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Ribbon & Reed Entrance SetHigh-tech locks — fingerprint, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi enabled systems — are transforming the way you enter your home, threatening to make house keys as obsolete as rotary phones.
french doors brisbane northsideBut do these easy-access locks make your home more secure? Do they add value? Or will next week’s bright idea make these fancy entry systems passé before you pay them off?Keyless locks are great for tech-savvy homeowners, says Marianna Perry, a former director of the National Crime Prevention Institute. But the latest isn’t the greatest for someone who struggles to keep up with each “smart” gizmo that comes down the pike. If you still can’t program your DVR to record “Downton Abbey,” keyless locks probably aren’t for you.“The lock needs to fit the user,” Perry says.The Latest LocksBiometric: Locks that recognize your fingerprints and open with a swipe of your finger.
Key fob (proximity lock): Carry a fob in your pocket, and these locks open automatically or with a simple tap; or press the fob button and unlock the door as soon as you pull into the driveway. Smart phone-controlled: Your smart phone syncs with your lock via Bluetooth, enabling you to control entrance remotely and keep track of who comes and goes. Some locks recognize your phone and open automatically as you approach. Some will text you when someone else opens the door. Surveillance lock: Combines easy access with surveillance and takes a picture of whoever opens your door. You can program codes for specific people, and the lock will offer a warm LED greeting when they arrive. Keyless Locks Add Marketability“It’s a sales tool,” says Robert Siciliano, a security expert for Schlage locks. Siciliano’s home is outfitted with a touchpad lock that glows blue and can be activated via cellphone.“The first thing people see when they walk to my door is that touchpad, and they want to know all about it,” Siciliano says.
Do High-Tech Locks Make Your House More Secure?Burglars mostly enter your home through an unlocked door or by forcing open a window or door. In fact, criminals admit that security systems with camera surveillance — not locks (smart or otherwise) — are the biggest deterrent against burglaries.“Burglars are criminals of opportunity,” says Glen Mowrey, a retired North Carolina deputy police chief. “They’re looking for the least resistance.” A biometric deadbolt lock, which scans fingerprints, can cost $300 and be less secure than “Consumer Reports’” top-rated Medeco Maxum 11WC60L, a regular keyed lock that costs $190. In CR tests, the Medeco Maxum defied forced entry — the most common type of home break-in — better than the high-tech locks tested.“Smart locks are more convenient, but not any stronger than regular locks,” says Joey Lachausse of the Associated Locksmiths of America.In fact, some smart locks are easier to defeat and can be more annoying to use than traditional locks:In testing, a team of British lock hackers easily opened a fingerprint-reading lock by inserting a paperclip into its backup key chamber.
During a power outage, some electronic locks fail or disengage, forcing you to use a backup key — but then your system isn’t keyless, is it?Circuit boards that control electronic locks can fail.Top Security TipsReplace hollow-core wood exterior doors with solid wood or steel doors.Reinforce wood door jambs with additional steel plates, which make the door harder to kick in.Install strike plates made of heavy-duty metal, and secure them with 3-inch screws.Replace sidelight glass with shatter-resistant polycarbonate.Lock doors whenever you leave the house, even for a short time. In fact, lock doors and windows when you’re home, too.Related: Bars on Windows? Types and TipsMotion Sensor Lighting: Safety and Security Indoors and OutHere are a few tips that can increase your chance of success in picking pin tumbler or wafer locks. Lubricate the plug generously with WD40 or any other approved spray. Do NOT use graphite. Spend a few seconds raking the tumblers with a rake pick to distribute the lubricant.
This step alone can make the difference between success and failure, especially if you are working on locks that have been exposed to weather or high levels of dust and grit. One near microscopic particle clinging to a tumbler at the wrong place can nix your chances of picking the lock.You'd be surprised how many times I've wasted time trying to pick a lock that my customer eventually reveals has not been working for some time even with the proper key. As you know, if the lock is not functioning well, it isn't going to pick. However . . . Don't bet the farm on the customer's answer. This applies mainly to turning direction. I used to ask which direction the key is turned to unlock the cylinder (this is usually a constant -- for instance, Kwikset knobsets always pick to the left to unlock, which is backwards of most other brands -- but you may not remember which direction a particular brand picks, and some major brands such as Schlage have models that pick opposite of other models).
I realize now that most people pay no attention to which direction is correct and when they stop to think about it they'll come up with the wrong conclusion at least half the time. Use a tension tool that fits the keyway snugly. Always begin with very light turning tension. Don't start resorting to higher forces until you've spent a few minutes raking the lock with feather light turning force. If using a pickgun, start with light tension on the adjustment knob. Too heavy a tension can generate enough force to weaken drive springs in the lock, making the job even harder. When picking locks with miniature keyways, such as is the case with mailbox cylinders and file cabinet locks, it can be hard to come up with a tension tool small enough to do the job without crowding the keyway. You can make a miniature turning tool by bending a small paper clip. Straighten it out and then form a 90 degree bend at one end. Double back on the bend to form a tiny loop that will work as the turning leg.
Experiment with the final form until you have a tool that will work with the particular plug you are picking. The hardest lesson I've had to learn over the years as an Emergency Mobile Locksmith, who does his share of lock picking jobs, is to accept the simple fact that I'm not always going to be successful at picking, and that it's nothing to take personally. Some locks just won't pick. You may not realize it, but locks have personalities. Some of them are just hateful. You might pick a lock easily one day and have no luck at all a week later. Okay, I guess the lock is just a lock. But factors come into play that you don't always have control over. Your attitude and your mood, your level of self assurance, your health and your physical stamina . . . all these factors DO affect how much success you'll have on any given lockpick. Not always to the same degree, and there are, of course, locks that are so minimally secure that you might not even notice a change from one day to the next.
But when you deal with locks of tighter tolerances (higher security due to better manufacturing and design), ALL these factors as well as others that have nothing to do with you will come into play. The condition of the lock. If tumblers are weak due to a lot of use, it affects how well they'll respond to picking. Also, a dirty keyway can completely nix your chances of picking.On a very cold day, springs react differently to your picking than on a warmer day. The position of the lock. This is a big one. Picking a lock that was inadvertently or intentionally mounted upside down can be one heck of job. Makes you want to stand on your head. The best bet is to get in some practice now and then on upside down locks, because it's a whole new ball game. If the lock WON'T pick, you can resort to a couple of strategies: Try shimming the door, if you're picking a knobset. This, obviously, is not an option when picking deadbolts. "Credit carding" a lock doesn't look particularly professional, so use a shim made of stainless steel, or a flat piece of plastic that is unmarked.