Indicators of Forced Entry Into Homes

When you come home from work and find that somebody has been in your home, you panic.  What makes this type of situation even more frightening is when you see no clear indications that a break-in occurred.  If you know that an unauthorized person has been in your home, but there is no visible door or window breakage, you should look for and consider the following things.

1.  Has your door been "credit-carded"?  The scenes you see in the movies are real when it comes to this type of illegal entry.  In fact, most home door locks can be "credit-carded."  This, however, is usually only true for the knob or lever lock and not the deadbolt.  However, most contractors are not installing deadbolts correctly.  Because they are not drilling out the deadbolt bolt hole in the frame, the deadbolts are not fully locking.  This means that a talented crook can slide something between the door and the jamb and push the bolt back.  Make sure your deadbolts are being fully locked into position when the bolts enter the jamb.  The hole should be at least one inch deep.
2. Check the painted jambs and weather stripping on the outside of your doors.  Is the paint scratched off?  If so, that means somebody has been trying to pry your locks open.  If you have any doubts, and if the damage looks old, repaint the door and jamb and check from time to time to see if any paint has been broken away by a potential burglar.
3. Check your roll up garage doors for any sign of prying. These can be pried up.  Then check the inside man door that lead from the garage to the kitchen area for signs of prying.
4. If you suspect that somebody is using a key to gain entrance into your home, re-key the locks immediately.

Wooden Door Jamb Is Split

Everyday, I see door jambs that are split. If your door jamb is split, you will see a crack running up or down your door, emanating from the lock strike. This means that somebody has kicked you door in. If you own a new home, you can visually inspect your door to see if there is some unevenness in the paint or wood. This will tell if a split door jamb has been repaired. It must be noted here that, if a split door jamb has been put together using only wood glue, the jamb has lost integrity. Not that it had much to begin with anyway!

Consider asking your locksmith or handyman to install door jamb armor. Door jamb armor is a strip of painted metal that can be installed over the cracked wood in your jamb. Once this armor has been set in place, it is held there by extra-long screws which enter the jamb deep enough to sink into the stud behind the door jamb. This kind of installation not only properly repairs you door, but makes it more difficult for burglars to gain entrance into your home by kicking in the door.

Some companies sell what they call wraps that are installed under your locks and give the door more integrity. However, if your door is going to be seen by company, then I would not use wraps, because they never look good installed.

After you have your door armor installed, you can install an Exit Security Inc. Ring Bolt on the inside of the door. This device is said to hold up against 800 pounds of push force.

You can find door jamb enforcers at any local hardware store. Just go to the lock hardware section and ask the salesperson for help.

My Deadbolt Key Turns But Nothing Happens

If your key just spins around in your deadbolt without activating the bolt, then the tailpiece of the deadbolt is probably broken. If your lock is a Kwikset deadbolt, the clip that holds the tailpiece may have been thrown due to lack of lubrication. There is also a chance that the clip has shattered, though more than likely the clip just slipped off. Here is what to do:

1. Remove the deadbolt. If it is a Kwikset, it can only go on one way.
2. Check the clips and tail piece. If the clip is still barely in place, then the clip just needs to be pushed back into place. Shoot it with WD-40. Reinstall.

If you have any other brand that does not use a clip, you will notice that the tailpiece has been sheared off at the cylinder. Deadbolts are east to install. Go to Lowe's and ask the attendant to give you a deadbolt and have him match it to your old key.

Often, Kwikset clips come off because of lack of lubrication. Sometimes it is caused by a poorly placed drilled hole in the latch area. If you suspect that the installation holes were improperly drilled, buy a new type of deadbolt that utilizes a different style tailpiece. Go to the locksmith store and request a US Lock or LSDA deadbolt. These can be keyed to Schlage or Kwikset/Callin. Whereas Kwikset requires a near perfect hole cut out in order to work smoothly, the LSDA and US Lock residential deadbolts are designed to operate even if the doors are not drilled dead on.

My Door Knob Unlocks Itself! Testing The Kwikset & Callin Lock For Integrity

If your house doors have Kwikset or Callin locks, do know that, over time, the return springs break. Of course, if you turn your knob it will spring back into place because the latch spring is activating; but it will be a weak return and anybody will be able to open your door even if you lock it. If you suspect that your house lock is unlocking itself, or becoming unlocked when it is locked, here is a simple test you can conduct.

1. Lock the knob or lever.
2. From the outside, try to open the lever or lock by turning it hard and quickly form left to right about ten or twenty times. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.
3. If the return spring is broken, the lock will unlock itself, allowing you to enter.

The danger in this is that your lock will be locked when you lock it, and you will think you are safe; but quick jiggles will unlock it from the outside. Any stranger who discovers this will have easy access to your home and you will never know it.

