Small house security problems that can grow big

House security problems usually begin small: a flimsy lock, a lost key or slightly misaligned old doors.

If you don’t contact a professional locksmith as soon as these issues appear, you may end up locked out of your property and paying for lock or doors replacement. However, if you keep a close eye on your house security systems and give them proper maintenance, you can save time, money and – most importantly – feel safe and sound.

House security problem #1 - Lock misalignment

Most locks have mechanisms which can get flimsy after a while, especially when they are not installed by a professional locksmith or regularly maintained. If you happen to have difficulties locking the door, possibly the deadbolt is not properly aligned.

Alternatively, the screws of the strike plate on your door frame – or the entire cylinder of the lock – are loose.

You can always try to fix the issue yourself by tightening the hinges. If that doesn't work the next step would be replacing old screws with longer ones, that penetrate deeper into the door and go beyond the old screws. If replacing or tightening the screws didn't help you can try adding shims under the door hinges.

If all of the above didn't solved the problem the best bet is to contact a local locksmith to quickly fix the problem. If you leave it unresolved, sooner or later your lock or door frame will need to be replaced.

House security problem #2 - Doors and hinges

Do not limit your security considerations to the locks and think about your door as well. If you have a set of good-quality locks which seem to be in perfect condition, yet you cannot easily lock your door, hear a clicking sound while turning your key, or have to force the door in order to open or close, have a look at your door’s hinges.

Also, check the general condition of your door. If they are old, misaligned or hollow, there is no point in investing in high security locks. You may end up having your locks broken and the door will need to be replaced anyway. Doing necessary adjustments in advance is going to save you a lot of unnecessary stress and reduces the chances of a small house security problem grow big.

House security problem #3 - Door lock choices

Choosing your locks is not limited to the front door. You also need to consider your patio doors, garage doors and windows. All of them need good, sturdy security systems.

When it comes to locks there is plenty of issues to think about. Not only should they be upgraded to the current BS3621 standard. For maximum performance, they must be properly installed by a professional locksmith who will also help you choose the right type.

And there’s a lot to choose from: multipoint locks, night latches, mortice locks, cylinder locks, and many other security solutions such as growingly popular electronic and smart locks.

Choosing the wrong type of security measures will generate additional costs in the future.

House security problem #4 - Wrong installation and maintenance

When your key is lost, do not settle for an easy replacement. You will need to contact a reliable locksmith to rekey your locks in order to make sure that no one enters your premises.

Also, if you choose to invest in new locks, make sure they get proper installation – otherwise, they will break or become misaligned and you’ll need a costly replacement.

If you notice that your locks are getting flimsy or your key tends to get stuck, do not wait for the mechanism to break. Call a SPESH - Tooting local locksmith to fix any of your house security problems before it becomes a significant security issue.