A Stroke Of Genius - Kwikset Smartkey Defeat With No Damage

Yesterday we attended to a client for whom we had previously rekeyed their new home about 8 weeks ago, who had accidentally locked themselves out.

The husband and wife had traveled out of state for a vacation and one of the spouses had inadvertently left their spare key inside the house, while the other spouse with the key was still interstate.

The types of locks they have on their doors are Kwikset Smartkey designer series locks similar to the style presented in the picture here.

Typically, many locksmiths would choose to drill and destroy a Kwikset Smartkey lock because typically they can be somewhat difficult to manipulate without causing unrepairable damage.

Many doors that use Kwikset Smartkey locks, tend to have a separate entry set from a deadbolt lock. Often defeating an entry set, without damage is painlessly simple and there are methods to bypass a Kwikset Smartkey deadbolt that are considered "outside the box". We deliberately choose NOT to share these unique bypass methods for fear of those details getting into the wrong hands.

Our customer being out of state, while their spouse was on their way home without a copy of their Kwikset Smartkey operating key, contacted me to attend the site and unlock the door on behalf of their spouse. When the spouse arrived at the airport they contacted me to arrange a suitable time.

Being as cold as it is presently, I did not want to keep the customer waiting for long while I attempted to manipulate the lock cylinder. I did not want to drill and destroy the lock, because getting a replacement on such short notice was not possible, so I asked the spouse interstate to snap a picture of their operating key and text it to me.

Upon receiving the image, I attended the home just prior (about 15 minutes) before the spouse arrived home from the airport. I grabbed the appropriate Kwikset key blank and set about making a copy of their operating key with my handheld impressioning file.

Having a clear image from which to determine the cuts of the key proved the stroke of genius in this move, because I was able to recreate the operating key in about 10 minutes and it operated flawlessly in the deadbolt (pictured above). This allowed me to unlock their door without any damage nor signs of forced or manipulated entry. The clients existing key (inside the house) still worked like new and we saved the inconvenience of trying to replace a special order lock product.

NOW - Obviously you can see a security issue here that can be distressing. If someone has enough time to take a picture of your house key, potentially they could simply contact a locksmith who could also provide the same service and make a copy of the key. Ethically and morally many locksmiths would not do this, unless they knew the customer and they could prove they belong to the address in question. But not everyone lives by a code of ethics.

A few years ago we wrote an article that talked about creating key duplicates using the credit cards you often get on the mail from promoters.

See Credit Cards Used To Duplicate Keys

Another article we wrote about 5 years ago talked about a service created by some enterprising engineers in California called Shloosl, See the link

Here is an article from about 10 years ago that discusses the ease in creating a copy of your key by picture..... Key Photograph Key Cutting


Simply put, there is only 1 way to prevent unauthorised key duplication. Using a High-Security Restricted Key System. Systems that require your signature authorization in advance of origination. There are many systems available across the world in today's market. Some better than others. We choose to offer the Bilock Extreme Security restricted key system.

Lockwood 7444 Keyed Pocket Door Lock And Range To Be Discontinued By Us

After careful consideration, we have decided to discontinue selling this product.

We have been selling this product for 9 years and due to rising costs and reducing sales (even being significantly cheaper than competitors), we have decided to discontinue representing this type of pocket door lock in North America.

In the last 9 years we have sold thousands of this product with repeat customers ordering again and again to satisfy the needs of their clients.

We will sell our remaining inventory (about 18 keyed units and 10 privacy sets and 10 passage sets) at a fire sale discount until no more product remains.

We expect to change the sales page with the new discounted price in the next few days.

Thank you all for your continued interest in this fabulous product and we hope you can still purchase it in future from other providers.

Strikemaster II To The Rescue - Again

 This week, we were called to another Home Advisor door repair project for a client who experienced door frame failure.

The image to the right here, shows the Strikemaster II product installed to repair the busted door frame. This particular installation required me to check the entire 5' strike plate into the existing frame after removing the weather stripping.

The Strikemaster II used here is NOT the Strikemaster II Pro, which is the updated product. We used the older product because the door, on a house built in the 1960's, was a very tight fit in its opening and the clearance between the door and frame when closed was about 1/16th". The typical gap around the edges of a door within it's frame should be 1/8th". This allows for weathering or frame movement if the house settles.

The second image shows the trim moulding removed. We had some difficulty sourcing replacement moulding because the width of the required moulding was 1-3/4" wide. That size hasnt been produced since at least 1970. All door trim moulding found today is a minimum 2" wide. We managed to source a supplier who could rip a new piece of moulding to enable to install it to the 1-3/4" frame and allow for the trim to neatly fit inside the brick clad wall, without having to damage the existing clad brick.








And the final image shows the new moulding reattached to the frame, ready for painting.

Being that the average door and frame replacement cost in our local region is ~$1100 - $1500 commonly, using a Strikemaster II or the newer Strikemaster II Pro can cut repair costs and time down to less than $300 total.

UFO3 - New Improved High Security Lock For Vans and Cargo Vehicles

We have been the North American distributors for the broad range of Meroni products for about 8 years now and recently aligned with another distributor based in Minnesota who is distributing the fabulous UFO range of high-security locks for delivery vans, tradespeople vans, trucks among other applications. The new distributor is in  Minnesota will cater primarily to the automotive sector with this product line. We will continue to support them with key duplication and creation requests.

You can see our articles already written about the UFO range by Meroni by clicking here

The above video shows the installation steps for the newest model the UFO3.

The straightforward installation procedure can be handled easily by a trained technician or almost anybody, provided they have the correct tools and follow the guidelines in the instructions.