Just take your key down to the hardware store, ask the man in the lock department to provide you with another lock and ask him to key the lock up to your old key.While you are there, ask him to show you how to remove and install the new lock.

Make Part-Time Money Repairing and Re-Keying House Locks

It isn't as hard as you think! In fact, if you would like to do two or three house re-key jobs each month, you could be taking home $300 or more! Who couldn't use an extra $300? In my book, The "Dollar-A-Minute Locksmith", I show you how you can tap into this lucrative market; and my book shows you why you shouldn't be afraid. Believe it or not, making money on your own is as easy as doing a job for someone and then asking for payment.

My book covers most, if not all, scenarios you will encounter on a house lock call. Everything from latch replacement, re-keying, door hinge issues, dead bolt installations, and more. This whole thing is really very simple. I also talk about the paperwork side of the business, equipment needs, advertising, and licensing. Licensing is a pain in the backside, to be sure, but most states do not regulate locksmiths. This book shows you the picture and the explains the steps to make it happen. This book will answer most of your questions and make you comfortable in taking the next step: tools and business cards.

Although I do recommend that you buy a $800 key copying machine, I believe you can still do lock work without one. All you need to do is to go by a better hardware store and get copies made from original keys. It is that easy.

My 54 page spiral bound book is a small investment if you would like to explore this business. You can begin with homes and, later, move on to businesses. I also recommend some DVDs you can buy online that show you how to re-key locks. If the truth be known, house re-keys and lock repair is easy. Today, I drilled out one house dead bolt, replaced it, re-keyed three other locks, and walked away with $154. The deadbolt was $10. My take for 20 minutes worth of work was $144.

This book is $40. And that includes USPS Priority shipping. This book cost me $10 to print. Then I have to ship it. Oh, and I also spent a while writing it. 

No, this book is not returnable for any reason. There is no reason for me to send you this 23 year experience only to have you read it, copy it, and ask for a refund.  Email me at abestlocksmith@gmail.com or call me at 615-308-6794. We can discuss payment by phone or you can mail a check. If you have any questions about locksmith work, please send it to this blog.

The Deadbolt On Your Door Will Not Keep You Safe

I do not know how may times I have seen residential doors easily kicked open, even when they have deadbolts. Of course, you should have deadbolts on your doors in order to keep neighbors from using their credit cards to slip your knob open; and most neighbors will stop short of kicking your door down. But do understand that, if you have a back door that is obstructed from view, then a burglar will go for that door and he will kick it in. Also remember that 1 in 5 homes will experience a home invasion.

To date, the only cost-effective device you can use to make a door kick-in attack unlikely, is A-Best Locksmith's Secure Bolt pictured above. This product is said to be tested to hold up to 800 pounds of force. Granted, you cannot leave for work from your front door and hook this Bolt on the way out. But you can have them in place on your garage and rear doors. Hopefully, your front door is visible to neighbors. When you are home, this bolt can secure every door, making you as secure as you can be from a home invasion. In the event you hear somebody trying to come through one of your doors, you will have ample time to prepare. In fact, I doubt if anybody can get past this device without spending a large amount time ripping the door frame out! With this bolt, you should consider an alarm and motion sensor activated lights above each door to your home. If you live in an apartment complex, you simply cannot afford to not have this product.

A-Best Locksmith can install this on your door for $60 each plus a service call of $50. (Murfreesboro, Nashville, Manchester, Tullahoma, Shelbyville, Mt Juliet, and Lebanon, TN.) If you would like to order this product over the phone, your cost is $29 each. Bulk rates are available for apartment complexes. Call David at 615-308-6794. Flat rate shipping of $10.95 USPS. Visa and Master Card accepted.

Home Invasion Alert Devices

Strobe Alarm

Here is the type of product you should consider using in your home. It is said that one in every five homes will experience a home invasion. What is a home invasion? A home invasion is not a burglary. A home invasion occurs when you are at home. I have known people who have experienced home invasions. Let us just say that you do not want to wake up in the night with somebody standing over your bed.

I like the concept of a stand-alone motion-activated alarm. Such a product is not wired into your home alarm system, which you never use anyway, and is completely self-contained and battery-operated. In the event you are sleeping, and an intruder walks by this device, he or she will be met with a 105 decibel siren. The intruder will assume the alarm is coming from the home integrated alarm and will flee. This alarm will also wake you up and enable you to get your very large, $50 group-spraying mace device or weapon. Here are a few tips on placing such an alarm.

1. Put it low enough to detect a person, but high enough to ignore pets.
2. Put it in the hallway far enough away from your bedroom so you will have more time to react.
3. Consider placing the alarm in multiple locations near entry ways.

