Keyless entry for home; pros and cons

You’ve heard of keyless entry for cars, but did you know that keyless entry is also great for homes, as well? There are many pros and cons to using this technology at your place of residence and that’s why Surprise Secure Locksmith made this post – so that you can see for yourself if home keyless entry systems are right for you!

Why is keyless entry becoming so popular not only here in Surprise, AZ but everywhere else? Because it is fast, convenient, and best of all; it works! Keys can break, and become stuck or lost. They can be stolen, damaged and be hard (and expensive) to replace. With keyless locks, you bypass the traditional key with the metal grooved blade and the rounded head. Instead, you enter a number sequence into a keypad and you are in! No keys to lose or worry about breakage or theft!

There are many forms of keyless entry. You can punch in numbers to a keypad. Or, you can swipe a badge or plastic card with a magnetic strip on the back. Now, you can even use fingerprint technology and even a retina scanner in some applications. Keyless entry has taken off like gangbusters in commercial locations. Banks, hospitals, hotels, museums, government offices, medical clinics, credit unions and even grocery stores have been effectively using it for years.

Keyless entry at home

At first, having keyless entry at home may seem odd. We are so conditioned to drive up to the house and find the house key in preparation to go inside. With keyless entry, that is now changed. Just swipe your entry card or enter a number code into your keypad and you’re done. Now, you can go for that run with the dog and just enjoy your outing without having to lug a cumbersome key ring along with you. Now, you can get inside even though your arms are filled with grocery bags (or pizza boxes!) and you only need a finger to access your home instead of fumbling around for your set of keys.

More benefits

Remember that key you hide under the door mat? Our Surprise, AZ locksmiths have never liked that idea. This is the first place a home burglar will look, along with the flower pot next to the door! When you use keyless technology you can dispense with all that and just punch your code in, instead.

Do you vacation? Instead of giving a key to the house sitter or summer renter, just give them an alternate key code that is just for them. You can always change it once you get back.

Do you want to restrict access to your home? The “old” traditional method of rekeying the locks can get expensive when it’s done again and again. An easier way is to simply re-program your keypad so that the previously allowed number codes no longer work and only the ones do.

Are you selling your home and don’t want to mess with a lock box installed in your front yard? Simply give a key code to the realtor and have him or her use it for open houses or for showing. You can use a different number sequence for contractors, plumbers, loan officers and repairmen. Your only requirement is to remember to change the code later – you don’t want carpet cleaners waltzing into your home unexpected!

Some drawbacks

So far, keyless technology for home use sounds great. In our post title, we mention pros and “cons” so what are the drawbacks? To be fair, everything has benefits and drawbacks, including not using keys.

Forgetting – hey, we all do it! No matter how often you use or recite your key code or number sequence, you can still forget it! In today’s busy world of multi-tasking and hectic schedules, it can be easy to simply not remember what your entry code to your keypad is. Writing it down can make the problem worse! Imagine losing the paper or having it fall into the wrong hands – you might as well give out a copy of your key!

Power failure – keypads run on power. Power goes out once in a while. This is not a problem when a battery backup is included but if it’s not; beware! You might be locked out of your home until the electricity returns!

Wrong entries – what happens when you type your bank password incorrectly too many times? You get locked out for a spell! The same applies to residential keyless entry. This consequence is designed for your own good as you don’t want a burglar standing outside your door entering dozens of random numbers in an effort to get inside. Many systems will lock up and some even alert security or the police!

Find out more!

You’ve read this far so if you are interested in learning more about residential keyless entry we encourage you to make some inquiries. You are welcome to call Surprise Locksmith or any other local Surprise, AZ lock and key firm. Get additional details as well as free price quotes. Check review on keyless entry systems on Amazon and by doing some online searches on Google, Bing or Yahoo.

If you work with a locksmith shop, be sure that they are full service residential lock specialists offering keyless lock technology from the quality brands only. Some of the best and most trusted national lock brands include Medeco, Baldwin, Primus, Schlage, Kaba, Yale, Falcon, ASSA, Kwikset, Abloy and Master. Their products are not expensive but they are effective. Remember, we are talking about your front door locks and your home security overall. Go with the best and expect the best. Make sure that the Surprise, AZ lock shop you work with also offers round the clock emergency service. If your keyless entry system is damaged, breaks down, or stops working you’ll want 24/7 fast response experts to make everything right again as soon as possible. As a last precaution, save their phone number to every smart phone in your home for handy access if needed!