There is another new product, recently developed with Meroni in Europe aimed at UFO range of high-security automotive locking products that is a Cloud-Controlled access control system designed for fleet operators to enable simple access control for their fleets of deliver and transportation vehicles.

The UFO Cloud is a system that uses the SHA256 Encrypted Communication Protocol based on the design developed by the NSA.

The practicality of the UFO Cloud, transforms mechanical keyed products into a virtual keychain using a cellphone app and dedicated dashboard.

For further details on the UFO Cloud and the wide range of UFO products by Meroni, check the source below.

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International Building Code Integral To Life Safety And Protection On Display in Alaska Earthquake

Image source

The recent earthquake that hit just south of Anchorage Alaska has been all over the news in recent days, however for some reason it appears to have been forced back from the headlines, unfortunately due to no deaths and little injuries having occurred.

Reporting has been slow, especially about the fact that Alaska took it upon themselves to ensure strict adherence to the International Building Code, to shore up and protect the citizens and residents of Alaska.

There is considerable, continuing discussion across my industry about building codes and life safety codes because the locksmith and door industry perform integral acts in installation of doors and lock systems that can have telling effects on all our lives.

The International Building Code has been agreed upon by an international coalition of countries as a minimum standard by which all people on the planet can benefit from the safety concerns of our leaders. If you care to notice, the quantity of natural disasters appears to be on the increase in recent years, though this may also be due to better reporting by the mainstream news outlets too.

An article I read yesterday peaked my curiosity and leads me to write this post.

The article (in the source below) is by ABC News and tells about how the strict adherence to some of the highest standards of the International Building Code in Alaska, actually made a huge difference in protecting the residents and citizens who choose to live in that beautiful state.

The article tells that the magnitude 7.0 earthquake was one of the largest recorded in state history since the devastating 1964 quake that caused monumental losses of life and properties.

And that the primary reason there was little damage (comparatively), this time around was because Alaska adopted strict building code policies, some superior to the agreed minimum standards set forth by the agreed International Building Code.

The article quotes the current Alaskan Governor Bill Walker, "Building codes mean something". Gov. Walker himself was very thankful for the building codes, saying that sometimes people, including himself, gripe about stringent building codes but he's really glad they are in place because he only had minor water damage in his own home.

Further distressing was the after-shock that occurred within minutes of the initial 7.0. The 5.7 after-shock itself is also considered very substantial. There have been 550 plus after shocks since with at least 11 measuring 4.5 or greater.

The locksmith industry is often in the drivers seat of adherence to life safety codes and International Building Code adoptions. A great many consumers desire to install some products that just do not comply with the minimum standards set forth by the code, in attempt to increase their perception of security for their homes and work places. We often are asked to install double-cylinder deadbolt locks to residents primary entrance doors, for which we refuse every time. We always advise our clients and potential clients that life safety ALWAYS exceeds security, We only recommend single-cylinder deadbolts be installed to primary entrances (like the main front door and main back door).

I will often quote a story I remember from the late 1980's, when I lived and worked in California. There was an instance where a burglar had broken into a home that actually had double-cylinder locks installed on their doors. The burglar had pulled some shingles from the roof and jumped in through the ceiling. Unfortunately an electrical fire started while the burglar was inside and he was killed in the fire while the house was burned down. Now, many people might think that he received his come-uppence and bad luck for him. But the investigators proved that the reason the burglar perished was due to the installation of double cylinder deadbolt locks that prevented him from easily escaping the burning building. Authorities proceeded to charge and convict the homeowner and the technician and company that installed the locks with manslaughter. The courts threw the book at these people and each convicted person received the maximum sentence available to the court of 25 years incarceration and $250,000 fine each. To top it off, the insurance company refused to compensate the homeowners for the loss of their property because "Ignorance is no defense" and to continue to insure them for clearly violating the law might have supposedly put the insurance company as an accessory after the fact.

So, not only were the company who provided the locks found guilty and incarcerated, but the specific technician too, the homeowner and the homeowners family was refused compensation by the insurance company. I later heard that the burglars next of kin also sued in civil court for loss of income, but i am not sure about that outcome.

This example, reiterates why, as a locksmith professional it is vital and important that we stay apprised of changes and modifications to the International Building Code and any modifications that separate local and state governments might apply in local regions. The health, welfare and life safety can depend on our being compliant with the codes written deliberately to protect us.

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Has New York City Fixed It's Key Problems?

A post we made in October 2012 continues to find traction and views as it is still of important knowledge to us all today, as much if not more since first written in 2012. We just updated some of the links to working links (over time websites need to keep up with their broken links to avoid the pitfalls of search engine pagerank issues) so you can view the videos and some of the links we include. Continuing to provide links to the source of our content (even though we write our own content) credits the source and avoids us being called plagiarists. The following story is worth remembering and continue to be an important piece of knowledge, not just for the industry but also the marketplace... The Society Of Professional Locksmiths is an organization of professional locksmith owners and tradespersons whose intentions are to bring respect and admiration with ethical and moral business practises back to an industry that has seen the erosion of confidence in locksmiths, wane over the past few years, thanks to improprieties and shortcoming of other supposed industry organizations. The SOPL is fast becoming the industry's leading respected voice, training facility and source of products and services, that the market and industry have long been seeking. Unlike other locksmith industry organizations and training offerings, the SOPL developed their own superb in-house training guide and mentoring system that is second to none in the North American market. The following article is copied directly (with permission) from their website. If you like the article, please consider clicking the like buttons in the post. FDNY Keys Sold on EBAY - The NY Post - Where there's Smoke, there's Fire 10/07/2012 2 Comments On October 1st, 2012 a news story ran in the NY Post about a retired locksmith named Daniel Ferraris from New Jersey who sold a set of 5 keys on Ebay that were being called Masterkeys for the New York City Fire Department. Source - http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/lock_away_these_nyc_keys_g3PWCp3FzMapURRjyssJ4J This apparently angered NY City officials and public advocate Bill DeBlasio who raised concerns over terrorism. Keywords such as being alarmed, angered, lives at risk, safety, and more surfaced. Calls to Home Land Security were even made! DeBlasio himself went so far to say -  "We cannot let anyone sell the safety of over 8 million people so easily. Having these keys on the open market literally puts lives at risk. The billions we've spent on counter-terrorism have been severely undercut by this breech [sic]." A NYFD lieutenant said, “This guy should be prosecuted for selling something like that."

