Garage Door Locks and the Additional Security They Provide

If you live in Atlanta, GA, and you never considered adding a lock to your garage, now is the time to do so.

Whether you are heading away for vacation and need to ensure that everything is locked up and protected, or you tend to work long hours during the week, having properly installed security mechanisms in your property – and especially your garage – will spare you from any unnecessary worries. 

You see, we would like to believe that door openers are enough to keep a garage secure. But even the best designed openers could backfire on you as nothing is ever 100% fool proof.

Would adding a garage door lock help prevent the worst case scenarios? At Atlanta Fast Locksmith, we certainly believe so. Read through as we explain in more detail the importance of installing garage door looks into your Atlanta, GA property.

When door openers fail, your locks will keep you secure 

Like we said, garage door locks are an essential addition to any property’s protection. Essentially, these will serve as an additional security mechanism in case any criminals manage to override your garage door opener’s control code. 

Garage door technologies are always evolving to respond to system vulnerabilities. When automatic door openers were first introduced, door codes had a limited set of combinations. What that meant was that it only took a few tries for thieves to start replicating these codes and using them to their own advantage. Thieves would drive around with a remote, pushing the button until a door finally responded to the code and then looting the property without a second thought.  

To counteract this initial fault, garage door opener manufacturers introduced rolling codes, which constantly change (or roll over) to prevent thieves from replicating them. Which is great – but there are still workarounds to the current system. For example, criminals could still exploit your garage door’s emergency release, or they could pry their way into faulty door openers. 

This is where the added security from a garage door lock comes in. Even if a burglar is able to activate your opener, the locks will ensure that your Atlanta, GA, property is well protected. 

Locks will give you more control over your property’s security

This is a given with all types of security mechanisms, but is especially true for garage door locks. 

Think about it: the garage is usually the entryway of a property. So it really is a no-brainer that added security for your door should be on top of your priority list. 

With a garage door lock installed, you control who can access your property through your garage. It is up to you to decide who can lock or unlock the door, and how conveniently anyone could do so. This is sure to provide some peace of mind over who has access to your property at any given time. 

Garage door locks are very easy to install 

All it takes to install a lock into your garage are a couple of securing screws and bit of technical expertise to ensure that they are installed correctly. A licensed and insured locksmith will be able to do this for you in matter of minutes, checking that all mechanisms are functioning in the best possible manner. It’s an affordable investment that will make the difference in the long haul.  

There are three types of locks that an Atlanta, GA, based locksmith business may install for you. The most common of those is an opener unit, which prevents the manual opening of a garage door by securing it when it is in the down position. 

Another type of lock is known as the T-handle. These are in installed on the outside of the garage door and need a key to unlock. A security bar installed in the turn handle protects your garage door by locking the door track down, or releasing it open once the key has been turned.   

The last opener type is the side lock. As the name suggests, these very simply slide a bar through the side to lock it. Side locks are very easy to install and prevent anyone from opening your garage door by overriding opener functions. 

How Atlanta Fast Locksmith can help or your local lock and security provider

As we previously mentioned, a credible locksmith service will make sure your new garage door locks are working correctly. But that’s not all that you can get from a locally-based professional.

For instance, the licensed and insured team at Atlanta Fast Locksmith will gladly explain to you the pros and cons of the different garage door locks that you can choose from. We offer free consultations and price quotes to our customers so that they can discuss some options with us and gather all the information that they need about our services. 

If you are happy with our abilities to provide you with exactly what you are looking for, our Atlanta, GA, based team will schedule a time to come and install these for you at your convenience. By then, we would have given you a full walkthrough about our installation procedures and how much they will cost – so it is just a matter of putting everything into action. 

Security matters tend to warrant special attention, so we make sure to provide the best security services promptly. With garage door locks, it is no different. Not only can we quickly install your brand new locks into your Atlanta, GA, property, we can also check any other security issues right there and then upon your request. What’s more, because we are a locally owned and operated locksmith business, our experts can help you out 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, during any kind of lock and key emergencies – whether it is related to your garage door security or otherwise. 

As you can see, garage door locks will provide you with some much needed peace of mind over your property’s security. The help of a trusted locksmith in our city will enhance your capabilities to keep your property protected. So make sure to talk to an expert to find out more about how they can help you keep your garage secure.    