I like the strobe motion alarm concept offered by Streetwise on Amazon.com. It comes with a remote. However, at $21, I wonder if it is too cheap; but, then again, technology is getting cheaper! Just search the web for "portable motion alarm" and you will see the available products. There are also stand-alone units that have auto-dialers as well. Remember that you get what you pay for!

Life & Property Protection Using Stand-Alone Hidden DVR Recorders

Purchasing and installing a hardwired camera system is something most people know nothing about; and, even if they did, they would find the costs of such a system a bit pricey. However, there is a way for you to protect yourself, your home, and your business without calling a professional camera installation company. In fact, you can purchase a motion-activated DVR video recording device that is completely contained in something as small as a fake smoke detector or Kleenex box! If you want to access what your camera recorded while you were away, or what it recorded when your home was being invaded, you would simply insert a flash drive into the device and download the recording to your computer.

Pictured above is an amazing hidden camera.  It looks just like an air ionizer. It sells for $499. It is available for your research at Brickhouse Security on the web.  However, there are less expensive models and types that are available. Just surf the web! But, the "ionizer" is just one example of many different ways a hidden camera can be hidden. I would, however, avoid a fake hidden camera that is installed in an item a thief would like to have, like a DVD player! Believe me when I tell you that companies make hidden cameras in DVD players. Go figure. Anyway, here are the specifications of this product as listed by Brickhouse Security:


Features:

• Records day or night
• Nightvision for when light drops recording below .5 Lux
• Nightvision records up to 20 ft. away
• Motion-activated MPEG 4 video
• SD card reader included
• Time/Date stamp
• Playback directly on unit or remove SD card and play on monitor/TV 

Every home and business should consider adding such a device to the building security program. Not only will you be able to see who is entering your home when you are gone, but you will catch thieves, cheating spouses, and housemaids looking for the painkillers! Be sure to search all the different kinds of items cameras can be hidden in!

Home Invasion Prevention

It has been said that one in five homes have experienced a home invasion. A home invasion is not like a burglary, which takes place when you are away. A home invasion is when someone comes into your home when you are there. Let's face it: none of us is immune to having our home invaded. It does not mater what neighborhood you live in, either. Upscale or slum, you are a target.

I have one female client in Murfreesboro, TN, who had a few home invasions. When she moved into her new home, which was a foreclosure property, she never had the locks changed. For a period of 6 months, she had this feeling that someone was entering her home. One evening, while she was sleeping, someone entered her home with a key. What woke her up was the sound of the creaking rail leading up the stairs. Luckily, she awoke and startled the invader, who fled. Now, imagine being a single woman and waking up with a man standing over you.

Here are some precautions you need to take.

1. Always have your house locks re-keyed when you move in and never leave a key outside under one of those fake-looking rocks. Criminals know where all the hiding places are.
2. Get a dog or make it look like you have have a dog by putting a beat up dog food bowl at the front and rear doors.
3. Get motion-activated lights put up on the front, rear, and sides of your home.
4. You can get a house alarm, but not everyone can afford one. Instead, get a stand-alone, motion-activated, infrared alarm. This would be a portable alarm. If you sleep upstairs, put it at on the wall where an intruder would begin to ascend the steps. You can check out the Infrared Portable Motion Alarm (HS5300) Digital Keypad 105db Siren online. In fact, I think Lowe's sells one for $27. Also, go online and buy the big mace sprayer. This unit is huge, costs around $50, but will take out a bunch of people quickly. When your motion alarm goes off, grab your mace, head for the stairs and, if the criminal is still there, hose him down. 
5. Make sure you have deadbolts; but do not rely on them. They can be easily kicked in. I will soon be offering an invasion deterrent lock on this site.
6. If you would like, take a self-defense course and weapons training. The best home defense weapon is the shortened 12 gauge shotgun. I would recommend the new Keltec semi-automatic shotgun. I think it has 18 shots and fires just as fast as you can pull the trigger!
7. Install a nanny-cam self-contained DVR camera. They come in different configurations. You can even get one that looks like a tissue container. These devices are motion-activated, coming on only when they detect motion.

"How can I make my home less of a burglary target?"

First, install deadbolts. Second, get a dog or make it look like you have a dog by putting a dogfood bowl by your most vulnerable entries.  Third, get an alarm system and use window stickers that indicate you have an alarm. If you cannot afford the alarm, get the stickers. You can also have a neighbor park one of their cars in your driveway if you will be away from home for any length of time. Of course, do not forget the light timers.  If you can implement these ideas, a burglar will just move on.  If, however, you still experience a break-in, consider the possibility that you were burgled by someone who knows you and your plans.