Moving into a new apartment, or moving your business, comes with a multitude of details to address, including the safety of your new place—doors, locks, keys, and so forth. This move-in security checklist can streamline your transition to a new location and give you peace of mind.
Security Checklist – Lock Check
- Change the locks. This is essential, as your door functions as your main defense against break-ins. To ensure that your apartment will prove to be a safe haven for you, have the locks on all entry doors changed by a 24-hour emergency locksmith—you never know who may still have a key to the old locks, and you don’t want uninvited guests to surprise you. Installation fees are well worth it when considering the value of your goods, your physical safety, and long-term peace of mind.
- New keys. Though you may have been told that your apartment has a new lock, that may simply mean that the lock came from an apartment a floor down. This presents the risk that someone is still carrying a key to your new place. For your safety, make certain that the lock and keys are both brand new. And that you are the only possible owner of keys that fit your lock.
- Use a deadbolt. Exterior doors provide greater security than a simple doorknob lock when they have a deadbolt and a key entry. Deadbolts add a heavier line of defense against break-ins. A locksmith can help you determine what kind of deadbolt will be sufficient for your security needs.
Security Checklist – Door Check
- Material matters. If your apartment or business door is made of old wood, it can provide a certain aesthetic charm. However, it can also be prone to wood rot. It may have problems with the lock or appear as a weak entry point for would-be burglars. It is best that entry doors be made of solid core wood. The wood should be at least 1 ¾ inches thick or wrapped in metal. Your door should have no more than 1/8 inch between the door and the door frame on all sides. Check it for soft spots as well.
- The strike plate. This element is joined to the door jamb with holes for the bolt of the door. This bolt holds the door by spanning the space from the door to the strike plate. A faulty strike plate, can leave your home or business vulnerable to theft. Check that the plate and the door jamb are held together with four three-inch screws. If not, update your strike plate accordingly.
- Hinges. Use 2-3”, fully-threaded screws enhance protection against kick-ins. If your door’s hinge pins face outdoors, it is essential that you remedy this. Burglars can remove the pins and take the door off its hinges.
Call Artie’s Locksmith
Artie’s Locksmith has been helping the citizens of NYC and the 5 Burroughs Area stay safe and secure for over 85 years. Our 24-hour locksmiths can answer any questions you may have about increasing the security of your apartment or business. Our full range of locksmith services includes all locks and lock systems, intercom systems, closed-circuit TV (CCTV), buzzer systems, access control, wood, metal, and glass door installation, gates and custom ironwork, as well as commercial and residential safes. Give us a call anytime at (212) 243-0381 for guaranteed satisfactory service.