Category: Blog
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Masterlock Keysafe Weaknesses
Careful with the key safes. If you cheap out you could end up spending a lot more if somebody busts it open and gets the key out. A good one costs close to $100 which is much less than it costs to have a locksmith come out and rekey a building with numerous keyed entries.…
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How to address “sticky” mortise lock knobs
One of the problems endemic to people with houses more than 100 years old is inevitably the sticky mortise lock knob. This is probably a lock on an original door with a crystal glass knob but it could also be brass. When you turn the knob the latch doesn’t spring back out. There are a…
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Do you really need a locksmith?
There are a few situations I kind of wish people wouldn’t call me out on. Not because I don’t want the money. More because people could do the job easily themselves. Of course there are two groups of customers, those who have the time to do it themselves and those who don’t. Before calling me…
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Why can’t you just replace it?
When people call me about replacing a lock, inevitably we start talking prices. One of the variables I spend more time explaining is whether or not the door is prepped correctly. If a door is prepped for a modern tubular lock it must have a 2 and 1/8″ cross bore and a 1/8″ side bore.…
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The Problem with Consumer Grade Security Cameras
My humble blog has become a security resource for DIY-minded folks so I thought it might be helpful to let those of you interested in security cameras avoid the same pitfalls that I have with inferior products. Short version: beware of cameras that don’t let you automatically save all footage locally to a computer and…
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Measuring interior air quality
Recent events on the west coast have left us with air that is so dirty as to be considered unhealthy. It is recommended that people at this time stay inside to avoid breathing this dirty air which is dirtier even than the most filthy air in the industrial cities of China. This makes you wonder…
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The Danger of Misunderstanding Masterkey systems
Masterkey systems are popular for buildings with several different units. They are useful to a building owner because they allow quick access to all rooms with one master key, but every tenant can have an individual key that doesn’t work on any of their neighbors’ locks. In other words, the master key is very convenient…
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A comparison of physical security with electronic deadbolts
There is a lot of information on the internet about comparisons between electronic deadbolts with regard to ease of programming, looks, and wireless features. I haven’t seen a lot of information about the actual physical security of these locks anywhere though. I am going to conduct a test of popular electronic deadbolts as soon as…
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When a lock is too cheap to lock up anything with
Yesterday I was called out to rekey some locks at a mental health service provider. If locks are in good shape this is a slam dunk and four locks would take me twenty minutes. The locks at this location were not in working order. They were very cheap and not fit for use after only…