We Recently Acquired The Inventory Of A Closing Bilock Dealer - New Discounted Inventory Coming Up For Sale

 We just acquired the entire inventory of a closing Bilock dealer in USA.

We will be contacting their clients soon to maintain their security systems and continue to offer them parts and services.

Being the largest Bilock dealer in the Midwest, we continue to supply these sensational 100% bump proof and virtually pick proof, copy proof keys and locks to discerning buyers intent upon maximizing the security of their homes and offices.

We will soon be offering a steep discount on some of the acquired inventory.

 Bilock continues to provide up to 1.7 million key changes in a master keyed system. Color coding the keyheads enables simple and quick identification and separation between doors, locks, buildings etc.

Using the unique Quick Change Core technology, users will not require to disassemble and reassemble any cylinders or hardware, when the need arises to have your locks rekeyed.

 The 21 different colored keyheads allows us to design unique color coding for systems that allow users to quickly identify the correct color used for the correct door or for different levels of master keys to operate separate key cylinders.

The 21 colors and shades, comprise 3 separate parts allowing potentially over 9000 color combinations by mix and matching pieces. This can be of benefit to users significantly.

 The unique OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) product pictured in the diagram here, displays the Slam Cam deadlatching cam lock. Perfect for steel cabinet doors or drawers, it allows for unparalleled cabinet and drawer locking strength. The added ability to include these locks in your Quick Change Core system, makes this product a sought after item. With the key only able to be withdrawn in the open position, losing your key or leaving it unattended is virtually avoided.

 The 4 main cylinder types include key-in-knob cylinders used in entrance sets and deadbolt locks, padlocks other OEM products.
The Rim cylinder is seen in surface mounted panic bars, surface mounted nightlatches, surface mounted deadlatches, jimmy-proof deadbolt locks, gates locks (see image below) among other uses.

 The Grade 2 Deadbolt offers high quality security in a competitively priced package. Typically the OEM Bilock Grade 2 deadbolts are available in Polished Brass, Satin Stainless Steel, but we also happily provide cylinders and cores that will suit other brands of harware including (but not limited to) LSDA - Antique Brass, Bronze, Chrome Plate, Yale, Schlage, Arrow and other leading brands.

 This is a closer image of the typical rim cylinder.

 Here is an image of a Bilock Rim Cylinder installed to a Hurricane Fence gate. Combined with a hardened steel blocker plate that doubles as a gate stop, this very strong gate lock is virtually indestructible,

The wide range of Key-in-knob cylinders allows use in deadbolts, entry knob sets, lever handle entrance sets, storeroom door lock sets, classroom door lock sets, sliding patio door lock sets among other uses.

 This image displays the common core that will fit into many different and separate cylinder housings. See the key inside the core? That core will fit into all the surrounding styles of cylinders, meaning you can have 1 single high-security bump proof and virtually pick proof key system that will operate across multiple brands and hardware needs. Padlocks, Oval Cylinders, cam locks, Entrance Sets and Deadbolts, Mortise Locks, Rim Locks, even electrical switches. The unique Bilock system is almost limitless in it's applications.


Knobs, levers, almost any application can be supported using Bilock

 The Bilock Range is quite vast and useful in display case security, Euro cylinders, cupboard deadlocks and latches, padlocks of differing sizes and materials, all conveniently controlled by one unique bump proof and virtually pick proof key.

 See the 3 sections of the key head? we can put together separate colors to help you identify your keys easily.

Even push projection locks can be used to secure hard to lock wooden drawers, Bilock products leave no options out.









We have been continually offering Bilock products throughout the world for almost 35 years now, having installed this fabulous system to casinos, hospitals, clinics, universities and colleges, private and public schools, bars and restaurants among many and varied applications.

Customer choose Bilock for it's unique looking key and the wide range of products that can be secured.

Many modern day electronic security providers also choose to include Bilock Extreme-Security key cylinders in their ranges of offerings. One such company is Salto. (click on the link to learn more about Salto)

Facial Recognition Technology Has Really Come Of Age Thanks To Apple Iphone - Check Out This facial Recognition Security Device From About 10 Years Ago

Almost 10 years ago we wrote an article about some facial recognition technology and especially one particular product that we also sold a number of.

The post we wrote in December 2009 was one of the last posts that year, but proved to be wildly popular. I dont know why exactly.

I have sold about 4 of these units and I believe my customers are still using them today.

Face Recognition Security - For Doors

I have been touting the use of biometric access control systems, especially residential fingerprint controlled door locks, for quite some time.

Recent experience installing some of these products has lead me to understand some of the pitfalls of the technology, especially age related syndromes that affect interface operation by elder users.

Here is a new product, recently released that adopts a variation in biometric access technology.

