Not sure what to get the family this Christmas? How about a safer and more secure home using smart locks?
As we approach the new year, we think about all the things we would like to improve in our lives. One thing you should consider is improving your home’s door locking systems. Changing your locks every so often makes sense no matter whether you upgrade to a smart lock system or even just get new locks and new keys.
Most residential keys can be copied at any hardware store, so it’s very possible, someone you don’t even realize has a key to your home could be holding on to one. Has anyone in the family lost a key or made one for a friend who was visiting? How many people have a key to your home? Think about it. Handymen, relatives, friends, pet sitters? Anyone of them may have lost that key and somewhere, someone you don’t want to have one, has a key to your home. The quick and easy fix to this is a residential re-key. If you live in the Bellevue, Washington area, give Bellevue locksmithing a call and we can rekey the entire house in a jiffy. Call us to schedule an appointment to rekey your home any day of the week or even on the weekends. We are also available for emergency rekeys, so don’t worry if you think someone may have your keys.
Is it time to upgrade?
Technology is changing everything, and locks are no exception. New and better smart locks are available every day. the market every day. At Bellevue Locksmithing, we pride ourselves on staying educated on the constantly evolving market of keypads, digital locks, smartphone-connected locks, and other forms of access control.
Do you or any of your family members get locked out often? Smart door locks have gotten so clever that you don’t even have to remember to carry a key with you anymore. Thanks to electronic keypads, key cards and fobs, fingerprint scanners, and smartphone technology, you don’t have to worry about digging for your house, which is somehow always in the wrong pocket, while your holding groceries, your laptop, the baby and doing a juggling act just to get inside. With some smart locks, you can open your door via a smartphone app. You don’t even have to be there to do so if you need to give access to someone. Let the plumber, the TV guy or Aunt Martha who’s visiting in while you’re at work of shopping.
Another big advantage is that smartphones and smart apps work with your smart lock via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, making it possible to see who’s coming and going to your house. Some will even tell you when it’s time to replace the batteries or allow you to send virtual keys to other people. At this time of year especially, you will probably be getting packages while you’re not home. The last thing you want is to have them sitting on your doorstep waiting to be stolen. With some of the new smart locks, you can answer the door, speak with the visitor from any phone anywhere, and even open the door remotely.
If you like being on the cutting edge of technology, then you might want to consider Bluetooth/Biometric fingerprint door locks. These high-tech solutions include a fingerprint scanner. Some can recognize up to 100 fingerprints.
You can also double the authentication mode setting to strengthen security by requiring both a password and a fingerprint to unlock the doors. Most of these locks can also be operated using an RFID (radio frequency identification) card, key fob or metal backup key and they should have a built-in alarm that goes off if someone attempts to break in.
When someone comes to your home and presses the button on the smart lock, the controller rings your home phone with a double ring, so you know the ring means that someone is at the door to distinguish it from a regular phone call. You can answer the door and open the door from any home phone.
You can also program the controller to forward the door box calls to your cell phone. If you don’t have land or VoIP service, leave the controller in call forwarding mode and it’ll send all door box calls to whatever cell phone you choose. The forwarded call will show up on your portable phone’s screen as your front door. Answer the call and enter a code to activate your door strike or Wi-Fi-enabled deadbolt.
When buying smart locks, stick to commercial-grade products because they’ll last much longer than cheaper consumer-grade versions. And of course, we recommend letting professionals, like our techs at Bellevue Locksmithing, install these for you to save you time and headaches.
Happy Holidays from our family to yours and remember, Bellevue Locksmithing is here for you!
