On my daily routine as a mobile locksmith I come across all kinds of customers. Some people call us for emergency service since they either locked themselves out or lost their keys while others call because they just moved into a new home and want to replace their locks. But lately we have been receiving “educated” consumers. I say “educated” because there is a few things that one should learn before replacing his or her locks, because a lock is a generic term just as a car is. You don’t just buy any car, you choose a car after learning which has good value and fits your needs. The same should be with the lock on your front door which protects you, your valuables and your loved ones as well.
In 95% of the times I see a customer, I am not surprised to see they have the same “standard” locks as almost everyone has on their home. These locks are made of the cheapest material; some are even made of plastic! These locks are usually purchased at the large hardware vendors for as little as $5 each. As an emergency locksmith this is great, I don’t have any difficulty at all unlocking any customer’s door. What about a burglar? Does he have it easy as well? The answer is a capital Yes!
This is where high security locks play a roll. The high security brand we offer here at A & A is Mul-T-Lock. This brand carries a solid reputation for over three decades now and provides the best security for any home or business owner. So what’s so special about these locks? Well for starters the build quality is exceptional; they are made of solid brass rather than hollow tin like your standard common lock. The deadbolt which is one of the most popular products we sell has a bolt which retracts a complete inch within your door frame. In addition this bolt has ball bearings on both sides of it which interlock with the frame, making it difficult to pry open even with a crow bar. There are steel inserts placed strategically to prevent from drilling the lock. The entire mechanism is shielded with a metal cover to prevent “ice picking”; this is when one would insert an object between the lock and the door to manipulate the mechanism. This lock is virtually impossible to pick, and even if possible, great skill and very special tools would be required.
One of the most important features these high security locks provide is that they are resistant to the infamous bump key. While most common locks can be picked and bump keyed quite easily, these locks will defy such attempts. The cylinders have telescopic pins rather than regular pins; this means each pin is actually two pins, one within another.
Another special feature is of course the keys for these high security locks. The keys can only be duplicated by the owner of the lock. When you purchase a high security lock you will receive a special card which reminds a bit of a credit card. You will sign your signature on the back of this card and from that point on, making copies of your key will only be made by you while presenting this card along with a photo ID to an authorized dealer. What this means is key control. You can feel safe giving your babysitter or maid a key and knowing that once they return your key, you can rest assure that no unauthorized copies have been made. You can sleep well knowing that there are no copies of your keys floating around. This is also great for business owners who want to make sure only they have the keys to their store or office.
The variety of locks and cylinders allow us to offer you this high security solution to pretty much any set up you may have, in other words we can retrofit a lot of unique lock mechanisms with a high security cylinder.
Last but not least, these locks do come with a lifetime mechanical warranty which just shows how sure the manufacturer is of the reliability of their products. As far as pricing, these locks are without a doubt much more expensive than your common lock, but then again most common locks don’t really offer much security either. If someone is really determined to break into your property they will succeed, but keep in mind that most break ins are not by professionals and are usually random. Statistics say that most common burglars will move on if they can’t break in within less than 2 minutes. For those of you who are saying “well, I have an alarm system”, keep in mind that having an alarm system is only good if want to make an insurance claim for your stolen goods; An alarm system won’t help protect you and your loved ones, good security begins with a good lock.
- Exceptional build quality
- Can resist most forced entry attacks
- Will resist any attempt at lock picking
- Virtually Bump Proof
- Key Control – Only you can authorize copies of your key
- Flexibility - Variety of cylinders that can be fitted into most lock mechanisms
- Lifetime Mechanical Warranty
