Now that a lot of us find ourselves working from home, we can sometimes find it hard to focus on our duties. We’ve come up with a few ideas to help you become distraction free, and get some work done.
Whether you are starting a new business or you have been established for a while, if you don’t have video security yet, perhaps you should. Most businesses utilize a video security system of some sort to help deter theft, in case of theft, or to monitor their business while they aren’t there. Let’s consider some of the reasons businesses use video security to see if it’s right for your business.
Now that we’re in the midst of winter, you’re probably feeling a bit cooped up inside the house with the kids, and are itching to break out and do some fun activities. We’ve come up with some fun things to get out and do in the state of Minnesota.
So get out of the house this winter and explore these fun escapes in Minnesota with your whole family. You’ll love have much Minnesota has to offer! Everyone wants their homes to be as safe as possible and talk of security systems and locks are always at the forefront. But what about some of the simpler things you can do to help protect your home. When it comes to sliding glass doors, we can sometimes forget that they typically don’t have as strong of a lock system as the ones on your front doors. Consider some of these tips to help secure your beautiful sliding doors. One of the easiest things you can do is to have a solid bar made of wood, metal or strong plastic to simply lay down in your sliding door track while it is closed. By putting an obstruction in the way, when the door tries to slide open, it will get stopped by the bar laying on the track. You can easily obtain a bar for this, by cutting down an old broom handle or a wooden dowel that you can get at your local hardware store. First measure the space that is your track and cut the broom handle slightly shorter than that measurement. This allows you to have room to insert and remove the bar from the door track. You can also paint the bar to match your door for a more aesthetic appeal. Don’t forget to remove it when you try to open the door or you’ll meet a sudden stop and you don’t want to do any damage to your door. When you paint it to blend in with the color of the door, you can tend to forget about it when you go to open the door. They also sell pre-made security bars out of other materials as well. For dual sliding doors that have two handles that are next to each other, you can attach a chain or similar material around the door handles to tie them together, so they use each other to act as a resistance if someone tries to slide the doors open. Just make sure you use a material that can’t be easily cut. If an intruder happens to be able to slide the door open a little and can reach the binding mechanism, they may be able to cut it. There are some locking mechanisms on the market you can buy as well, if you don’t want to fashion one yourself out of other materials. Make sure whatever item you get to help secure your door is easy to remove by you and your family, so if there is an emergency, you are not trapped inside. You can also buy a clear safety window film to help reinforce the glass. Apply the safety film to your glass doors for added protection. These will allow you to still be able to look out and enjoy the sunshine, but will block those that are outside from looking in. It can also slow down intruders, with the reinforced glass it will take more to break it out of the door frame to allow access for someone to enter your home. There are several options for this product on the market. You can also add curtains to keep people from looking into your home. Some other options are adding a more secure lock system to your sliding doors, or integrating it into a monitored home security system. If you’d like to discuss more security options for your home, please give us a call at Minnesota Locks. We can help you figure out the best options to suit your needs for a more secure home. Snap! What an awful sinking feeling you have when you realize that your key has just broken off inside your lock. It feels like a red alarm emergency if you don’t happen to know how to deal with it. But don’t fret. There are ways you can get the key out before you have to call a professional. Depending on your situation, you may have limited access to different tools or items. Say, if your key breaks off in the door to your home, then you might not have certain items you may need on your side of the door. If you are able to, use another entrance to your home to gain access to the inside of the door. It will be easier to work on if you can open the door. If the whole key is inserted, you can try opening the door with a screwdriver (if you happen to carry one in your car), then you can insert the screwdriver as much as you can into the lock and try turning the doorknob to see if it opens. This could at least get you access into your home to more options for tools. If the key is visible, you may be able to pull it out. First, spray some lubricant into the lock to help loosen the parts inside. A dry lubricant is preferred over an oil-based one, since those can residue that can collect dirt and grime over time, clogging up your lock. If the key broke off without any teeth still attached to the part you’re holding in your hand, then you may need to realign the lock first. If it broke mid-turn, then you’ll have to do this step. Use a flathead screwdriver to turn it back to it’s vertical position. Use a pair of needle nose pliers to grip the piece of the key that is still sticking out and try to pull the key out that way. Note: This will work if the key broke off at the head of the key, with all the teeth inside the lock. Be careful trying to remove a key that isn’t fully inserted, you don’t want to push the key further into the lock making it harder to reach. If your pliers are proving clunky or are too big to get a good grasp, you can try a pair of tweezers and they may be able to do the trick. If the pliers aren’t able to grip the broken key, try using a small blade used for a scroll saw or jigsaw. Slide the saw blade in the top part of the key hole, with the teeth facing downwards, next to the broken key into the lock. You should be able to feel the blade’s teeth grab onto the grooves, then you will pull the saw blade back out and the key should come with it. Locksmiths have a tool that is similar to these blades that they use to remove keys. Paper clips can also potentially work in this same manner. If your key is removed