Facial recognition technology is still in it's infancy compared to other existing biometric systems (like fingerprints etc). Embrace the world of advanced time attendance systems. Beautifully designed to compliment any imaginable décor, this facial identification time attendance system recognizes faces in 3D by utilizing the internal dual sensor and dual camera that allows it to establish an incredible facial recognition algorithm in a fraction of a second.

At a Glance...

• Lock and unlocks doors
• Face recognition technology
• Record employee attendance
• Time keeping and data logging
• Export and Import from a TXT file
• Download recorded data via USB or TCP/IP
• Included software for detailed record keeping and analysis

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Door Frame Repair - After Break In, Using Strikemaster II

We just completed another repair project on behalf of a property management company, where the tenant had been the victim of a burglary attempt where the door was kicked in and the frame failed.

We are not painters and advise our clients of such during the estimate phase. We are happy to perform the required repairs quickly and at the residents convenience.

Below you can see the "before" images and understand what we were about to encounter.

 This view is from the Garage side of the door we were to repair.

We advised the property manager that future painters would also be required to repair the walls and gaps around the exterior side of the frame.

Whomever had rehabbed this place, obviously decided to cut corners to save money (a common action of house flippers)

 You can see the damage to the interior trim, the location where the strike for the entrance set and deadbolt has completely been broken out. Also the paint on the inside wall was torn away in the attack.

Here is a better angle of the damaged door frame.


This project type is one of our common project requests. Customers requiring to fix a broken door frame after suffering from door frame failure resulting from a kick-in attack.

When considering to repair or replace the entire door and frame, understanding that the average cost in the local market to supply and install a new door and frame can be ~$1100 - $1500 for a quality professional to install a standard door and frame, it becomes worthwhile to seek alternative solutions that reduce cost while upgrading the security of the location.

Enter the Strikemaster II. This phenomenal security and repair product is expertly designed and manufactured in the USA. A Safe Homes is a company based in the Carolinas that is on the forefront of product development, especially when it comes to safety, security and protection of the doors we all use daily.

This next image shows our completed repair using new trim and the Strikemaster II expertly installed,

Comparing this to the before pictures shows the entire gaping hole left by the door kick-in (where the entrance set latch and deadbolt go), is now completely hidden.

You can still see the area that requires painting, another project for another tradesperson for another time.

 This image shows a different angle of the new trim and the still damaged paintwork.

Professional painter and decorators will first use caulk to seal the gaps between connecting pieces, Some painters will also remove the trim and paint the wall, then re-install the trim, creating more professional looking lines, that can then be caulked after the paint dries

This final image of the completed project shows a better view of the Strikemaster II. the unique patented product uses a 2 part process to create a "laminating" effect. Also the outer steel uses a lip designed to hook around the edge of the door frame. This lip is an integral part of the product design, because it increases the strength of the product when being attacked.

Strikemaster II also uses stainless steel screws about 3" long, that tie the product, through the flimsy thin frame, to the stud behind, effectively anchoring the new product and providing almost impenetrable strength.

Being 5' long and using 8-10 stainless steel screws, combined with the lip and the laminating effect, the product is very strong because a new attempt to kick-in the door will spread the weight applied by the kicking action across a wider surface.


It is unfortunately, all too common that a great many homeowners, property managers, residents and tenants just are not proactive enough to anticipate future events like door frame failure, by installing products like this in advance of an event. Perhaps purchasing new designer shoes is of greater importance than providing security protection for your family and colleagues.

Speaking to your local locksmith can provide you with some great knowledge and experience to effectively mitigate issues and events down the road.

This entire repair project cost about $300.00 and they could maintain their existing door and frame. Compare that to the average door and frame replacement cost, that does not apply similar door frame strengthening to prevent another kick-in attempt and you effectively spent almost a thousand dollars more without increasing security and protecting your family and possessions satisfactorily.

Repairing Building Entry Door Using Plast-Aid

Often we find ourselves receiving calls from customers who request repairs to their entry doors on commercial premises.

There are many and varying types, styles and functions of entry doors, used across the world. In the United States, many commercial entrances use aluminum shopfront entrances, often installed by professional shopfitters.

Last week a client called us to repair a shopfront aluminum entrance door on their church entry.
This door was probably about 40 years old, judging from the style, the lock, the fading etc.

The initial repair was simply a readjustment of the door closer to enable correct closing distance.
We explained to the client that the use of double cylinder locks on primary entrances is a violation of building codes/life safety codes. We recommended they contact their local AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction) to get in writing, permission to use an inside cylinder on their entry door, while explaining that potentially, their insurance could be void if someone was locked inside and unable to easily escape. Life safety codes trump security, especially on commercial dwellings.

Here is an image of the outside of the front entry door. You can see where someone previous to me, decided to attempt to upgrade the security of the door, by installing a long metal plate along the door edge, to attempt to prevent a would be intruder from gaining access without damage.

While this is a great suggestion to increase the security of an entrance, in this particular case, the installer actually reduced the security of this entrance by removing the strike plate from the door jamb making the gap between the edge of the door and the door jamb too wide - preventing the deadlatching activator from operating correctly and making the latch mechanism easily able to be loided (latch pushed in using a screwdriver or plastic card)

This image shows the strike removed from the door jamb.

We thought of multiple ways to effect a simple repair to this issue, to reduce the gap between door and jamb, when closed.

We settled on a repair using the fabulous Plast-Aid moulding repair product.

We combined the Plast-Aid powder and ointment to a sufficient amount for the project, letting it cure to the point of a useable putty.

We applied the putty to the door jamb, where the strike plate would normally fit and let it harden sufficiently to recreate the function that the strike plate would provide.

The Plast-Aid product hardened in about 10 minutes and made the region of the door that the deadlatching pin was to hit, wider ensuring that the pin would then activate the security of the latch mechanism.

