Good Deadbolts are a security must-have!

Features to look for in a Deadbolt:

  • For most homes, a Grade 2 rating. Grade 1, a commercial rating, offers added security—at added cost. Avoid Grade 3. And beware of ads touting dead bolts with "Grade 1 features." The rating must be for the entire lock.
     

  • A forged, solid-brass plug (the part that the key turns) and cylinder (the part that surrounds the plug). Avoid less expensive locks that have softer brass-plated zinc cylinders and plugs.
     

  • A heavy-gauge-steel or -brass strike plate. Secure it with 3-in.-long screws that go through the jamb into the framing. The longer the length, the better the strength. A 12-in. strike plate will spread the impact over a larger area, resisting a kick-in attempt.
     

  • A 1-in. throw, which means the bolt extends a full 1 in. into the jamb. Often the door frame is not drilled out deep enough for the bolt to extend fully. Test how far the bolt extends with the door open and compare.
     

  • A free-spinning, sawproof, hardened-steel pin at the center of the bolt. If thieves use a saw on the bolt, the steel will resist the blade and the pin will spin, frustrating the cutting action of the saw.
     

  • A solid housing that protrudes into the door face rather than one that sits flush with it. This prevents thieves from shearing the dead bolt off with repeated hammer blows, or crushing the outside housing with a pipe wrench.
     

  • Large turnpieces on the interior side that offer more leverage for children or anyone else who has difficulty opening dead bolts.
     

  • You get what you pay for!  A grade 2 deadbolt will cost you around $40. A grade 1 deadbolt is $90 and up, high security features will increase the cost, but provide copy protection and pick resistance as well as a higher level of forced entry deterrence.

1. What is the difference between burglary and fire rated safes?

A burglary safe has been tested and rated against an opening attack.  A fire safe has been tested and rated against a fire.  Fire resistant products generally use relatively light weight steel to reduce heat transference, which in turn prevents the products from attaining a security rating.

2. Do all fire rated safes give adequate protection?

Fire safes are available with different ratings, because paper and media require different forms of protection.  During a fire, paper is more durable than media and can tolerate heat up to 450º F before igniting.  However, paper will dry out and become brittle when exposed to heat.  So, the paper rated type of safe is designed to release a little steam inside to balance the heat's drying effect when the internal temperature nears 300º F.  Media such as diskettes, CDs, and tapes cannot tolerate either the higher temperature or the humidity levels found in the paper rated products.  They must be stored in an environment that will stay below 125º F and 80% humidity in order to be protected.

3. What class is my safe and what does this mean?

Burglar Resistant Safes are available with or without the fire ratings described above.  Burglary Resistant Safes are classified in the following categories:

  • B-Rated (Residential Burglar Resistant Rating with a 1/2" steel door and a 1/4" steel body)

  • C-Rate (A little better than the above with a 1" steel door and a 1/2" steel body)

  • Class 2 (TL 15) - Tool resistant by professionals for minimum 15 minutes.  Only the door is attacked.  The body must be 1" of steel or greater and the safe must weigh at least 750 lbs or have provision for anchoring.

  • Class 3 (TL 30) - Tool resistant by professionals for a minimum 30 minutes.  Only the door is attacked.  the body must be 1" of steel or greater and the safe must weigh at least 750 lbs or have provision for anchoring.

  • Class 4 (TL TR 30) - Tool/Torch resistant by professionals for 30 minutes.

  • Class 5 (TL TR 60) - Tool/Torch resistant by professionals for minimum 60 minutes.  The safe must weigh at least 1000 lbs or have provision for anchoring.

  • X6 the addition of X6 (i.e. TL-60X6) means that the requirements apply to all six sides of the safe and not just to the door.  It can only apply to a rating of TL-15 and higher.

  • TX - the addition of TX means that the safe will resist nitroglycerine and other high explosives for a specific amount of time.

4. Will opening my locked safe cause damage to it?

There are various methods of opening lockouts, the method used depends on the locking system your safe utilizes. Sometimes there is no other option than to drill into the safe in order to bypass the lock mechanism from inside. The equipment used to make entry is state-of-the-art and causes the very least amount of damage required (usually one tiny hole), and the repairs made restore your safe to it's original security. Even if the drilled hole was left unrepaired it could not be used to open the safe without the very specialized equipment that safe technicians use.

