Category : Local Chicago Locksmith

• Choosing a Professional, Quality Locksmith in Chicago

  Posted on January 18th, 2021 0 Comments

  When you require high quality locksmith service, especially in an emergency, it’s essential that you verify that the locksmith that’s providing you service is professionally qualified. Here at Chicago Locksmiths, our technicians are fully licensed and insured, and go through a rigorous training process to ensure the exemplary quality of their service and conduct. In this blog post, you can learn about the essentials of verifying a quality locksmith service.

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• Why it’s Best to Hire a Certified Locksmith

  Posted on June 29th, 2018 0 Comments

  It’s always a good idea to hire a certified locksmith to carry out all of your lock installation, lock repair, and lock maintenance needs. Not only are amateur attempts much more time consuming and less effective than professional service, but they can affect the safety and security of your household and business. Here’s a guide to why it’s best to hire a certified locksmith, as prepared by the lock and security experts at Chicago Locksmiths.

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• Reasons Not to Break into your own Car during a Lockout

  Posted on February 23rd, 2018 0 Comments

  Picture this scenario if you will: you’ve just finished a long day of work or grocery shopping, and find that you’ve accidentally locked yourself out of your car. This is a stressful situation made even more aggravating if you’ve had a long day or happen to be parked in the middle of nowhere – and if you find yourself in it, you might be finding yourself stressed over figuring out a way to get yourself into your car as soon as possible. This is never a good approach. The automotive lockout experts at Chicago Locksmiths have prepared a short list on the top reasons NOT to attempt to break into your own car during a lockout; instead, contact our team to get instant, safe assistance with your car lockout problem.

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• What is a VIN number?

  Posted on May 23rd, 2016 0 Comments

  

  Vehicle Identification Numbers are unique code combinations given to vehicles when they are manufactured. This code contains the most important identifying details about the car  This code cannot be changed, and remains active throughout the car’s life. Consider it as your car’s DNA.

   

  VIN numbers are made up of a serial code of 17 characters. They started being used in 1954, and different manufacturers used different formats of the code until 1981, when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the United States standardized the use of these codes. This standard excludes the use of letters like: “Q, w, o, O, i, and I” from being used as they can all be easily confused with being the numbers 0 or 1.

  World Manufacturer Identifier Numbers

  The first three symbols of the VIN number determine the WMI (world manufacturer identifier,) showing which manufacturer made your car. The first character of the WMI identifies the area where the vehicle was made. The next 4 characters provide information about the vehicle type, the model, and the body style.

   

  Uses of VIN Numbers

  VIN numbers are incredibly helpful if you want to buy a used car. You can use the car’s VIN number to check its history report, and whether it has sustained any damage in accidents or has insurance that covers it. VIN numbers also help identify stolen cars, or specific parts if you need to have your car repaired, or your car keys copied.

  

  Author: admin

• Going Out Partying Lock Risks

  Posted on May 17th, 2016 0 Comments

  

  Drinking alcohol is one of the global pastimes of working (and indolent) people everywhere. For some people it’s a hobby; for others it’s a lifestyle. Casting an eye away from concern for your professional well being, in this blog post I’ll detail some of the ways that having a night out on the town drinking might affect your ability to enter your home – and lead to your need for a locksmith.

  Losing Keys

  When drinking, you might want to consider giving a friend your keys to hold on to. This prevents the potential of you getting behind the wheel of your car while intoxicated. However, if you’re giving your friend your keys, pay mind to whether they are drunk or responsible to make sure that they in turn don’t lose them. It’s also a risk to potentially forget the fact you gave your keys to your friend, or exactly which friend you gave them to. Fortunately to the alcohol consuming public, emergency locksmiths exist for a reason.

   

  Breaking Keys

  Alcohol can seriously affect anybody’s ability to maintain successful hand-eye coordination. Even simple actions like inserting a key into a lock become oppressively difficult; to use a clumsy metaphor about clumsiness, imagine if every time you wanted to touch your nose, you touched your foot.  Now translate that metaphor to trying to place your key into key slot. If you’re insanely drunk and the only thing you can think about is how badly you want to collapse into your bed, you might shove the key in the keyhole the wrong way, repeatedly, breaking or grinding off it’s details, or even worse, snapping it off inside the key slot.

   

  Breaking the Lock

  Alcohol can give people extra-human strength. Let’s say you forget your keys at the bar, or inside a taxi, and then get home, drunk, and all you want to do is get back inside. Some of the more confident among us might try to pick the lock – never a good idea for an amateur to attempt, especially when drunk. This could cause irreparable damage to the lock – damage that can be equalled or surpassed by manual attempts to force the door open – especially with the utilization of alcohol induced super strength. We’ve seen doors physically pried off their hinges by desperate intoxicated people – if you’re reading this you probably don’t want to even try anything like this, but just for the sake of safety, let us remind you – don’t even try it.