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DO YOU WANT TO ENHANCE YOUR HOME SECURITY? HERE’S WHY LOCKS WITH MASTER PINS ARE A LOUSY IDEA AT YOUR PLACE

A master key lock is a pin-tumbler lock allowing a lock to open with two or more various keys. Master pins are utilized to pin up locks so that one master key will function in the lock, as well as a change key. This is what’s usually used in door locks in buildings with numerous occupants, such as hotels, apartment houses, storage facilities, and businesses. All tenants are given a key that unlocks only their own door, called a change key. The master key unlocks all the doors in the building.

At an elementary school, for example, the custodian often has a master key that will function in every classroom, but each teacher will have a change key, which works only for a specific classroom. There are also subordinate master keys, which typically open every room on one floor of a dormitory or office building. Moreover, a grand master key will open all of the rooms in a whole office building, hotel, or dormitory. There’s also a great grand master key, which will open all the doors for an entire college campus, or every single office in a commercial building complex. The higher you go, the more intricate it becomes. Overall, the lock’s pin stacks have multiple key pins and master wafers above the key pins, allowing several keys to function in one lock.

By contrast, a residential lock at your home is different. It has only one shear line, which means that there’s one possibility only for the split to occur between the driver pins and the key pins and the ~ so only one unique key will work. If you were to introduce master pins into the pin stacks, you would have at least two shear lines for each pin stack with a master pin installed. Essentially, that means you just shouldn’t do it, because there will be more ways for a criminal to pick the lock, since there are more possibilities of creating a shear line. In a master-keyed lock, all, or at least some, of the pin stacks in the lock have three pins rather than two. Between the driver pin and the key pin is a third pin, referred to as the spacer pin. Each pin line has two shear points, one where the spacer pins and driver meet, and one where the key pins and spacer meet. The lock opens with two keys: One key aligns the first set of shear points, and the other key aligns the second set. These locks are manufactured so that one set of shear points is unique for each lock, while the second set is identical for all the locks. A more secure kind of lock mechanism has two discrete tumblers, each of which is opened by one key.

A typical method professional thieves apply is snap guns and lock bumping. A standard pin tumbler lock by itself is susceptible to lock picking. To prevent this from happening, superior-security cylinders contain specialized security pins, which are designed to catch in the lock cylinder if a snap gun or bump key is used, thus making it much harder for a crook to break in.

You can upgrade your locks. Explore your many options first. As any professional locksmith in Surprise, AZ will tell you, deadbolts are a good way to increase your security at your home. A deadbolt lock is, hands down, better than a basic lock. There are actually many different kinds of deadbolts. You may desire a deadbolt with an interior thumbturn, which you can operate without grasping. You may want to look into a bump-proof lock or combination door lock.

You can augment your security, right away. A burglar often acts from convenience. So if any lock has an obvious weakness, it will be an easy target. Some locks are less difficult to bump or pick, and others are nearly impossible to penetrate. Combination locks and padlocks are particularly vulnerable. No home can ever be completely impermeable, but anywhere you are, you can take reasonable measures to improve your security.

There is an almost endless list of various sorts of locks, so you cannot actually ever know about them all. Therefore, before you install locks, do your homework. It’s also smart to bring your questions to an expert locksmith you can trust, who can advise you on all your property’s security issues. If you reside in Surprise, Arizona, consider choosing an accomplished mobile residential locksmith specialist such as those on staff at Surprise Secure Locksmith.

Go high-tech. Is it time to go digital? You can choose to replace all traditional locks with electronic door locks. It’s an excellent way to secure your home, and it doesn’t require any keys whatsoever. Keyless locks offer new horizons today in security technology. They work with remotes; with keypads; with an alarm system with a remote code; from your smart device; and even with biometrics (eye scans, fingerprints, hand prints, and so on). New innovations continue, which could soon become commonplace ~ such as voice recognition, ear scans, and even DNA sampling and heartbeat recognition! The systems that function with your smart device are ideal when you are on vacation, because you can monitor all activity while you’re gone, and be alerted immediately at any sign of trespass. You may want to put timers on radios, TVs, lights, and so forth, to make it appear that you are still home, an effective way to prevent a robbery.

Most keyless systems give you attractive features providing added convenience and safety. When you get accustomed to the system that’s right for you, keyless locks are relatively easy to use. They’re also ideal for kids, since your children often forget their keys, but they can usually recall a simple code number you can all agree upon. Or, if you’re frustrated because you’re always misplacing your keys, then perhaps you’ll want to decide to go keyless.

Aricle source here: DO YOU WANT TO ENHANCE YOUR HOME SECURITY? HERE’S WHY LOCKS WITH MASTER PINS ARE A LOUSY IDEA AT YOUR PLACE