A local locksmith can assist you in a number of ways when you’re having issues with your locks or keys. If you’re locked out of your home, vehicle, or safe, a professional locksmith can help you regain access without causing any damage. It is imperative that you know a reliable locksmith in your area in case of an emergency where you might need urgent assistance. We recommend Tony’s Locksmith Cardiff if you’re based in Cardiff, South Wales. They have over 20 years’ experience and offer a mobile locksmith service covering home and auto locksmithing.
Now let’s look at the many ways a locksmith can help you:
Emergency Services
Emergency Lockout Assistance
Getting locked out of your home or apartment is incredibly frustrating, as anyone who’s experienced it will attest. Thankfully, locksmiths can help you safely regain access without having to jimmy any windows or kick your door down.
A locksmith will first attempt to pick your front door lock; if the lock is more complex, they may have to drill the lock. Once the lock has been drilled, you will have access to your home, and the locksmith will replace your lock and cut new keys for you.
Security Checks and Upgrades
If you’re concerned about the security of your home, including door locks, window locks, and alarm systems, a locksmith can help. They will review the locks in your home and any security weak spots to make a series of recommendations.
Once they have audited your current home security, they can fit or repair the necessary locks and security systems.
Standard Locksmith Services
Key Cutting
Whether your key is broken, your locks have changed, or you need copies of your key, locksmiths can cut new keys for you. Using a specialised key cutting machine, a locksmith will create a key which works in your door.
Lock and Key Repairs
If there is a problem with your lock, there’s a good chance that a locksmith could repair it. This is far cheaper and quicker than replacing the hardware. It is also possible to repair a key, if there is a minor imperfection which is stopping it from working properly.
Lock Replacement
If your locks are beyond repair, a locksmith can quickly replace them. Other reasons you might want your locks replaced include upgrading to a higher-security lock, or a change of ownership at the property. The locksmith can then cut keys for the new locks.
Rekeying and Master Keying
Rather than replacing locks when there’s a change of ownership at the property, locksmiths can ‘rekey’ the locks. This is the process of changing the pins within the locks to fit a different key. Not only is rekeying quicker, but it’s also cheaper.
You can also key a series of locks to work with a master key. In this instance, additional pins are added to the locks to fit a master key. This is great for landlords and business owners.
Auto Locksmith Services
Key Programming
Newer cars use remote key fobs, sometimes without a metal key at all. If these malfunction or break, they need to be replaced with a new key, which has to be programmed to ‘pair’ with the vehicle.
An auto locksmith has specialist equipment which enables them to programme these keys to the vehicle’s immobiliser. They can also ‘unpair’ old keys if they have been stolen or lost.
Key Cutting
If your car keys do still have a metal key, a new key can be cut if the keys are lost, stolen, or broken. Also, a locksmith can change the locks on your car if necessary, and provide new keys for those locks instead.
Ignition Repairs
It’s possible for keys to get stuck in your vehicle’s ignition system; in which case, a locksmith can safely extract the keys and carry out any necessary repairs. Ignition systems can also fail unexpectedly, which a locksmith can remedy by repairing or replacing the ignition to restore its function.
Conclusion
Knowing a reliable local locksmith can help you in a whole host of situations. Whether you’re locked out of your home or vehicle, or need your locks and keys maintained, locksmiths are absolutely essential. We suggest that you research locksmiths in your local area and save the numbers of a few that come highly recommended.