   

  Forgetfully Compromising your Security

  Even if you did remember your keys, you very well might forget to lock the door once you stumble inside and crash on the couch. It’s no surprise that the majority of crime happens between the hours of 2-5 in the morning; it’s when criminals expect people to be drunk and vulnerable, leaving themselves exposed to the dastardly machinations of others. In certain areas heavily populated by young people, criminals have been known to try opening street level doors, knowing the chances that one might have been mistakenly unlocked. Don’t leave yourself exposed to this threat.

   

  Reducing your Chances of Drunk Lockouts

  • If you know in advance that you will be drinking a lot, make sure to get good rest the night before, eat well during the previous day (and throughout your evening of drinking,) and most importantly, stay hydrated. It’s going to help your body deal with the effects of alcohol in a much more comfortable and healthy fashion, so that you can have your mental bearings when you arrive home.
  • Make sure to be drinking with people that you trust. This makes it easy for you to leave keys with them in case you need them to hold them for safekeeping. Never leave your keys or phones with strangers that you don’t know.
  • If one of your friend is the designated driver, make sure they carry everyone’s keys as well just to be safe. Since they (hopefully!) won’t be drinking, they will be able to keep tight track on the keys.

  

  Author: admin

• Keep this information in mind while buying a safe.

  Posted on April 3rd, 2016 0 Comments

  

  Here at Chicago Locksmiths, we make our primary objective the long-lasting safety and security of your household or business. The safety and integrity of your household also includes material objects – family heirlooms, important documents with vulnerable information, jewelry, and electronics are all of primary importance to be protected. Even when the perimeter of your home or business can be made secure with door and window locks, it’s wise to stay aware of the exposed and vulnerable nature of any valuables that may be left out in the open inside the home. If any of these objects are truly cherished and important to you, it’s important that you get a safe for the inside of your home or business. Due to the extensive variety in brands, sizes, and constructions of safes, Chicago Locksmiths provides you with a critical range of tips in order to help you understand exactly what your needs are, and what kind of safes can help you meet these needs.

   

  What belongings need protection:

  Not only do you have to consider the monetary value of all your items, but also what their size is and what kind of material they are made of. Documents with pertinent personal information, jewlery, photos, and small and expensive electronics are all items that are commonly put into storage inside safes. Some safes are heat resistant, which is an excellent option when you’re dealing with paper. This is a wise option for any digital hardware or software that you’re storing as well, as digital information is vulnerable to heat. If you have a particularly priceless object or heirloom, it may be wise to store it in a floor safe that obscures even the safe from view. Whatever kind of item you need to store will help provide you some sort of guidelines as to what safe to invest in.

   

  Compare the price of the safe to the value of the objects that you’re storing.

  Even if you’re certain that you need to purchase a safe, the solution isn’t to simply go outside and purchase just any safe. You’re going to need to consider the full monetary and sentimental value of what objects you want to store. If the value on either end is very high, you should consider getting a high security safe, which are often somewhat more expensive. If the objects are more valuable along the sentimental end of things, rather than monetary, a regular safe will suffice.

   

  How big is the inside of the safe?

  This might be somewhat implicit, but on a sheerly practical level you want to make sure that you can buy a safe that fits all of the objects that you want to store; in fact, Chicago Locksmiths recommends that you purchase a safe that’s larger than you originally estimate for your needs; it’s likely that once you have a safe you’re going to acquire more items that you’re going to want to store in the future. By anticipating future needs, you will always stay ahead of the curve.

   

  Where will you place your new safe?

  The area in which you plan to keep your safe will help determine what the style, material, and size of the safe needs to be. First, if you have an idea of where you want to keep the safe, measure the area precisely – and use those exact measurements to purchase a safe that’s the exact right size. Additionally, figure out what sort of environmental mitigating factors are present in the space you’ll be keeping the safe; is there excessive heat (or the risk of heat) present? Is there excessive moisture (or the risk of moisture, like a wet basement in a flood prone area) present? Answering these questions will help you determine exactly what kind of material the safe should be made of – whether you want it to be heat proof (and at what level), water-proof, or both.