successfully, keep both pieces and take them to a locksmith or key duplicating place and they will be able to make you a new one from the two broken parts. If you still can’t seem to get the key out or if the lock has been damaged, call a locksmith to help with the repair. You can call us at Minnesota Locks with any of your concerns. For those of us who may not be as car savvy as others, when something like your car key locking up and not being able to turn to start your car ignition, can cause a minor amount of panic to set in. If you have no idea what is happening, it can be very stressful. Your mind can tend to go immediately to the worst case scenario, that your car is broken. Don’t panic. This can be a very common occurrence, your wheel is locked. This can happen if the steering wheel has been moved since you last took your key out of the ignition. To unlock it, move the steering wheel from side to side while turning the key simultaneously. As soon as the key can turn, the wheel will unlock. If the ignition cylinder is still stuck, then try using a dry lubricant in the lock. You want something that won’t collect dust or grime over time. Spray the lubricant into the keyway of the ignition, wipe off any excess on the outside, then insert the key a few times so the lubricant can work into the mechanism, then turn the key. Try jiggling it if the key doesn’t turn right away. If you’re still not able to get the key to turn, it might be a different issue. Perhaps the key is damaged. Try using a spare key to see if it works. If it does, there might be a twist or bend or worn teeth on the original key that is causing it not to turn. So replacing the broken key is an easy option. Locksmiths or dealerships can make a copy of your spare key that works, or if you don’t have a second key, they can make a copy of the damaged key (that will now work). Calling a locksmith can be a cheaper option than a dealership, so check with a good locksmithing company first. If all else fails, the problem may lie in your ignition cylinder and may need a replacement. You can try to fumble through figuring out how to fix this on your own, or just save yourself a lot of time and frustration and call a locksmith. Again, you can call your dealership, but you’ll probably find that a locksmith is a more economical option. Once you’ve figured out where the problem lies, it can be an easy fix. Whether you do it on your own or by calling a locksmith. Either way, never fear, you’ll soon be on your way again. Who doesn’t love vacation? You work really hard, so this is your chance to get away and do what you love. Whether it’s sitting on the beach or touring your favorite city, the excitement of planning your trip builds until the day finally comes to get out of town. But what about leaving your home all alone? Are you concerned if your home will be safe while you’re away? Of course, the best thing to do is have a house sitter stay at your house while you’re gone. It’s the perfect solution to ease your mind. But, for those of us who are not able to find someone to stay at their home, here are some other things you can do to help.
We’re talking about home security again. And why not? It’s very important to all of us to keep our families, including our furry little friends, safe in our own homes. According to the Justice Department, the majority of break-ins happen with criminals entering your home through the front door. So, this should be your first line of defense in home security. Let’s take a look at some of the best door locks on the market today. According to the Consumer Reports’ website, they conducted a series of brute force kick tests using a 100-pound battering ram against locked doors to determine the best door locks for preventing forced entry. After testing dozens of locks, they concluded that Yale Premier Single Cylinder YH82 was among the top strongest locks. It is one of the strongest conventional deadbolts that stands up well to kick-ins and drilling. Yale is a pretty trusted lock, being one of the oldest and most recognized brands in the security industry. As the creators of the modern day pin tumbler lock, and being around for such a long time, most other locks are designed off of their pin tumbler design. The brand produces a wide array of products, including smart locks. During Consumer Reports testing for Smart locks, the Yale Assure Lock SL was the top in that category as well. Along with it being resistant to kick-ins and drilling, with it being a Smart lock, or keyless lock, it’s impossible to pick. The Medeco Maxum 11*603 also performed well in the testing, as the strongest deadbolt across all of the Consumer Reports lock categories, including picking, drilling, and kick-ins. Popular with many professional locksmiths, Medeco is one of the largest manufacturers of medium and high-security locks for both residential and commercial use. For electronic locks, the Schlage Touch Keyless FE375 CAM electronic deadbolt was the top in the electronic lock category. The Schlage brand locks are a sturdier lock, and the non-electronic keyed-locks are harder to pick. Schlage is a popular and widely available brand of locks that manufactures a wide range of locks, including nonconnected and smart locks. So if you are looking for a new, very secure door lock for your home, check out one of these tested locks. If you have any further questions, or would like more guidance on what type of door lock you should get for your home, please call us at Minnesota Locks at (651) 451-0622 today! Sources: https://www.consumerreports.org/door-locks/best-and-worst-door-locks/ These days, everyone is looking for more space in their homes. With so many more people working from home, some homes can start to feel a bit crowded. And there’s a space you may not consider as a usable living area, the garage. If your home has a decently maintained garage the conversion can be somewhat simple. Measure and Design your Space The first thing you’ll want to decide upon is the layout of your workspace. Think about how much space your garage can offer by rearranging clutter or storage that may be there. And if you want to keep a space for your car as well. Take measurements of your garage and draw out an outline of what you’ll need. Don’t forget to think about placement of desks or shelves to put in your drawing. This will help decide if you need additional power outlets for your computer, printer, and other devices you may need power for at your desk. Adding Walls If you do decide to maintain space for your car, you will need to construct new walls