There will always come a moment or period in your life that you forgot where you placed your keys or you simply lost them. And because of that, you can’t go inside your own house or drive your car.
Basically, you’re completely stuck and you are certainly not going anywhere. At this point, it seems practical to call a locksmith to help you out.
However, do you really have to go that way? So here are some things you must look into and understand before hiring a locksmith.
Double check and go back to where you were previously. Most of the time, you just forget where you put your keys and you eventually find them. So before a locksmith comes in to help you, gather yourself and find those keys for the last time. If you can’t, then start calling.
Don’t commit the silly mistake of calling the locksmith when the door is actually open. This happens often for those people who are busy, preoccupied, or simply in constant rush and hurry. You don’t want to bother hiring a locksmith, especially when he discovers upon arriving that the door is actually open and unlocked.
Look for someone who is reputable and known in your area. The reason why there are guilds, associations, and groups of locksmiths is to provide clients and customers a reference and a source of reliable locksmiths in a local area. Do not go for those who present themselves right in your doorstep.
You don’t have to pay someone to open or unlock something for you if you just buy and install a pretty decent lock. The standard purchase should be a lock that is at least grade 2 and look for something that is secure but also easy to break. A deadbolt is a must that slides into the frame of the door by at least one inch.
A lock that is stuck can be remedied and solved using lubricant. It is common for the pins inside to get jammed and you can either use silicone-based spray or WD-40. So instead of immediately paying more for hiring a locksmith, you have the ability to get the lock opening again. But be sure you don’t break it or else you’d be expected to pay more for installing a new one.
Keep in mind that you can also use a locksmith to duplicate your keys including those for the home doors and car keys. The purpose of duplicating keys is to have a backup in case you lose one.
Give a key to a housekeeper but make sure the same has limited function. You have to know that you can instruct a locksmith to design a master key that can unlock both the door knob and the deadbolt at the same time while another key to be given to someone else must only unlock the door knob. The real purpose is to make sure no one can break in as the housekeeper comes in, but be sure to instruct to keep the door closed.
Finally, hiring a locksmith is best done when you no other remedies or alternatives left in solving your problem. You still have to consider those tips above so as to avoid wasting both you and the locksmith’s time and effort.