  

  Author: admin

• Safe Glossary

  Posted on March 23rd, 2016 0 Comments

  

  The majority of people’s conception of security extends to only door and window locks, but it’s a fact that protecting your valuables inside interior safes add an essential additional level of protection. For the peace of mind knowing that your valuables are being adequately protected, there’s no better bet than a safe. Whether you need to protect heirlooms, jewelry, or documents like birth certificates or business records, security safes will protect your assets like no other hardware can. There’s a number of different categories of safes; in this blog post I’ll detail the various types, and what they’re best for.

   

  Fire Resistant

  These safes protect their inner contents from high temperatures, and are given ratings according to the amount of time that they can survive fire temperatures while not letting the internal temperature rise above a certain amount. These safes range in fire safety duration from a half hour to four hours – safes installed within concrete floors are the safest, however since these safes are not watertight, they may fill with water from hoses or sprinklers in case there’s a fire. To be safe, place all items within fire resistant safes inside plastic bags.

   

  Diversion Safes

  This ultra basic safe is hidden within a normal household object like a book, a can, or even a wall outlet. These safes are meant to blend in among the rest of household items, and should be left among real versions of their corresponding objects.

   

  Jewelry Safes

  These – usually small – safes are specifically meant to store the eponymous jewelry or other small valuables – they are both burglary and fire proof, and usually have well appointed interiors made with fine wood or fabric – and sometimes with internal drawers or cabinets.

   

  Environmentally Resistant

  These safes are made to be waterproof – they can withstand extended underwater submersion for extended amounts of time.

   

  Burglar Resistant

  These safes are rated based on their ability to withstand the typical variety of tools that burglars use during break ins – they are rated based on the amount of time that they can withstand aggressive attack. These safes, while structurally resistant to forced entry, are not primed for water or fire resistance.

   

  Smart Safes

  These safes are designed to automatically give out or validate cash – think ATM machines or change makers. All customers or civilians can use them at their convenience – making things much smoother and cost effective for banking or business operations, and creating a controlled and surveilled transaction area.

   

  Fire Resistant Record Protectors

  This equipment has large insulated areas (containers, doors, drawers, or doors) that can house individually fire/environment/burglar rated containers with room for storing important records. The design of the compartments are organized based on class ratings for impact/attack resistance and safe fall tests.

   

  Room Sized Fireproof Vault

  This special equipment is meant to contain larger materials susceptible to heat ro fire, and can be a somewhat more practical choice over multiple fire rated safes, especially if you’re storing a large amount of items. These vaults are usually employed by larger business or government agencies, and carry some of the highest security class ratings for paper documents or data storage.

  

  Author: admin

• How to Protect your Motorcycle

  Posted on March 17th, 2016 0 Comments

  Unlike the self contained, capsule security of cars, motorcycles’ lack of doors, locks, or hoods makes them especially vulnerable to theft. Anyone can access the engine or internal electronics – especially if you park on the street, and quickly drive off.Like bicycles, motorcycles can easilly be anchored and lfited up. Security creates a need to hybridize the ease-of-access of a motorcycle and the security of a succinct, closed car. In this blog post, I will be detailing some of the realities of motorcycle theft, and providing some detail as how motorcycle owners can prevent their bike from getting stolen.

   

  Statistics of Theft

  The most commonly stolen motorcycles are Honda, with Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki ,and Harley-Davidson leading. Since 2013, all these brands thefts have somewhat diminished, besides Harley-Davidson, which has increased. California is the top state for motorcycle theft, with Texas and New York leading closely behind. The increased usage, hence, street availability of motorcycles in the Summer, makes it the most common season for motorcycle thefts. The higher demand for motorcycle parts during the summer creates a higher incentive for thieves to steal parts from vehicles, which bumps up the theft rate significantly.

   

  How Motorcycles are Stolen

  One common method of stealing a motorcycle is rolling it into a van or truck, and simply driving it away – a rather quick process, especially if the bike isn’t locked and can easily be rolled up a ramp. Even if this isn’t the case, a small collection of people could easily lift the bike. Once inside the van, the motorcycle will no longer be visible to passersby – making it a much more stealthy and inconspicuous theft than driving away in a stolen car. Once the bike arrives at another location, they are able to disassemble the structure of the bike, taking off any security device.

   

  Another method of motorcycle theft involves, simply, the thief starting up the bike and riding away on it. Many people don’t even lock their motorcycles – making it easy for thieves with double sided wafer pics,Try-Outs, or even a combination of determination and a screwdriver to start the ignition and drive away.