to divide the space. If you’re adding walls and you have some extra space, maybe an office closet would do nicely for office supplies. Garage Door You’re going to need an insulated garage door to keep warm or cool in your office space. If you have to upgrade, then consider getting a door with windows. You can frost the glass if you want privacy. Insulation You’re going to need heating and cooling in your new space. If your garage is not already insulated, you’ll want to do that before you get to finishing your office space. This will keep your office comfortable to work in through the seasons. There are small heating units and cooling units to use in smaller spaces, or you can just open your garage door in nicer weather. Electrical Your garage should already have some outlets, but you may want to consider adding some more power for your office needs. And you may want to run wiring for wall mounted lighting as well. Floors The easiest option would be to polish the concrete that exists for a nice finish. You could also do a laminate or tile option for the finished office area. A durable option is installing natural stone and epoxy. Throw a rug down under your desk for a little protection for the cold floor. Bright Paint and Lighting With no windows in the garage, you want to make it as bright as you can through other means. With your new walls, you’ll want to pick a lighter, brighter color to help lighten the space up. Add floor or desk lamps if you can’t install wall or overhead lighting. Research Contractors Depending on the work your garage to office conversion needs, this can all be overwhelming to those that might not know the difference between a nail gun and a drill. If you aren’t handy or knowledgable about some aspects of a remodel, like electrical wiring, hire a contractor. Get recommendations and read reviews to find reliable contractors for all your conversion needs, big or small. Security Working in a garage can leave you feeling a little more exposed than inside the home, so think about some security options that would work for your new office space. You could add a camera to see what’s happening outside the garage door. Or add a security keypad for easier access to the garage without a garage door opener. If you have an outside access door to the garage, make sure all the locks are in proper working order. And there are multiple alarm systems available that you could have installed as well. Call Minnesota Locks today with your questions about garage security. When we think of security risks, we typically think about our own actions. But have you thought about the actions of those in your home? Specifically, we’re talking about those seemingly innocent, moon-faced little creatures living under your roof… your kids. It may not seem like it, but they can cause serious harm to your home security or themselves. Today, most people with kids grew up in an era where they were raised to be latch-key kids. Their parents instructed them on what to say if a stranger was at the door or called on the phone (you know, pre-caller ID), so you had no idea who was calling, Mom? Dad? Stranger? It was like a roll of the dice who you would get). With instructions of things to say like “My mom can’t come to the door because she is in the bathroom”, or whatever excuse your parents coached you to say. Nowadays, it might be less likely kids are at home alone (cue Macaulay Calkin scream 😱), but we still have to think about coaching our kids about telling strangers personal information or when you will be home. Of course, that’s what burglars want to know, when no one will be home. Kids don’t realize there is danger to telling people certain information, and we all know some kids can be quite talkative about all kinds of things. Take the time to give them a few instructions on the information that they shouldn’t be telling to people they don’t know. Which leads us to other ways kids can give out information... on the internet. Giving out information in real life is pretty bad, but it’s even worse online. Teach your kids to post things about the places you’ve visited, like restaurants or vacations, after the fact. When you are back in your home, post away about the day’s adventures, or that recent vacation. I know they are eager to share their experiences, but it’s wise to not let them post online while your home is currently unoccupied (this is also good advice to grown ups too). When they are posting online, they are sending a press release to everyone online what your schedule is, giving a lot of people access to this information. Make sure your kids understand that by allowing people to see these aspects of your life, opens up the opportunity for people to steal from you, or maybe worse. Pay close attention to your kids’ accounts to ensure they are not putting anyone at home in danger by sharing private information or about the families schedules detailing when they aren’t home. In short, continuing to educate them about stranger danger online is key. Another item for your kids to be aware of is your home security alarm (if you have one). These are great for aiding in burglary prevention, but they don’t do much good if your kids forget to re-arm the device when they come home from school or are out playing with friends. Notes or signs that can be hung next to the security keypad are great reminders for them to remember to reset an alarm. Especially if they happen to be home alone after school. And soon it may become second nature to them, as they get into a routine of resetting the alarm. And don’t forget to go over all the buttons and their functions, just in case there happens to be a hiccup with the alarm system. If it’s hooked to a phone service that calls if there is a problem, also brief them on the proper phone numbers that identify as the security system company and practice the questions that they may ask when they call, so your kids aren’t nervous or confused. And while we’re on the subject, simply getting them to remember to lock the door is a benefit too. Help them turn it into a habit, when you close an outside door, turn the lock. Make it into a step process. Turn the doorknob to close the door, and then turn the lock. We know life is full of stress, so hopefully following some of these tips can help relieve a little bit of that anxiety. Just knowing your kids are educated in keeping your family safe can bring a little peace of mind. |
AuthorWe offer automotive, commercial and residential locksmith services in the Twin Cities. Archives
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