You can see in the next image, the door almost closed and the Plast-Aid repair product, jutting out sufficiently to encounter the deadlatching activator,

The local AHJ had already been and required them to change the double cylinder into an inside turnbutton, while allowing them to continue using the paddle on the inside and not having to replace the whole fitting with a panic exit device.

this image shows the latch mechanism fully seated in the strike hole (where the strike would normally have been fitted), contacting the deadlatching activator and securing the latch mechanism from loiding.

This whole project enabled us to maintain using the custom made blocker plate installed by the previous technician but repair the deadlatching feature and provide  stronger security, as intended by a dealatching lock system.

Sliding Doors Are One Of the Weakest Links In Your Home - What Can You Do?

We originally posted the following article in June 2010. Consulting your local trained professional locksmith can help you to understand the many and varied products we can supply and services we can perform to improve the security of these sliding patio doors




The above video is actually an explanation of how to replace a sliding door installation with french style doors but it does highlight the ease in pulling the common sliding door from it's tracks.

I am called upon often to repair sliding doors, that have become increasingly harder to operate. There are multiple reasons that doors can become inoperative, but we will leave that for a later article.

The reason I decided to include the above video here is to highlight the extreme weakness that almost all sliding patio doors suffer from.

You can see how easy it is to lift the door from it's track. When the door is closed, it is usually held locked by just a metal hook. Often that hook is all that is preventing the door from being opened. I have seen many instances where the sliding door is the principle method of surreptitious entry. Often intruders simply use a large screwdriver or prybar/crowbar (found in most automobiles) and lever under the bottom of the door, raising the whole door frame enough to remove the door completely from the track. Even while still locked.

There is a very simple and cost effective measure that can be applied to prevent most sliding doors from being removed in this fashion.

Simply, install a self-tapping screw into the top track, so that the head is protruding enough to allow the door to still slide but reduce the lift, or amount the door can be raised.

Some lock manufacturers include anti-lift pins in their locks to help with this problem, but often the parts are made from die-cast aluminum, which is weak and brittle.

For about 50 cents you can prevent the door from being lifted off it's track.

Many people insert a piece of dowel or length of wood into the track behind the door. While this is probably one of the cheapest and best methods for preventing the door from sliding open, it does nothing to stop the door from lifting up.

Solar Powered Power Option For Controlling Electronic Security Products

In June 2010 we posted an article (below) about solar powered power options designed to be used to enable electronic security products.

We have seen a great number of pageviews for this particular post and thought we'd follow up that article with an opinion about the multitude of electronic wireless, battery powered products that continue to enter this (getting) crowded market segment.

In a number of other articles we have written here, we have continued to question the benefits and quality of many battery powered security products.

We believe that the battery powered security devices, specifically deadbolts, entrance sets and the like can offer only 2 primary benefits that can make them appealing.

These benefits are:
1. The ability to remotely lock or unlock the product and the ability to inquire as to the lock status (is the door locked or not)

2. The ability to set automatic locking on the product, to ensure your product locks independent of human involvement.




Understanding that many consumers today are increasingly interested in the many and varied battery powered options, aimed at simplifying their lives, unfortunately the convincing sales pitches will rarely tell you about the genre's shortcomings. Specifically, the need to be constantly replacing batteries to maintain continued operations and the other primary issue, being that as all doors and frames move with weathering, settling, ground movements etc. your beaut $200+ deadbolt or entrance set WILL become useless before long and suffer electronic operability issues.

We believe that the best security offered by deadbolts and entrance sets, is still the mechanical options that can be physically operated by hand. When a condition occurs that inhibits your ease of use, mechanically you can still play with it to get it to operate. Electronically, this is not possible.

Daring Indiana Burglar Uses Bird Scooter To Make Getaway

A daring burglar in Indiana entered a homeowners residence though an unlocked door, ransacked the place and made his daring getaway on a for-hire scooter, according to an article appearing on ABC News.

According to the article the resident was at home during the raid and even heard some noises downstairs but when he went to investigate, he saw his wallet, laptop and car keys were missing.

According to police, there was no sign of forced entry indicating that the back door was left unlocked.

The Bird Scooter rental company has distanced themselves from the incident.

The article (in the source below) is yet another instance where crimes of opportunity appear to be on the rise. Leaving your doors unlocked used to be okay, in previous years but today, you're just asking for trouble.

Locksmiths across the country and around the world can provide quality locking products that will automatically lock the door when closed, but even the ages old nighlatch is designed to lock every time (unless you snib it open).

There is an apt saying, "Keep It Yours - Lock Your Doors"!

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In another article appearing on 10TV News in Hamilton Ohio, an elderly resident has been robbed by a man, whom she knew and even hired.

Apparently she paid him $150 to cut down a tree (which he never completed) and then this man entered her unlocked home and stole a further $250+.

This is yet another reason to "Keep It Yours - Lock Your Doors"!

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Strikemaster II Pro - Still The Best offering To Repair And Prevent Door Frame Failure (Post Revisited - December 2009)

Back in 2008, we first posted about the fabulous Strikemaster II product. A product designed, manufactured and marketed by a colleague from North Carolina.

We have been continually selling and recommending this product for many years now, because it is one of the few products of it's kind that very inexpensively will repair your door after a door kick in without requiring you to replace the entire door and frame.

Below, find one of our first posts about this product and the original video that was made to explain it's features.

Over they last 10 years, we have installed hundreds of these products to customers who have suffered the heartbreak of door frame failure. I guess our clients love the fact that such a competitive priced American made product is widely available to correctly and professionally repair their door frames, without requiring they to spend significantly more for a new door and frame, that essentially will not protect them from similar attacks in future.



