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Five Reasons To Re-Key Your Locks

Posted: 2/4/2011

A key part of staying safe at home is having quality locks-and knowing who has the keys.

(NAPSI) - Is your home security at risk? According to FBI statistics, 8,600 break-ins occur in the U.S. every day (that’s one every 10 seconds!), and more than half the time, they’re happening during broad daylight, entering right through the doorway. But most break-ins are a crime of opportunity, so you have the power to take back control.

According to the Kwikset American Security Study, nearly one-third of homeowners have lived in their current residence for five years or less. And while moving into a new home can be very exciting, it’s also a vulnerable time for home security because there’s no telling how many people have copies of your house key. That is, unless you’ve physically changed or re-keyed the locks yourself…which is an affordable, smart and simple way to up your odds of foiling a break-in before it even occurs.

Following are five more important reasons to re-key or change the locks to your home:

1. You have lost, stolen or unreturned keys: More than half of homeowners routinely loan out house keys to people who don’t live there; e.g., housekeepers, gardeners, babysitters, neighbors and so on.

2. You’ve recently moved: A shocking 47 percent of U.S. homeowners did not re-key their locks upon moving into their home, with about a third having never re-keyed or changed their locks at any point since living there.

3. You have tenants: When tenants move out, they give the key back. But there’s no way to know if they’re holding on to a copy. Ensure the security of your rental unit by re-keying the lock immediately upon tenant departure. Not only will this ensure no unwanted “houseguests” are staying on the premises while vacant, but it’s also important for the safety of your new tenants.

4. You’re remodeling, upgrading or updating: Even when working with the most reputable contractors, the minute you give them a house key you’re relinquishing control over your home security. There’s no telling how many copies they could potentially make, and there’s no guarantee of the integrity of their subcontractors.

5. You’d prefer one-key convenience: Imagine how much easier it would be if one key unlocked all the points of entry to your home. No more fumbling through key rings trying to decipher which key unlocks what.

While it may sound like a daunting project, re-keying your locks can be as easy as 1-2-3. Kwikset®, a leader in residential door hardware, developed a groundbreaking lock technology called SmartKey®, which allows homeowners to quickly and easily re-key their own locks in a matter of seconds without having to remove the lock from the door.

Providing superior security, SmartKey deadbolts are made with high-quality stainless steel internal parts to ensure smooth operation, increased strength and exceptional durability. These deadbolts are designed to withstand picking, and include the security of BumpGuard™ to protect against lock-bumping attacks. They’ve even proven their superiority at a recent professional lock-picking competition. Only one of 56 Kwikset SmartKey deadbolts was able to be picked by a professional locksmith in under 10 minutes, compared to 44 out of 56 deadbolts that were successfully picked for the competition.

Learn More

For more information, visit www.Kwikset.com, see Facebook or call (800) 327-5625.

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