   

  How to Protect your Motorcycle

  One possibility is utilizing a ground anchor to fix your motorcycle to the floor of your property – these devices are usually installed inside home garages to maximize security. For those without home garages, this is not a practical option – so the best route to follow is to purchase a high security lock. Most Motorcycle owners prefer Disk Locks or U-Locks to padlocks because they eliminate the need to purchase a heavy chain. They offer increased convenience, but you’re going to need to purchase a few of them if you want to not use a chain at all. Place the U-Lock through the wheel, so it will stop it from rotating, or use it to lock the wheel onto a metal pole or any sort of anchor point. Make sure to invest in a U-Lock that releases on both sides of the shackle – this will cost any bike thief additional time when attempting to steal your bike.

   

  Dick locks can’t be attached to an anchor – they secure your bike through bolting through a hole in the disk break – stopping the bike’s wheel from being able to spin. It’s best to use two disk locks on both wheels, but if you only have one, attach it to the front wheel as it’s much easier for thieves to remove. Don’t ever forget to take off the disk lock before riding your bike.

   

  As far as padlocks go, you have tons of options – but when you’re making your purchase you should be paying heed to the thickness of the material, it’s weight, and the presence of a shroud that covers the sides of the shackle. Rounded cuts on the shackle indicates the presence of ball bearings in the lock, which upgrades its security level. It’s important to utilize multiple padlocks – as this works as both a deterrent method and a surefire way to upgrade the security level of the bike.

   

  Security Chains

  We recommend buying the strongest and sturdiest security chain as possible – these can be secured from various points to add additional padlocks and chains, as the chain is weaved through the multiple open components of the bike to an anchor point. We recommend getting a strong chain as the stronger the chain is, the more likely it is to resist attack from bolt cutters – spring for a chain with at least a 63 rating on the Rockwell scale.

   

  Alarms

  There’s many varieties of alarms – shock sensors, tilt sensors, GPS tracker, proximity sensors, etc. Shock sensors go off if someone hits or shakes the bike. The tilt sensor goes off if the bike is moved from one side to another. GPS notifications tell you the exact location of the bike which is helpful in the event of a theft. And best of all, a remote kill switch allows users to remotely sever the link between the battery and bike starter, rendering the bike incapable of driving.

   

  Theft Insurance

  If you’re really worried about having your bike stolen – whether you can only park your bike away from view or if you live in a high crime area, theft insurance is a fantastic strategy to implement. Think of it this way – if your bike is an investment, it’s worth investing some additional funds to protect and insure it – if the bike ever gets stolen, you can get fully compensated – simply make sure to call the police before you call the insurance brokers, in order to maximize your chances of relocating your vehicle. It’s also a great idea to put custom markings on the motorcycle to aid in it’s recovery – consider utilizing products like DataDot and SmartWater to mark parts on the bike.

   

  In Advance Security

  Make sure to lock your handlebars and place your bike within view of your property – at the very least this will act as a deterrent for any thieves who want to avoid being seen. Make sure that the various layers of security that you use with your bike are separate – meaning that they can’t all be removed in one fell swoop, or can be controlled with a single key. Consider using a motorcycle tarp as a deterrent – even consider buying a tarp branded with the logo of a less appealing motorcycle brand to make potential thieves simply pass by.

   

  It’s important, in bike security, to understand that every bike needs custom levels of protection – do whatever works specifically for you and your situation. Don’t go crazy or overthink things – as long as you stay practical, your security system will be both convenient and effective.

  

  Author: admin

• National Burglary Statistics

  Posted on March 3rd, 2016 0 Comments

  

  If you’re at all concerned about the likelihood of a burglar breaking into your home, this article is for you. The fact is that the United States is the world’s leader in burglaries – a burglary happens every 15 seconds, meaning 4 do every minute. While you’re working on your home security, it’s smart to think about these statistics – you might be surprised.

   

  Front Door Vulnerability

  Almost thirty-three percent of burglars illegally enter a home through it’s front door. If your home has an old wood door – a hollow door of any type, you must replace it with a solid wood or metal reinforced door. Hollow doors are notoriously flimsy – any burglar with slight leg strength could kick one in. Additionally, activate your home security system each time that you enter or leave your home – and consider getting genuine, or deterrent security cameras, as well as outdoor motion lighting.

   

  Repeat Offenses

  Burglars sometimes try entering homes more than one time – think about it, they’ve been inside already, so they know the layout, and might have spotted areas with expensive belongings that they didn’t have the time to access the first time they broke in. If you find yourself the victim of a burglary or break-in, make sure to contact a home security service as soon as possible.

   

  Brute Strength

  Almost sixty percent of home invasions are accomplished through forced entry – thirty percent of them are accomplished through simply entering an unlocked door or window, with no need for force.