December 3, 2009

Strikemaster II Pro

This video shows exactly how and why the Strikemaster 11 product is essential to securing homes and residences. This particular video is almost 4 years old and the price displayed there is incorrect.

The new Strikemaster 11 Pro product is an improvement to the design of this fantastic product and is available now. Whether you decide to order it direct from the manufacturer or through any of their dealers, the price is identical.

We expect stocks of the newer model in about 3 weeks time.

We previously talked about the Strikemaster 11 in March 2008.

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A list of our articles about this product and similar offerings can be viewed here.

Post Revisited - November 25, 2008 - Safes - How To Choose

The post below was first published here November 25, 2008 and has racked up a great many views during that time.

Explaining the attributes of safes can be a chore to the uninitiated. The CDOJ (California Department Of Justice) put together their own list of attributes to consider when purchasing a safe.

Today, many of the items advised herein, still apply, It is up to the end user to decide for themselves, the attributes required to suit their individual needs...

Pictured above is just a random image selected online of a safe.

Choosing a safe is often difficult. 

I have been asked many times over the years to make a recommendation to customers wishing to purchase a safe.

Before making a recommendation, I feel it necessary to ask some specific questions to a customer to help in determining a suitable product to recommend.

Many people do not understand the ratings systems for safes, probably because there is no written industry standard.

In the early 1990's, I worked for one of Australia's oldest manufacturers of quality safes, Kelly Safe Co PTY LTD. (they closed down in 1995, I believe). Kelly safes were considered a staple of the Australian landscape for about 100 years previously. They manufactured impressive quality safes for many of Australia's institutions, banks, high-society clubs, hotels etc.

The increasing competition from foreign products combined with the significant increase in raw materials cost, saw Kelly become less competitive in later years.

I learned much from my short time with them about how to grade safes.

There are many classifications of safes that are determined by each individual country/locallity as suitable for local conditions. The leading tester in the world (most respected) is known as the Underwriters Laboratory.

The questions I like to ask my clients are:

1. What approximate cash value of personal documents, jewellery, bank notes etc are you looking to secure?

This determines what grade of safe would be suitable for the contents.

2. Approximately how big (dimensions) would the individual pieces of content be for storage?

This determines the necessary internal dimensions of the recommended safe.

3. Are you looking for Burglary Protection, Fire Protection or both?

4. Would you prefer a bolt down facility, free-standing, on castors, wall-mount, floor mount, vault etc?

5. How much are you looking to spend?

The most important question is question #1, because this separates the designations of safes from each other and directly guides a professional to make the most suitable recommendation.

In California, the CDOJ (California Department Of Justice) uses the following terms:


California Department of Justice Burglary Rating (CDOJ)
Regulatory Gun Safe StandardsDOJ regulatory standards require a gun safe to meet either: 
All of the following requirements:

1. Shall be able to fully contain firearms and provide for their secure storage.
2. Shall have a locking system consisting of at minimum a mechanical or electronic combination lock. The mechanical or electronic combination lock utilized by the safe shall have at least 10,000 possible combinations consisting of a minimum three numbers, letters, or symbols. The lock shall be protected by a case-hardened (Rc 60+) drill-resistant steel plate, or drill-resistant material of equivalent strength.
3. Boltwork shall consist of a minimum of three steel locking bolts of at least ½ inch thickness that intrude from the door of the safe into the body of the safe or from the body of the safe into the door of the safe, which are operated by a separate handle and secured by the lock.
4. Shall be capable of repeated use. The exterior walls shall be constructed of a minimum 12-gauge thick steel for a single-walled safe, or the sum of the steel walls shall add up to at least .100 inches for safes with two walls. Doors shall be constructed of a minimum of two layers of 12-gauge steel, or one layer of 7-gauge steel compound construction.
5. Door hinges shall be protected to prevent the removal of the door. Protective features include, but are not limited to: hinges not exposed to the outside, interlocking door designs, dead bars, jeweler’s lugs and active or inactive locking bolts.

or All of the following requirements:

1. Is listed as an Underwriters Laboratories Residential Security Container;
2. Is able to fully contain firearms;
3. Provides for the secure storage of firearms.

BURGLAR SAFES:
Burglar safes are usually made of solid steel plate or a combination of solid steel and composite fill material such as concrete. These safes are divided into categories based on the level of protection delivered and the testing endured. Here we will discuss only seven classes: B-Rate, U.L. RSC Rating, B/C Rate, C-Rate, U.L. TL-15, U.L. TL-30 and TL-30 X6.

B-RATE SAFES (ALSO U.L. RSC, RESIDENTIAL SECURITY CONTAINERS):
B-Rate is a catchall rating for essentially any box with a lock on it. The safe industry had an unwritten standard of ¼ inch body, ½ inch door. As steel prices (and shipping costs) increased manufacturers tried many things to reduce their costs. No tests are given to provide this rating. When buying a B-rate safe, look at things such as lock work, hard plates, and relocks.
U.L. Residential Security Container rating (RSC) - This UL rating is based on testing conducted for a net working time of five minutes, on all sides, with a range of tools. See U.L. TL-15 and TL-30 descriptions below for "net working time" description.

B/C-Rate Safes

This is a catchall rating for safes with at least a 1/4" steel body, 1/2 inch door PLUS additional 10 or 12 guage metal layers where composite fire resistant material is also deployed. No tests are given to provide this rating. Look at the lock work, relocks and other features when making your decision.

C-Rate Safes

This is defined as a ½ inch thick steel box with a 1-inch thick door and a lock. As before, NO tests are given to provide this rating. Look at the lock work, relocks and other features when making your decision.


