Category: Blog

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…

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…

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…

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…

Doorknobs are one of the filthiest surfaces in your home as far as bacteria are concerned. Don’t even get me started on public door knobs and pull handles. Just think: all sorts of people are using public locks and pull handles. Do you think all of them wash their hands after blowing their nose, picking…

Schlage Connect and Sense came with programming instructions in a paper booklet but the newer Schlage Encode no longer includes this. Instead there is a thin glossy insert that implores you to install an app on your phone. Many of us are loathe to do this. There are many reasons not to, like hating smartphones…

Usually the cylinder for Schlage doorknobs can be removed by turning the key in the knob and pushing a spring-loaded retainer to pull the knob off. On really old Schlage knobs this retainer wasn’t there, you had to “backdoor” the knob: completely disassemble it from the rear. This is much harder than taking the cylinder…

I don’t like to bite the hand that feeds and much of my business comes from organic search results but it is important that this gets out there. Google is helping the locksmith scam succeed and getting a cut. They do this through “Google Guaranteed”, a service Google established to make money off of searches…

I don’t know why satin nickel finish takes on a yellow hue in sunshine but after a few years it turns yellow. Schlage warrantees against this just so you know. This also happens to Kwikset locks. I am not aware of this happening to other finishes.

Why would you do this? Probably because you hate getting locked out or you want to have an electronic lock on the same door but don’t want the appearance to change very much. If you need a key or code to lock your door when outside you are far less likely to get locked out…