   

  It Doesn’t Matter if Someone is Home

  28% of burglaries occur when someone is inside the house – and unfortunately, household members experience personal violence in 7% of burglaries.

  Alarm Systems are Great Deterrents

  The majority of burglars attempt to figure out if a home has an attached alarm system before trying to break in – and the majority of convicted home-invaders admit to avoiding homes with visible security systems. The majority of burglars will leave the home immediately if an alarm sounds.

   

  Wireless Benefits

  Almost twenty-five percent of home invasions involve the cutting of alarm or telephone wires before the break-in is enacted. Wireless home security systems are more secure, because there’s no wires that can be cut. This service is offered by many of the leading home security agencies, and won’t burn a hole in your wallet.

   

  Not many Burglaries are Solved

  Only around 13% of burglaries are solved by police – with an even smaller chance of the stolen belongings being recovered or returned.

   

  Significant Losses aren’t Uncommon

  In a study conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the average monetary loss suffered by households or businesses in burglaries is around 2,185 dollars – and if you factor in the police/investigation costs, it can be almost 20,000.. This amount is much more than the average cost of a home security system – which of course, also doesn’t come with the emotional expense associated with a break-in. Additionally, most home insurance companies offer discounts if a home security system is installed.

  

  Author: admin

• How to find the best safe

  Posted on February 23rd, 2016 0 Comments

  Buying a good safe is practical and wise investment to make. If you have valuables that merit protection, it’s important to find the best possible safe for your budget. If you need to buy a safe, you need a good safe, not a shoddily constructed one. If you’re simply trying to keep your kids out of your property, a cabinet with a lock will do. But if you’re looking for an incredibly secure area to protect essential valuables, it’s important to find the best one possible – this doesn’t mean that you have to completely break the bank. All safe companies will have a range of options at different price points. Here’s some factors to consider when you’re shopping around. Make sure to know what details to look out for and what questions to ask the manufacturer.

  Welding

  The safest, most sturdy and secure safes are made with continuous welding. This basically means that the weld fuses two metal pieces together perfectly, as opposed to a spot weld, in which multiple pieces are welded at multiple binding points. Vulnerable points in spot welded safes can be broken open with a sledge hammer, drill, torch – or even a specific tool made for that particular purpose. This means, not a safe safe. The best option to invest in is the solid, continuous metal provided in continuously welded safes.

  Fire Resistance Ratings

  Look into the official tests that the safe was subjected to – make sure to pay attention to the level of heat applied, and how long the test ran for. A safe that was only tested for a short time at a high temperature could technically be just as weak as a safe that was tested for a long time, at a low temperature. If the company cannot provide the details of the testing that the safe underwent in order to merit its rating, you shouldn’t buy from that company. Don’t you want your secure property to be protected?

  Bolt Work

  The complex design of these internal security mechanisms should be able to provide resistance against the most expert of attacks. If the bolt work is shoddily designed so that the locking bolts are linked to the cam of the safe, simply sticking the bolts might open the entire safe. Look at the steel in the locking bolts – the longer that the bolts move into the door frame, the more security the safe will provide against attack. You want as thick and sturdy bolts as possible – as well as rotating lock bolts which will resist any sort of cutting attempt.

  Warranty

  If a company provides a lifetime warranty for their product, it’s indicative of high quality products. Warranties differ based on the components of a safe – elements of electronic locks for example, are sometimes bought from outside parties by the manufacturer and integrated into their design. A safe’s dial might have a separate warranty from the safe’s door – this doesn’t usually mean that the safe is poorly designed, unless it’s already cheaply made. You should also pay heed to the country that the safe was manufactured in – safes in China might be able to provide lifetime warranties, as replacement is cheap. The best option is to buy an American made safe, as American factories provide a higher level of quality control than the factories in China.

  Steel Content

  Most safes have a body which compares only a half or a third to the metal in the door. You want as high a gauge of steel as possible, 12 gauge steel is the absolute lowest level that can be legally defined as a safe – it can be easily broken with a crowbar or fire ax. The way the gauge measurement system works is that the lower the number, the stronger the steel. Having as many layers of stainless steel as possible will help dispel any heat made by torches, not to mention the physical durability that this steel is known for. Definitely don’t trust composite doors, as although they are thick, they have a low steel content, and are vulnerable.

  Great safes should last forever, and be passed down throughout generations. While prices vary wildly, it shouldn’t determine what safe you buy, as the quality of safes differ rapidly as well. Ideally, you should be purchasing a safe that perfectly fits your needs, as a long-term essential, not a temporary buy. Think of it as an investment.

  

  Author: admin
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