The Underwriters Laboratory information:
Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) Ratings
http://www.ul.com

TL-15

Safes given a U.L. TL-15 rating have all passed standardized tests defined in UL Standard 687 using the same tools and usually the same group of testing engineers.Construction Requirements

• U.L. listed Group II, 1 or 1R combination lock.
• 750 lbs. minimum or comes with instructions for anchoring in a larger safe, concrete blocks or on the premises where used.
• Body walls of material equivalent to at least 1" open hearth steel with a minimum tensile strength of 50,000 P.S.I.
• Walls fastened in a manner equivalent to continuous 1/4" penetration weld of open hearth steel with minimum tensile
  strength of 50,000 P.S.I.
• One hole 1/4" or less, to accommodate electrical conductors arranged to have no direct view of the door or locking mechanism.

The label means that the safe successfully resisted entry (i.e. opening the door or making a 6" square opening entirely through the door or front face) for a NET working time of 15 minutes using "…common hand tools, drills, punches hammers, and pressure applying devices." Net working time means simply "when the tool comes off the safe the clock stops". There are over fifty different types of attacks that can be used to gain entrance into the safe. Usually they will try only 2 or 3 based on what they know about the product, and they know a lot.

TL-30

Construction requirements are identical to the TL-15 above. Tests are essentially the same as the TL-15 tests except for the net working time. Testors are allowed 30 minutes and a few more tools (abrasive cutting wheels and power saws) to help them gain entrance. The label signifies the testors were unable to open the door or make a 6" square opening entirely through the door or front face within 30 minutes. Keep in mind these engineers have the manufacturing blue prints and can disassemble the safe being tested before the test begins to see how it works. They know their stuff. TL-30 x 6 - The TL-30 (30-minute) test is conducted on all six (6) sides of the safe.

Other Considerations

When you begin the search for a safe it is a good idea to speak to your insurance agent and see if a particular type of safe will reduce your insurance costs. Many times you can justify the additional expense of a higher security safe because of the premium reduction. Remember no safe is burglar proof, you are buying time. The longer it takes to break in the greater the chance to be caught, and thieves don’t like to get caught.

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10 Things You Didn't Know About UL's Safe Testing

1. The best safecrackers in the business never steal a penny. They work for UL.
   
2. UL has been testing and certifying safes for more than 80 years. The first safe tested for burglary resistance was in 1923 and the first bank vault in 1925.
   
3. Chisels, wenches, screwdrivers, power saws, cutting torches, crowbars, abrasive cutting wheels, jackhammers, even specified amounts of nitroglycerin are just a few of the "tools" UL technicians use during a safe attack. The idea is to test safes to worst-case scenarios. They use tools that could be found at any construction site or hardware store. They also analyze blueprints as if the burglar might have blueprints of the design and attack its weakest points to evaluate the safe for certification.
   
4. UL's safe attack tests are conducted by a two-person crew. The object is to create an opening large enough to withdraw "valuables" (anywhere from 2- to 6-square-inches on a safe and up to 96-square-inches on a vault), activate the locking mechanism so the door opens or to cut as many bolts from the door as necessary to pry it open before the time specified in the rating requirement expires.
   
5. Safes are rated for their resistance to attack against specific tools for a set period of time. There are a dozen different ratings, everything from ATM machines, to gun safes to bank vaults. For example, a safe that bears a Class TRTL-15X6 rating, which might be found in a jewelry store, should resist a hand tool and torch attack for a minimum of 15 minutes. A TRTL-30X6-rated safe, which would protect important documents or store money, should withstand an attack for 30 minutes. The ultimate safe rating-a TXTL60-should withstand an hour's worth of attack that includes the use of 8 ounces of nitroglycerin.
   
6. Because of the size and weight of certain safes and vault doors, it is not always practical to have the product shipped to UL's laboratory locations. UL's burglary protection staff has traveled to destinations such as Japan, France, Israel, England, Finland, Taiwan and India.
   
7. In addition to burglary protection ratings, UL also rates safes for their fire resistance protection. Class 350 safes protect paper documents, Class 150 safes protect magnetic tape and photographic film, while Class 125 safes protect floppy disks. In addition to the Class Rating, safes obtain an hourly rating for fire resistance-anywhere from 30 minutes to four hours.
   
8. Another cool test UL runs on safes is an impact test. This test simulates a safe falling though multiple stories of a building-resulting from a fire that has weakened the structure. After the safe is heated to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit in a furnace, it's raised three stories and dropped onto a pile of bricks. In order to meet the requirement, the safe can't pop open. Temperatures inside can't rise to above 300 degrees Fahrenheit and sample papers left inside have to be readable.
   
9. The specialized suits you sometimes find technicians wearing are not just for show. Their entire ensemble, including protective coat, helmet and gloves, protects the crew against the adverse effects of sparking. After all, safety can't be taken for granted, even within the walls of UL.
   
10. Safes are just one of the 19,000 product categories that UL tests and certifies. While UL's burglary protection team cracks combinations, shatters glass and fires .44-caliber bullets at body armor, other UL engineers and technicians keep busy testing everything from TVs, coffee makers and holiday light strings to fire extinguishers, medical CAT scan equipment and building materials.

(source...)

Post Revisited - How To Repair Door Closers

This post originally appeared in May 2009. It has become one of the most widely viewed posts on our website.

Repairing door closers is not too difficult, even if you are only slightly mechanically inclined.


Blogging often involves many labor intense hours of writing and researching, especially if you are composing your own original works.

I try to acknowledge the source of my reference in most if not all articles written here.

