Featured Locksmiths | Locksmith Blog

I promised a few local locksmiths recently that I would give them a feature on the blog with their contact information should anyone be searching for a local locksmith. It can be difficult for the public to find a genuine local locksmith firm that they can trust so I am always willing to help improve their web presence even if it's just in a small blog post on the locksmith blog. Customers find our numbers in weird and mysterious ways sometimes and you gotta be in it to win it.

The first feature is of a local locksmith in Southampton, Tim Guille of Interlocks Ltd.
Tim covers the entire area of Hampshire on a 24 hour basis for all locksmith and upvc related work, commercial and domestic for homeowners and local Southampton businesses.

Arvco Locksmiths

http://www.locksmith-in-oldbury.co.uk

Interlock Locksmiths Ltd
74 Chapel Road
West End
Southampton
Hampshire
SO303GN
Tel: 07887512272

 
My second feature goes to a new kid on the block Paul Clarke, locksmith in Liverpool trading as Impact Locksmiths. I promised Paul a feature as Liverpool is a seriously competitive area to be advertising in and it can be difficult to be seen amongst all those national franchises and call centres that advertise in Liverpool. Paul is a genuine local locksmith in Liverpool so you know you'll be receiving the best service at the right price when using Impact Locksmiths Liverpool.

Impact Locksmiths
50 Riviera Drive
Croxteth
Liverpool
L114US
Tel: 07590208096

Thirdly, an established locksmith in the West Midlands based in Tamworth, Adrian Bryant aka Lockaid 24/7 has made the break away from that notorious nationwide locksmith franchise and gone solo, a good move in my opinion! If you're looking for a genuine local locksmith in Tamworth with plenty of hands on experience and a long list of satisfied customers across Staffordshire then it's really a no brainer, get Adrian on the phone right away!

Lockaid 24/7
59 Briar
Amington
Tamworth
Staffordshire
B774DY
Tel: 07909186487

High Security Door Locks & Handles | Locksmith Blog

I have been turning up to work at a lot of new build properties that seem to have gone, in my opinion, overboard with their door security. Normally to achieve a TS007 you are required to have either a two star handle combined with a one star cylinder or a standalone three star lock cylinder.


What I am actually seeing working as a locksmith in the West Midlands is a lot of homes with three star cylinders which are then combined with the PAS24 two star handles. This is great news when it comes to preventing a lock snapping attack on a upvc door, however from the locksmiths point of view such a setup can be viewed as a worst nightmare during a failed multipoint lock scenario. Luckily for me I have yet to encounter the worst case scenario working as a local locksmith in cannock

This raises the question: Who exactly are we trying to keep out?
I feel such massive improvements in door security are making the locksmiths life much harder than that of the career criminal who will still opt for a brick through a large pane of glass rather than messing around with door locks. Of course it will prevent many an attempted lock snapping burglary but I think that most one star cylinders or a security handle would manage this.

What are your thoughts? Have you encountered the all singing and dancing setup yet? It's only a matter of time and it's going to be a real stinker of a job...

Locksmith Directories | Locksmith Blog

There are so many locksmith directories out there now that it's difficult to know which ones are worth adding your locksmith business to.

Well the answer is simple really: As many free listings as you can.
If a site is insisting you pay to list your locksmith business the general rule of thumb would suggest that it's not worth investing in. If they are really as great as the claim then they would surely offer a free  trial to prove so.

There are a couple of directories aimed at promoting the small local locksmiths that I would recommend that are entirely free. They do offer a paid feature but it's not mandatory like most of the paid locksmith directories.

Firstly: http://www.locksmith-directory.org.uk is the original 'No nationals' directory that are lot of people are now trying to re-create. This directory ranks no.1 for the term locksmith directory so is a good way to be found online for customers searching for a directory. All entries are vetted and checked so there are no national and spam firms listed here.

Second one worth mentioning is http://www.doors-repaired.co.uk a similar directory built on the back of a locksmiths site that lists all genuine local door repair firms in the UK. Again the same No National locksmiths ethics apply.

A lot of the magazine publications are also creating online local locksmith directories that you may want to add to, just be warned that they will cold call you and try to get you to subscribe to the magazines in return (which we all get free anyway).

Then there are also a lot of seo and web companies with similar themed locksmith directories all looking for paid entries and making a lot of promises. In my experience these are best avoided if giving the hard sell on the phone. This includes Yell.com and Thomson local who both offer free listings but will pester you to death with cold calls afterwards.

Door Repairs in Sheffield & Barnsley | PSS Locksmith Blog

Its now approaching the time of year that local locksmiths like to refer to as the busy period.

As the cold weather approaches the uPVC door locks begin to fail and I usually see my door repairs in Sheffield double in frequency in the run up to Christmas.

The problem with using plastic to build doors is that its very sensitive to changes in temperature, expanding in the warmer climate and then contracting in the cooler winter months.

Over several years this can leave your door mis-aligned and in some severe cases, bowed or deformed.

I have been repairing upvc doors in Barnsley and Sheffield for a good few years now and have noticed that the darker coloured doors have a considerably shorter lifespan.

Firstly i would suggest that if you are thinking of having a dark finish uPVC door fitted you need to be sure it is in a well shaded area, I would not advise having one fitted in a hot spot absorbing the heat of the sun all day.



Of course there are alternatives to upvc doors.

Newer style composite doors are much more robust in terms of weathering due to their layered design of various materials such as insulating foam, wood, GRP and wood. As with upvc doors though The darker coloured finishes are prone to sun damage during the hotter weather and can cause the GRP skin on the door to crack or bubble.

If I had to give one piece of advise i have learned over the years repairing doors its that you should never leave a problem to get worse.

As soon as your door begins to feel too stiff, fail to lock on occassions or generally becomes annoying or difficult to use then it would be wise to have a professional door repairman such as PSS locksmiths Sheffield to come and adjust the door.

A simple adjustment can make the difference between a smooth locking door and a broken £150+ replacement locking mechanism.

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