A quick opening of the lock by a professional
Have you ever lost your keys or misplaced them? It can happen to anyone, and it's something you can and should prepare for in advance. Lock-related problems are almost always an on-call job for a locksmith, so hiring a locksmith can sink a considerable amount of money in no time. In this article, we'll cover the most common lock-related problems and, of course, how you can prepare for them in advance.
Most common reasons for opening a lock
One of the most common reasons for being locked out is simply that the keys have been left either inside the home or in the wrong place, such as at work or at a friend's house. This type of forgetfulness happens to children and adults alike, and is a fairly common problem. Sometimes it is possible to retrieve a lost key, but this is not always possible for practical reasons. In building societies, a caretaker can open the door, but even in the evenings and at weekends their work is not free.
A similar problem arises if the key is lost or stolen. Losing a key can be very costly, as you may have to reset the keys to the whole house. With modern electronic locks, you can disable a lost key and get a new one, but that is not free. It is very important that even large families know which key is used by whom and agree on a common policy on spare keys.
If the key breaks off in the lock, the door will still not open. It is best to leave the removal of a broken key to professionals, so that the lock is not damaged by the removal attempt. There are locksmiths on call around the clock, but they may not be located close to your home. In such a situation, you are likely to have to wait a while for help, and the distance will of course add to the cost of the service.
Avoid expensive lock picking
Every person should have at least one spare key in their home. It is not advisable to keep a spare key inside the home, as it will not help in the event that keys are lost or stolen. Placing a spare key under the doormat or in a flowerpot by the door is a solution familiar to many people from the movies, but in reality these hiding places are also very easy for uninvited guests. So don't store your spare key immediately outside your front door for long. Leaving the door unlocked is not a good solution either, although perhaps even in rural Finland this may still be the case today.
If you know your neighbour spends quite a lot of time at home, it's worth giving them a spare key. That way, help is at least physically close at hand in a moment of need. You can also give a spare key to a relative or friend, but it's important to remember that a spare key is most useful when it's readily available if you lose yours.
A house key is by no means the only key people carry with them. Keys for transport and work are equally valuable cargo to look after. A spare car key should be kept separate from the main key, and a good place to keep it is in the hallway of your home, for example.