1.What is rekeying?

Locks have a set of pins within the cylinder that match the cuts on your keys. Rekeying is the process of replacing these pins with a new set  and providing new keys with the matching cuts to fit. If the lock is master-keyed, there will be an extra layer of pins in the cylinder that allow more combinations of keys to fit. New home construction will have master-keyed locks, and a simple rekey will eliminate the combination of other keys that will open your locks.

2. Can my locks be made to work all on the same key?

Most brands of locks have their own proprietary key design, but as a general rule if your key will enter the lock smoothly, the lock can be matched to fit your key.

3. How can I keep someone from making duplicates of my key?

The only sure way of preventing any unauthorized duplications is to have "restricted" keys. These are a system of lock cylinders and corresponding keys that are only sold to registered users by authorized locksmiths. The key blanks are not available anywhere else and therefore cannot be copied without your authorization. Just having your keys stamped "do not copy" is no longer a guarantee that a keycutter will not copy it. Hardware Depots and convenience stores that cut keys do not hold licenses or security bonds and are rarely held responsible for making illegal duplicates of your keys.

Read the article below for some good advice on basic home security:

 "An Ex-Con's Take on Home Security"

1. I have the combination to my safe, but I've forgotten how to dial it?

Standard safe combination locks - Sargent & Greenleaf,  Lagard

Import safe combination locks - Bumil, Sentry, Knight, Brinks

2. Electronic keypad or Mechanical dial, which is better?

Advancements in technology have made the digital locks much more reliable than in the past. However, anytime you deal with electronics there are naturally more potential failures than with the standard mechanical dial locks. Dial locks have been working on safes with limited failures for many decades, whereas electronic locks are a recent innovation with delicate components and required batteries that must be kept fresh.  The convenience of use and capability of additional features will continue to make electronic locks popular and may suit your needs better. If you don't access your safe on a frequent basis and don't require programmable features such as time delay and user-changeable codes, you will probably be better served with a dial-type lock.

3. If a burglar really wants in, there's nothing I can do to stop it right?

It is often said that "a lock keeps honest people honest." In the general case, a lock will not keep out an absolutely determined intruder with unlimited resources, skills, knowledge and time. However, even a minimal lock can delay a typical intruder for a time, and the disturbance generated in circumventing a high-quality lock, for example by breaking windows and doors or cutting and grinding through safe doors, can deter many attackers, causing them to direct their attacks against weaker targets.

In terms of physical security, a locksmith's work frequently involves making a determination of the level of risk to an individual or institution and then recommending and implementing appropriate combinations of equipment and policies to create "security layers" which exceed the reasonable gain to an intruder or attacker. The more different security layers are implemented, the more the requirement for additional skills and knowledge and tools to defeat them all. But because each layer comes at an expense to the customer, the application of appropriate levels without exceeding reasonable costs to the customer is often very important and requires a skilled and knowledgeable locksmith to determine.

When combined with secure containers (safes and vaults), good habits in the protection of your home and identity, and alarm systems, locks can provide much higher levels of security.

4.  Can you open safes like in the movies?

In the movies, master thieves and spies can deftly defeat a safe in a matter of seconds using little more than steady hands and a good ear. Safecracking isn't really that easy of course, but expert safecrackers really can get through just about any lock mechanism. It's a matter of having the right tools, the right skills and plenty of patience.

5. How much do you charge?

Safe & Vault Services:

The fees charged for these specialized services are in direct relation to the level of expertise and training required, equipment and resource materials needed to perform skilled minimal-damage openings, and the protection rating of your safe and it's lock. So as you can see, the only way to give an accurate representation of cost is to know the details of your situation. This is not an attempt to lure you in and then present you with a gigantic bill, my rates are affordable and customer satisfaction is guaranteed! You will always be provided with a free estimate and charged according to the quote.

Subcontracting safe services to local area locksmiths welcomed. Your client will be provided with discreet, professional service as your representative.

Please provide a digital picture of the safe and its lock dial by email or text. 

 

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