If your home's locking system is mostly made up of knob locks, you could be exposing your home to a few security risks. Here are some of the biggest issues along with how to change them.
Knob Locks Are Vulnerable to Brute Force
The first thing to consider is that knob locks are vulnerable to brute force. An intruder can use a lot of force to jam the locking mechanism and render it ineffective. There are a few things that you can do with your locksmith's help to make knob locks stronger. First of all, consider adding an additional form of locking protection, such as a deadbolt on top of the lock. Or, at the least, be sure that you are using one of the latest models of knob locks; they may have stronger metal components that are less vulnerable to a brute force break-in.
Others Can Duplicate the Key
Another issue is the fact that you may have many keys floating around. If you have given someone else access to your home at any time, don't make the mistake of thinking that they couldn't duplicate the key. If your key went out to a maintenance company, you never know what could have happened with your key. Even if you've only given keys to your friends, they may not have the same safety standards as you; they may have left spare keys around so that they could be swiped or duplicated. The solution is to have your locks rekeyed on a regular basis to deny access to anyone who got a hold of an extra key copy.
You Don't Know Who Broke In
Another problem is that you don't know who the culprit is if someone does break in. Since all of the keys are identical, you can't figure out which key was used. Installing CCTV is one option for correcting this problem. The other, more comprehensive solution is to get a smart locking system put in place. Besides adding security, it will give you more options for monitoring each door and seeing who has entered the home.
Lock Bumping Is an Issue
Finally, knob locks can be an issue because they create an opportunity for people to enter by using a bump key, which is essentially a master key that can open many knob locks with enough force. Perhaps the best way to prevent this type of entry is to include multiple locks that are less vulnerable to a bumping attack.
For more information, contact a locksmith at a company like Action Lock & Safe.
Share29 September 2016
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