How a Home Intrusion Can Be Avoided

Don’t worry about it if you have to purchase a security system but can’t afford to pay for the monitoring service that is offered to you. You will simply have to make sure that the security system you buy is able to help you avoid an actual intrusion. While you might have the best home locks in your home, you should still take some additional precautions to ensure you don’t receive a home intrusion. When someone has a break-in, they generally keep asking what they might have done to avoid this situation from occurring in the first place. No one wants to take responsibility if they are at fault. It is just easier to blame someone else.

Despite what you might want to believe, most intrusions happen because of a homeowner’s oversight. When a burglary is committed it is because the thief is looking for time the right time and an opportunity. Keeping this in mind, as a homeowner, it is up to you to make sure they are not given either the time or opportunity to break-into your home. A locksmith services, such as, Atlanta Fast Locksmith in Atlanta, GA can be helpful in advising you of the things you can do to protect yourself from the misfortune of a home invasion. We have provided you with a list of some common mishaps that homeowner’s make, which can help them avoid a home intrusion.

Steps to Avoid a Home Intrusion

Not locking doors

You might not think this is done too often but you’d be surprised at how many people simply shut their doors without locking their doors. No matter how much sense it makes to lock your door behind you, we find that many people still do not lock the door behind them. Perhaps they simply have too much on their minds. Whenever you leave your home, double check to make sure you have closed and locked each door in your home before leaving.

Responsible Social Media Posting

You can become a victim of cyber stalking. This means that there may be someone who is targeting you to find out about your comings and goings. When you are posting vacation pictures or out around town, an intruder becomes aware of this. By posting too much information about where you are at any given moment, you leave your home wide open for possible intrusion. A thief needs time and opportunity. When you are not home, you’re offering them both. Remember this the next time you are posting anything on social media.

Install Quality Locks

Not just any type of lock will do when you are attempting to avoid a home intrusion. Consider purchasing and installing high quality locks that prove effective against home intrusions. Burglars know the different types of residential locks that are manufactured today. They know a quality lock versus a cheap and poorly made lock. If they are able to identify that you have a high quality lock, they are less likely going to take the necessary time to break it. High quality locks are designed for durability. They are harder to break than a standard lock. Since it would take a burglar too much time to break through this type of lock, they will typically pass on a home with high security locks.

Leaving Your Trash Visible

If you do not want your home to become a target, be careful about what you leave out for the trash guy. If you have recently bought something of value, do not sit the boxes out in the open for all to see. This gives the burglar the opportunity to see exactly what they could get inside your home that would be of some value. They are often after expensive home items and feel that it is worth taking the chance if they can nab something of value. Break down boxes and make sure they cannot be seen from the street.

Set Your Home Alarm

Some might reason that if you have a home alarm, you have something inside that is value to you. While this is true, in some cases, home alarms are used to protect the people inside. In either case, if you have an alarm, it will not be of any use to you if it isn’t set to go off when it needs to. Regardless as to whether or not you have a monitoring service that will respond to the alarm or not, it is a good idea to have an alarm installed. When the alarm is triggered, it will likely scare off the intruder. If you’re home or not, you should always have your alarm set. Sometimes, intruders are bold enough to break-in while people are at home; especially if they know that there is no man present. Protect yourself by setting your home alarm at all times.

Have Someone Pickup Your Mail

If you are aware for an extended amount of time, don’t let your mail pile up. This is another way to find out if someone is home or not. A burglar may be keeping an eye on your house for a couple of days, if they notice mail piling up. This gives them a clear indication that no one is home if the mail is still there. You’re home can easily become a target of a home intrusion if you have mail overflowing in your mailbox. Instead of becoming a victim of a home intrusion, ask a friend or family member to pick up your mail. If you do not have anyone who lives close enough, ask the post office to hold your mail until you return home.

Purchase an Alarm

There are plenty of benefits of having an alarm. One of them is that you are given peace-of-mind. However, more importantly, you can avoid a home invasion. When you purchase an alarm system, it can act as a deterrent for an intruder.

Think like a burglar would think and do not provide them with the chance to make you their next victim. Don’t make it easy for them to make you their next target. Take precautions today.

