Moyers Lock & Security Blog

Secure New Home: Why You Should Consider Changing the Locks

| | Locksmith, Security Systems

Home buying season is just around the corner! Purchasing a new home is exciting, no matter what the time of year. And, being able to call a new house a home is one of the best feelings there is. After move-in day, many of us are quick to make aesthetic changes to the outside or to the interior design. However, many of us forget a very important step in moving into a new home: replacing the locks. It may not be the most fun aspect of buying a new home, but it can help secure what’s within it. As experts in lock services for New Bloomfield and surrounding areas, the professionals at Moyers Lock & Security have put together some of the benefits to changing the locks in your new home.

lock services

Ensure a Secure Home

When you move into a new home, safety should be a top priority. And, that means changing your locks should be a priority. Why? Well, chances are, you are not the first person to live in the house you’ve purchased, meaning you cannot assume that all keys to your home are in your possession. Perhaps the previous residents even loaned a key to a petsitter, babysitter, or close friend. The idea of someone walking around with a key to your home can be a scary thought and although it is not likely any of these people want to enter your home without your knowledge, it is better to be safe than sorry.

If you have purchased brand new home, it also never hurts to look into local lock services to have your locks replaced, especially if you are unsure who was given a key to show your home or to do any additional work.

Get the Locks You Really Want
This is a great chance to install the exact type of locks you want for your home. The previous homeowners may have chosen locks that are now outdated or don’t look right. Choose the locks that make you feel safe. It is recommended to have a deadbolt installed on all doors leading outdoors as they are far more difficult to bypass than standard locks or a simple chain lock. We carry a variety of brands in locks and deadbolts including:

  • Kwikset
  • Schlage
  • Global Brands
  • And more!

There have also been many advances in the world of electronic locks, from keypad access to fingerprint technology. There are so many ways to make your new home a safer one. Whatever style you choose, our lock services experts can help you find the right lock to fit your home’s needs and the needs of your family. And, rekeying can be done quickly and accurately in a single visit.

Give us a call today at Moyers Lock & Security to learn more about our lock services in New Bloomfield and surrounding areas. Our experienced team of professionals are waiting to answer any questions you might have about changing the locks and all of our other lock services. Give us a call today at 717-636-1878, or contact us to learn more!

Home Security Systems offer Exponential Benefit

| | Security Systems

The wintry world in which we live calls for the protection of your family, assets, possessions, etc. Home security systems offer that, making you aware of any and all who choose to trespass. If you are looking for home security systems for your Juniata County area home, look no further than Moyer’s Lock and Security, specialists in their implementation.

There is a lot to ponder when it comes to acquiring home security systems. Ideally, you will want to root through the different options that are available and determine which type of system will work best in your home. The benefits of adding home security systems are as follows:

Assets

Your home is where you house your wares. Items of value are scattered throughout your home, would-be home intruders, of course, want to make these their own or move the merchandise for money. The loss of anything you have spent your hard-earned money on, not to mention a family heirloom, is a violation of your privacy with potential psychological damage tied to it. Many home security systems have voluminous alarms that can scare off would-be burglars and will simultaneously notify the proper authorities in the attempt of a break-in.

Crime Deterrent

The more home security systems that are installed in an area, the less in the way of crime and residential robberies occur in that general vicinity—including those residents not in possession of home security systems. Your whole neighborhood benefits from the installation of a home security system in your home.

Homeowner’s Insurance

Homeowner’s insurance bills drop by up to as much as 20% when home security systems are installed in homes. So, the monthly rate paid to your home security company offsets home owner’s insurance payments.

Kids

Another great potential angle of having home security systems in homes is that they can help you keep an eye on your children. Maybe you work second shift and the teens are home in the evenings. The cameras around and potentially within your home  can be used to keep an eye on those kids.

Remote Access

Home security systems of today allow you to remotely monitor what is going on in and around your home. You can utilize cameras installed throughout your house to view what they spy. Some systems also allow you to control your thermostat, door locks, lights, and other devices within.

For more information on home security systems in Juniata County, call 717-636-1878 or Contact Us.

