Mike's Locksmith

09/08/2026

Do you keep a key hidden outside?

Under the mat, over the doorframe, in the fake rock — those spots are the first places a burglar checks, and he's checked them a hundred times before.

The FBI counted 405,776 residential burglaries in 2024, and more of them happened in daylight than at night. An alarm won't stop someone who simply unlocks your front door.

The fix is simpler than most people expect: a digital lock on your main door, and a re-key on the others. No hidden keys, no wondering who still has a copy, and a unique code for everyone who needs access — which you can delete the moment they don't.

Serving the DMV. Free estimates, honest recommendations, 100% guarantee on labor and materials.

📞 240-506-7500 / 571-436-3160 ✉️ [email protected]

Full post here: https://thelocksmithswife.substack.com/p/your-secret-hiding-place-isnt-so

09/01/2026

Can a handyman replace your door lock? Technically, yes. Should they? Not always.

We get calls all the time from folks whose "quick fix" didn't hold — a strike plate that's off just enough to leave the door not really secured, a lock that looks fine but has a compromised cylinder inside, or worse, people locked OUT of their own house (or locked IN) because a lock wasn't installed right.

Here's something a lot of people don't know: in Maryland and Virginia, locksmithing is actually a licensed trade. Lock work takes training a general handyman just isn't required to have.

If your lock is sticking, grinding, or just feels "off" — that's a call for a locksmith, not a guess-and-check job. Full breakdown here: https://thelocksmithswife.substack.com/p/can-a-handyman-replace-a-door-lock

📞 240-506-7500 / 571-436-3160 ✉️ [email protected]

08/18/2026

We get this question probably five times a week: "Can you just give me a price over the phone?"

Here's the honest truth — no, and any locksmith who does hasn't actually looked at your doors yet. Every house is different. What hardware's already there, what condition it's in, what you're trying to accomplish — it all changes the scope. It's the same reason your mechanic wants to hear the noise your car is making before quoting a fix.

My wife wrote a great piece breaking this down — worth a read if you've ever wondered why we ask to come take a look first.

We offer free in-person estimates in the DMV area, so you get a real number, not a guess. 📞 240-506-7500 / 571-436-3160

08/11/2026

True story from the field: Mike was called to a new homeowner who never got a single key at settlement — because the previous owners never locked ANY of the 15 exterior doors in their 14,000 sq ft home. Not even the pool house. They relied on an alarm system alone.

My wife wrote up the full story (and the lesson behind it) on her blog, The Locksmith's Wife. Worth the read if you've ever wondered whether your alarm system is doing all the work it should be. 👇

https://thelocksmithswife.substack.com/p/doors-fifteen-locks-zero

08/06/2026

"The previous owners seemed so nice" is not a security plan. 😅 My wife wrote up a great piece on why rekeying (or replacing) your locks after a move isn't optional — including a story that'll make you double check your own deadbolt. If you're moving soon, give us a call before you settle in: 240-506-7500. Full post here: https://open.substack.com/pub/thelocksmithswife/p/should-i-change-my-locks-after-moving

07/28/2026

My wife got hooked on a Hulu show about squatters and now she won't stop talking about it (she even wrote a whole blog post 😂). But she's got a point — an empty house is still YOUR house, and it deserves the same protection as the one you're living in.

Got a vacant property? A rental between tenants, a place tied up in probate, a parent's home sitting empty? Let's lock it down before it becomes a problem. Check out her take here:
https://open.substack.com/pub/thelocksmithswife/p/i-watched-a-show-about-squatters

07/20/2026

You can also follow on Instagram to see more.

07/20/2026

Throwback to a post from last year that's just as true today. "Can you just give me a ballpark price over the phone?" We get asked this all the time. The honest answer is no — and here's why that's actually good for you.

We once had a customer call us after another locksmith quoted her fast and charged top dollar for "high-security" locks. When we opened one up at her kitchen table, the inside was plastic. Sleek on the outside, corners cut on the inside.

A phone quote can't catch that. Seeing your doors, your hardware, and your goals in person is the only way we can give you a price we'll stand behind — and hardware that actually holds up.

We offer free in-person estimates, no shortcuts. My wife wrote up the full story on her newsletter, The Locksmith's Wife, a year ago — still holds up 👇
https://open.substack.com/pub/thelocksmithswife/p/why-we-dont-quote-over-the-phone

07/06/2026