HOW TO HANDLE IGNITION CYLINDER PROBLEMS

Your car’s ignition cylinder provides power to your vehicle’s fuel and ignition system along with all electrical components like your vehicle’s computer. Its role is vital as it provides power from the battery directly to the starter to get the engine going. We’ve come to almost take our ignition system for granted. After all, we get in our cars and fully expect the engine to start; every time. If it doesn’t it is often due to a faulty or damaged ignition cylinder. It’s important to stay calm and not panic when this happens. This can be hard to do as the reason we got into the car in the first place was to drive somewhere and now we can’t. Before you call for a tow truck and book an appointment at your Atlanta, GA car repair shop consider a few things.

CHECK YOUR BATTERY

Are you dealing with a dead battery? It’s easy to assume that your ignition switch is out when all along your car’s battery could be the culprit. How can you tell? Here’s a simple test. Do you dashboard lights turn on? Are they dimmer than usual or do they not turn on at all? If you can’t see them try checking the brightness control of the dashboard lights. Many drivers mistakenly think that these are malfunctioning when in fact the dimmer is applied and they just can’t see the lights on. Also try the headlights and radio. Do they work at all? How about the windshield wipers or emergency flashers?

IS SOMETHING STUCK?

Look closely at your ignition. Can the key go in correctly or does something appear to be stuck in it? It’s quite possible that something got lodged inside or maybe the tumblers in the lock cylinder just got worn out. Now check to see if the steering lock is on or not. Do this by turning the wheel in one direction. Still not working? Now look at your key. Is it damaged in any way or cracked? Many times this can prevent your car’s ignition from starting.

ARE YOU IN THE “PARK” POSITION?

There’s a funny true story about a man that called in to his car dealer. He was angry that his car wouldn’t start during the day. The customer service person kept probing him for details and found to her complete surprise that the customer had the shift gear in the DRIVE position thinking that D meant day and not drive. The poor man also thought that N (neutral) stood for night! It’s no wonder that his car wouldn’t cooperate! Funny as that story is, many of us can mistakenly think that our ignition system is out and in truth we are just not in gear! Be sure to double check that your car is in PARK and “drive.” It might be in neither and just need a small wiggle to click it into gear. There’s a built-in safety mechanism that will prevent the car from starting if it’s not completely in PARK.

Another important item to check is to see if your car’s ignition is already in the ON position. If it is, the ignition key won’t come out due to a safety mechanism that prevents the ignition from accidentally turning off when bumped. Can you imagine driving on one of our Atlanta, GA highways at full speed and bumping the ignition off? Make sure that your car’s ignition is OFF and that you are able to remove the key. Try to start your car now and see if it works.

Is your ignition key stuck and won’t come out? Don’t force it! Breakage can occur and complicate your problem. Try jiggling the steering wheel back and forth a few times and see if that releases the key.

Sometimes the key is stuck because it is the WRONG key and was inserted by mistake. Now the ignition cylinder won’t release it and forcing it out can lead to breakage to the key and further damage to the ignition switch!

FRIENDS AND FAMILY

Should you rely on the advice of friends and family members? That depends; are they mechanics or just well meaning “know it all’s?” Be careful here. Remedies can be plentiful but remember that it’s your car and well-intended amateur solutions can often lead to further break down and a bigger repair or replacement bill later. Don’t be overzealous in your quest to save on a repair bill. If a wiggle here or a minor adjustment there doesn’t work you can always call on Atlanta Fast Locksmith for help. We offer professional service at affordable prices and with mobile convenience as well as 24-hour emergency help.

SEARCH THE WEB

Another option for you is to get free help by using the internet. You can access any of hundreds of auto repair forums where people that drive your make and model of car are discussing repairs, replacements, installations and advice. Simply go to your search bar on your favorite browser and enter the make and model of your car plus the words ignition cylinder repair followed by the word “forum.” By doing this you can see how others in your situation have handled their ignition cylinder problems.

Online videos are another valuable source for help. YouTube and Vimeo have their own search bars or you can enter the key words “Your make and model ignition cylinder repair” and click enter. On top of the page you will see the option to enter VIDEOS and then you will see several pages of relevant footage from individuals, mechanics, locksmiths, car repair specialists and more.

YOUR BEST CHOICE

Here in Atlanta, GA you have many options. How urgent is your need to drive? What kind of budget are you working with? Does your ignition problem need to be absolutely free or can you spend some money on fixing the problem? Bear in mind that working with an established and fully licensed automotive locksmith shop like Atlanta Fast Locksmith can save you tremendous time and money over do-it-yourself repair or going to a car repair shop or dealer. Simply give our shop a call and our friendly technicians will get your ignition cylinder back to working like new!