This next post is actually by well respected Author and Locksmith Tom Rubenoff and the source of this article is from Hubpages.

Door Closers

This article is primarily about surface mounted door closers, but the ideas herein can be applied to other kinds of door closers as well.

Door closer adjustment is an art that requires knowledge, patience, and an ability to climb up and down a ladder several times, but with these attributes and the appropriate wrench, hex key or screwdriver, you can do it yourself.

Most of the adjustments are implemented through the opening or closing of hydraulic valves. When it comes to turning the screws that operate these valves, a little goes a long way. A turn of 5 degrees can significantly increase or decrease closing speed.

CAUTION: DO NOT COMPLETELY UNSCREW DOOR CLOSER HYDRAULIC ADJUSTMENT SCREWS OR YOU WILL RUIN THE CLOSER AND VOID THE WARRANTEE.

Also, hydraulic fluid will leak out of the closer and make a mess. This will make you unpopular.

A door closer is a mechanical device designed to close a door slowly, but firmly enough to latch. It accomplishes this by using spring tension modulated by hydraulic fluid. As the user opens the door, hydraulic fluid passes from one reservoir to another, and as the spring pushes the door closed again, the hydraulic fluid passes back to the previous reservoir through a series of valves that control the speed.

The illustration at right shows the effects of the common hydraulic adjustment controls available on most commercial grade door closers. Controls for swing speed and latching speed control how fast the door closes, and many closers also feature a hydraulic control for back check that controls the last few inches of the opening the door so as to prevent the door from being slammed into an adjacent wall.

• Swing speed adjustment controls how fast the door closes from fully open to within about 5 degrees of closed
• Latching speed adjustment controls how fast the door closes for those last few inches
• Back check adjustment controls the amount of resistance to opening the door past a selectable point

The illustration below shows the various hydraulic control valves. These might be located in many configurations, but you will usually see the back check control located somewhat away from the latch speed and swing speed controls.

There are also door closers equipped with an additonal valve for Delayed Action. Delayed action closers hold the door open for a longer period of time to allow persons with disabilities more time to get through the door.

Also notice the Spring Tension Adjustment in the illustration above. Spring tension controls the "size" of a closer. The term is misleading, because it does not actually have anything to do with the physical dimensions of the closer. Size is determined by the width of a door. "Sized" closers, that is, closers that have a factory pre-determined spring tension for a particular door width, have no spring tension adjustment. Many door closers today are "non-sized", indicating that spring tension can be field adjusted to fit the size of the door.

It is tempting to use the spring tension adjustment to solve problems, for example, in positive pressure situations where air flow is preventing the door from closing properly. However, the tighter you make the spring, the harder it will be to open the door. It is possible to tighten the spring tension to the point that some people will not be able to open the door.

Adjusting the Door Closer

To adjust the door closer, bring a step ladder tall enough so that you can easily reach the door closer from the second or third highest step. Climb the ladder and examine the closer. If you can't see adjustment screws, chances are the closer has a cover. Usually the cover is plastic, but it could also be metal. If you see no fasteners holding the cover on, that means the cover is held on by tension. Pull it off. If you do see fasteners, usually you can loosen, but not remove, the fasteners and the cover will slide off.

If you find that there is oil in the cover or oil on or leaking from the closer body, you can stop right now. You need a new door closer. If, however, it is not leaking, you can proceed.

Now that you have the cover off, you should be able to see the adjustment screws. If you are lucky, they will be marked on the closer body as to what they are or there will be a diagram inside the cover. If not, you may have to experiment a little to see which is which. Remember, when it comes to turning door closer adjustment screws, a little goes a long way. Start with no more than 1/8 of a turn. Turn the adjustment screw clockwise to slow the door closer down, counter-clockwise to speed it up. then get down off the ladder and observe the effect.

Open the door and watch it close. If it closes right the first time, check it 10 more times. If it closes correctly every time, you're done. If not, go back up the ladder and make another adjustment, etc., until the closer is doing what you want it to do. When it closes the way you want it to 10 times in a row, it will probably continue to do so.

Ideally a non-delayed action door closer will close and latch the door in 7 to 8 seconds.

Problems

If you expect a door closer to consistantly close the door, as a prerequisite the door must close properly. If there is a hinge problem, a warped door, or the door must swing uphill to close, a door closer will only go so far in solving the problem. Sometimes a door must be repaired before it will close and lock automatically with a door closer.

In vestibule conditions, where you have an exterior door, a small space, and then an interior door, the trapped air between the inside and outside door can be a factor. You may have to adjust both closers to get both to work correctly. Wherever air pressure is a factor, including negative or positive pressure situations, I have have gotten door closers to close and latch the door consistantly by adjusting them to a slow swing speed and a somewhat fast latch speed. The slow swing speed seems to give the air a chance to get out of the way and the fast latch speed gives it a very slight slam at the end to make sure it latches.

Trouble Shooting

• If oil is leaking from your door closer, throw it away and buy a new one.
• If your door closer is slamming the door and cannot be adjusted to do otherwise, either the fluid has leaked out or the valve seals are worn out. Either way, your best option is to replace it.
• If the closer stops closing the door before it's closed all the way, or actually spings back when you try to manually shut the door, the arm is probably installed on the shaft incorrectly. Download the instructions from the door closer manufacturer's web site and see if it is installed correctly.
• If the arm makes noise and bounces up and down while the door is in motion, tighten the fasteners that hold the arm to the closer, to the header, and at the knuckle that holds the two parts of the arm together.
• If the door closer has no spring tension and the spring tension adustment turns round and round with no effect, the spring is broken the door closer must be replaced.

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