Chaco Locksmith Services

10/16/2023

Locksmiths have been around for quite some time. Check out this incredible door/lock combo that was designed & installed about 2000+ years ago & still in use today.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=328535353161543&id=100080152412590&mibextid=WiMSqg

This door is one of the oldest doors in the world located in the Pantheon in Rome, it was built in 118-126 AD, during the time of Emperor Adrian. The gate consists of two wings, each wing is made of solid bronze and weighs 8.5 tonnes, is 7.6 meters high and 2.3 meters wide. Although the wings are extremely heavy, they are so balanced that they can be easily opened and closed by a single person. It’s also one of the few doors in the world whose lock, dating back almost 2000 years ago, still works.

05/08/2023

ChacoTip: Have you ever locked yourself out of your car or home? I have and I'm a locksmith. What to do when that happens? Well... Have a plan in place for "When" it does. It may not happen to everybody but it will happen to many. One option is to subscribe to AAA's home & auto policy where they will send someone out to open your car or home at no extra charge a certain # of times per year for membership. We'll, another option is to be creative and stash a key somewhere. For my car, I keep a spare key in my wallet. Many people (I can say most) don't carry a spare key with them but I get a TON of calls because someone locked their keys in the car by accident. Same with residences. Here are some creative examples but be wise in what you leave around your place.

12/27/2018

ChacoTip:
Re-sharing since more smart locks are being sold towards the end of 2018 & expect many more in 2019. Smart locks are very convenient & usually not that hard to install. They are often very cool, & have more features for personal & shared use, but.... they are electronic or electro-mechanically mixed, are more likely to eventually fail, & are less secure than traditional locks.
Toronto-based software security firm Security Compass has uncovered security flaws in a number of new smart locks. "In adding a smart lock, you've actually created another attack venue for an attacker to break into your home". - Geoffrey Vaughan, Security Compass

Forget your keys? You'll never need them if you have a smart lock. High-tech locks offer lots of convenience, but they may actually make your home less secure.

04/08/2018

ChacoTip: Do you have a safe at home or the office with an electronic lock? Many safe service calls are due to the electronic locks not working all of a sudden. Often times, it's due to a dead or weak battery even though the safe user recently replaced the batteries, the lock still has problems. I occasionally find newly replaced batteries also weak or dead. How can that be? Even though you may have a "new" battery, it may not be fully charged. Check with a volt meter or battery tester (see pictures) or buy replacement batteries from a store that turns their battery inventory over quickly - such as home depot or lowes. Some batteries sit on store shelves for years & slowly drain before they are sold. I also find that batteries will leak faster if in a warm to hot environment, especially duracell & costco batteries. Try to change your safe batteries at least twice a year, just to keep them strong, & from possibly leaking & damaging your lock. Set reminders in your phone & email calendars. If this post helped you, please share it.

03/23/2017

A very impressive "SmartLock" designed and used over 330 years ago. Take a look: http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/8/14845092/john-wilkes-detector-smart-lock-17th-century

Do you think technology from circa 1680 can still surprise and delight in the age of the iPhone and Alexa? I didn't, but boy was I wrong. Although we typically think that technology is driven by...

05/11/2015

"Smart Locks" in your home or business could be risky business and make your property less secure. http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/smart-locks-could-make-your-home-less-secure-1.3057872

Forget your keys? You'll never need them if you have a smart lock. High-tech locks offer lots of convenience, but they may actually make your home less secure.

04/13/2015

ChacoTip: Think long and hard and do your homework before connecting anything in your home to the internet, especially door locks & garage door openers, if you are not Technology Savvy. It's not very hard for someone who knows how to hack into computers or internet locations to do the same thing at your home.

Do you have your home door locks, a/c or heating, electrical, or appliances connected to the internet or are you thinking about doing so anytime soon? If this post helped you, please share it.

Just use a password on your personal Wi-Fi router. Please.

04/10/2015

ChacoTip reminder: We are still seeing many people being loose with their keys. Do you leave your keys laying around in plain sight for others to see? A quick snap of a picture of your key can get the keys duplicated in today's internet world. Treat your keys like you do your Social Security Number and passwords. See: https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8 =keys%20copied%20from%20picture%20upload

Search the world's information, including webpages, images, videos and more. Google has many special features to help you find exactly what you're looking for.

10/27/2014

If your keys can be photographed, they can be copied. Protect your keys out of site like you protect your passwords.

Leave your ring of cut-brass secrets unattended on your desk at work, at a bar table while you buy another round, or in a hotel room, and any stranger---or friend---can upload your keys to their online collection.

07/16/2014

ChacoTip:

Does your wood door have hinge screws, latch screws, deadbolt screws, or strike screws that constantly get loose, that will not tighten but free spin, or that will not stay in the door or door frame (doorjamb) at all? I’ll give definitions below pertaining to doors for anyone reading this that do not know the differences or definitions of strikes, latches, etc.

Here is a simple tip (more to follow) to help make a quick-fix repair to tighten those screws:

The next time you are out and about anywhere near an eatery that uses chop sticks, save your pair of chop sticks and take it with you. These chopsticks will re-seal the holes in the door, allowing you to create a new hole for your loose screws. Where you have a loose or missing screw from a stripped out location, remove the screw if it is loose, push the pointed end of the chop stick into the screw hole (whittle the chop stick thinner to fit in the hole if necessary), then lightly hammer it further in until the chop stick stops. For additional strength, you could add Elmer’s glue in the hole along with the chop stick. Then break off or cut the chop stick even with the edge of the door, strike, or frame. No need to wait for the glue to dry if you used glue and no need to make a super clean cut. Now you can create a new and tight screw hole by screwing the screws back into the sealed-off hole location, being careful to center the screw going directly into the chop stick-sealed hole, and putting firm and constant pressure when tightening/screwing it in. Walla! Presto! Screws are tight and likely some door issues fixed. Oh, be careful not to over tighten or you will re-create the problem all over again.

Definitions:
1. The HINGE connects the door to the door frame. There are usually 2 or 3 hinges that are mortised (fitted) into most door edges.
2. The STRIKE is the metal plate with a hole that is usually mortised into the door or door frame directly opposite of the door k**b, handle, or deadbolt. The strike is there to receive and hold the latch or deadbolt in place when the door is closed.
3. The LATCH is most commonly the spring loaded & angled mechanism that protrudes out of the closing edge of your door. It protrudes into the strike on the door frame when the door is closed to secure the door, and retracts when you turn your k**b, handle, or push down on a thumb lever, depending on the type of door lock you have. There are different types of latches but that will be for a future blog.
4. The DEADBOLT is usually above the k**b or lever (but not always). It is a solid semi round bar (bolt) that protrudes into the door frame & strike when you turn your key from the outside or turn the deadbolt thumb turn or key from the inside (depending on the type of deadbolt lock you have).

If you have any questions on this, feel free to message me. If this post helped you, please share it.