge.
Electronic vs. Ordinary Locks
If you are considering replacing your traditional lock with the electronic one, it can cost you around $150 per bolt. It is because electronic locks are advanced ones that allow the door to open by keypad system, not with a key. Hence, installing these upgraded bolts costs you more than the regular ones.
Conclusion
Being locked out is a common issue that often happens to everyone, even the most cautious adults. It can be caused by either carelessness or because of other causes. But like every other problem, this problem has a solution or a way of getting out of it. Reaching the home lock-out service is the first thing to help you escape such an awful situation and get peace again.
So if you ever get stuck in such a terrible situation, you can consider Safety Locksmith for your help. Our team has filled with expert locksmiths that offer full-time lock-out services for your comfort. To avail of our services in future emergencies, contact us at 212-534-7547, or mail us at info@safetylocksmith.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
The two main things one should consider before hiring any locksmith are the budget and your issue with the lock. You should be clear about whether you want to rekey the locks or you want new bolts, as it can save you major time at the time of the locksmith’s arrival. Also, you can take the suggestions of the locksmith about what you should do with the lock.
An expert and licensed locksmith have the tools and techniques to handle and solve every lock-related issue. They present for you 24/7 to help you out in difficult situations. Hiring them can save a significant portion of your time in an emergency. And also, they are one call away from you, so you can easily rely on them for your needs.
The home lock-out service in NYC charges from $75 to $200 for a house lock-out, depending on whether you want to rekey, open, or modify the entire lock. The lock-out usually charges $80 to $100, while changing the lock and rekeying costs between $100 and $200 on average.
Lock Rekeying is replacing the key pin with new ones inside a bolt mechanism, making the older keys unusable for future use. That means the bolt will stay the same, but the keys will get replaced with new ones.
It depends on your specific requirements, budgets, and expectations. If you are in a place where you have lost the keys or it has been stolen, then changing the bolts is the option to go for your security. Although, changing the latch is not always essential or practical cost-wise. The pins inside the bolts are comparatively very affordable, which makes it a simpler, quicker, and inexpensive method of enhancing additional security to your space.