Guns in Safe Survive Home Fire

| | Safes

Your safe is like a parachute. You hope you’ll never need it, but in the event you do, you want a really good one. Gun safes are made to keep your guns, ammunition and other valuables safe from thieves and fire. A good quality safe will most likely do the job, and we have an example of one of these safes. When purchasing a safe, it can be confusing knowing what fire rating to get. We want to provide some information on what to look for in a safe to provide the best possible outcome for your belongings in a fire.

The most important thing to understand is that no safe is “fireproof.” There are no fireproof consumer safes on the market today; they are all fire resistant. This means that the safe can resist heat and smoke (and some protect against water) for a given period of time, usually 30 to 150 minutes.

We recommend purchasing a safe with a minimum 1 hour rating. Safes with less than a 1 hour rating will not provide adequate protection to survive a typical home fire. If you have a limited budget, select the safe with the longest fire protection you can afford. It makes no sense to purchase a safe that won’t adequately protect your guns and valuables.

A typical house fire burns in the 800 to 1200 degree temperature range. Fire resistant safes are engineered and designed to keep the internal temperature of the safe below 350 degrees. Paper begins to discolor at just above 350 degrees, scorch at 410 degrees and ignite at 451 degrees. Guns are able to withstand heat longer, but plastics and other pliable materials have different melting points depending on their thickness.

There are safes on the market for varying periods of time as well as higher temperatures. Be aware that some fires can burn at 2,000 degrees or higher, so having a safe with a higher temperature rating would be helpful in those instances.

Another important aspect to protect the items in your safe during a fire is the fire seal on the door. Many cheaper safes don’t have a fire seal at all, but this is an important part of a good fire rating. During a fire, the fire seal will expand to seal out fire and smoke. It will also keep water used to extinguish the fire from entering the safe.

Basically, if you want to protect your guns and other valuables, you can’t go cheap. Make sure your safe has adequate protection so your items have the best chance of surviving the worst.

Here’s an example of a recent home fire in the area. The house was a total loss. The homeowners had 16 guns in their safe and they all came out with only cosmetic issues. Even with bullets and guns inside the safe, none went off. The fire was so hot, the dial was melted off the safe, and the door seal was charcoal, but the contents survived.

Exterior of Safe after Fire Interior of Safe after Fire Guns from safe with minimal damage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information on safes in Perry County, please call 717-636-1878 or Contact Us.

The History of Locks and the Locksmith

| | Locksmith

Locks and the locksmith go back as far as 4000 years to ancient Egypt. To prevent the unencumbered movement of door bars, wooden posts were attached to doors, into which horizontal bolts were placed. The bolt contained openings into which metal pins were fit, locking the door. Using a key that resembles the modern toothbrush in shape, the pins were lifted out of their slots, allowing the door to be unlocked. Variations in the lock and key system emerged throughout the ages, but all were based largely on pin tumbler principle. A pin tumbler lock mechanism uses pins of varying lengths to prevent the lock from opening without the correct key. These days, pin tumblers are used in cylinder locks and tubular pin tumblers (radial or ace locks).

The term “locksmith” emerged during the 13th century, originating from “blacksmith.” Blacksmiths, who handled all things metal, had their hands in early lock making. Specialists emerged and then so too did the locksmith, a facsimile of what we know today.

For more modern incarnations, look no further than Moyers, a Perry County business for nearly 30 years. Specializing in a wide array of products and services, the locksmith handles any and all of key making services (home & auto), new lock and deadbolt installation, safe picking and lock upgrades, emergency lock picking (home & auto), emergency signal (monitored security system) and video security systems. Why? Because your safety is the most important thing.

For more information on the locksmith services we offer in Perry County, please contact us or call 717-636-1878.

Welcome to Our Blog!

| | News

Welcome to the blog for Moyers Lock and Security! We have been serving Perry County and surrounding areas since 1987 with our lock and security services. Some of the services we provide include emergency lock picking, home rekeying, lock and deadbolt installation, key making, video security systems, monitored security systems, alarm systems and more.

Keep checking our blog for updates on new services or products we provide as well as useful information to keep your home secure.

For more information, please contact us or call 717-636-1878.