Latest Local Locksmith News
Don't Panic! Your Door Locks Are Not Broken
As temperatures plummet and icy conditions grip the nation, it’s not uncommon for homeowners to experience unexpected issues with their door locks.
Chris from Pentland Locksmiths is advising customers to remain calm and patient, as many of these problems are simply a result of the extreme cold.
Once the door warms up the locks will then go back to working as they did before.
Its Time to Ban Fireworks In Midlothian
Last year on bonfire night Edinburgh witnessed some awful scenes as gangs of youths fought running battles with Police in Niddrie and Craigmillar, launching fireworks at Police lines. Following that riot Edinburgh council decided to ban the sale of fireworks across Edinburgh. Is it time for Midlothian council to follow suit and ban fireworks?
As a dog lover I really think its time we stopped this yearly nonsense once and for all. We can have regulated displays with silent fireworks without the mayhem that goes with the annual bonfire night.
What do you think?
Damn Roadworks Are Everywhere In Midlothian
If you live or work in Midlothian, you’ve probably noticed that getting from one place to another feels like navigating a maze. Roadworks and closures are everywhere. From Lasswade to Gorebridge, and all through Midlothian, cones, temporary traffic lights, and diversions have become the new normal.
While essential infrastructure work is needed to maintain our roads and utilities, the sheer scale of the current disruption is hard to ignore – especially when it affects local businesses.
For Chris at Pentland Locksmiths, the family-run locksmith service based in Bonnyrigg, the constant road closures and diversions are proving to be more than an inconvenience.
How To Secure My Home During The Dark Winter Months.
As the nights grow longer and winter descends, sadly, homes are often more vulnerable to burglaries. The early darkness provides cover for intruders, and the holiday season, with its travel and shopping sprees, makes many homes prime targets.
However, by taking a few proactive steps, you can significantly reduce the risk of burglary and keep your home and family safe.
If you are unsure whether your home or door locks are secure, give Chris from Pentland Locksmiths a call, and he will be happy to advise you.
Moving into a new home is an exciting milestone, but it’s important not to overlook essential security. With over 22,900 built-in Scotland last year, a large proportion of those have landed in Midlothian. One crucial step is replacing the locks in your new home.
Although the property may come equipped with locks, there are several compelling reasons to consider changing them. In this locksmith article, we’ll explore why replacing locks in your newly built home is a wise decision that offers enhanced security, key control, and peace of mind.
The most compellinfg reason is the amount of additional keys that could be circulating from family members of the previous owners. That in itself is a goof enough reason to change your door locks when buying a new home.
The Airbnb business has always been a large market in Edinburgh due to the huge number of tourists that visit every year. But demand is becoming saturated, and the Airbnb market is now stretching out beyond the city itself. We have been getting quite a few jobs related to Airbnb in Midlothian, changing door setups to comply with fire safety standards.
We recently completed a job in Lasswade, Midlothian to change the old-style mortice lock setup to a modern lock with a Thumbturn.
This will allow Airbnb visitors to exit the property easily in the unlikely event of an emergency.
The new setup was done at a relatively low cost to the homeowner and within a few days of the initial call.
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First Line of the Defence
Most homeowners don’t think about their external boundary as their first line of defense against a break-in. However, most new-build homes we visit do not have any type of Gate locks or bolts fitted.
Fitting a secure gate lock makes it that much harder for thieves to enter your back garden and then get access to your back doors. We highly recommend fitting a good secure gate lock along with some other useful ideas to prevent access to your garden.
You can also put in plants that discourage trespassers from jumping over your fence. Make it difficult for anyone trying to get access to your home. And finally, do not leave garden tools lying around that could be used to open doors and Windows.
Fixing New Build Composite Door Locks in The Chilly Month of March
Thankfully things have quietened down a little and we are back to our normal bread-and-butter jobs of fixing New Build composite door locks and uPVC door locks. The Cold start to the month has led to several locking systems freezing and subsequently then breaking.
These are jobs we specialise in and do every day. We always carry most parts for all newly built composite doors and uPVC doors and we generally complete all work on the first visit.
Over the years we have learned to carry what’s required to cover the vast majority of door locks fitted across the towns of Midlothian.
The Weekend Offender
So last monday we had a relative mundane start to the day with a few pre booked lock repair jobs. By 11am it become apparent that there had been a whole lot of break-in activity around Woodburn and Kippielaw areas of Dalkeith. We attended 2 lock snapping break-ins to replace snapped Standard Euro Locks and Handles. We always fit Anti-snap locks to prevent the homeowner getting a breakin again. One week later and off we go again as there has been a couple of lock snapping break-ins around Gorebridge Midlothian. There doesn’t seem to be much letup on these incidents that have been ongoing since March 2023. Unfortunatley these individuals are learning how to do this on platforms like You Tube and even locksmiths who show them how to snap locks to make money. Absolutely rediculous!
Not So Festive For Some Homeowners
The run-up to Christmas is normally quite chaotic for Pentland Locksmiths as we deal with the crazy shoppers who invariably lock themselves out due to being in such a rush all the time. Also, the weather can play havoc if we have some really cold temperatures then it’s a certainty we will have to deal with several jobs where doors have just jammed and locked the owners out.
However, sadly this turned out to be a very unpleasant time for some homeowners who while out enjoying themselves over Christmas & New Year lock-snapping car thieves were breaking into their homes. What should have been a relatively normal festive period for Pentland Locksmiths turned out to be the busiest in our 17-year existence.
To attend lock-snapping break-ins on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day was a real eye-opener. Normally we would be closed on these days but with these jobs being local to us in Bonnyrigg, Dalkeith, and Loanhead I felt it necessary to go out and assist the upset homeowners. No point telling them to go elsewhere when they are looking at their local locksmith business for support.
The Freezing Weather Affects UPVC and Composite Door Locks
Well the winter weather is now well and truly upon us. Some of the lowest temperatures in years is causing damage to uPVC and New Build Composite Door locks and can be significant.
The freezing outside temperatures can affect the internal parts on a 5 Point locking system causing it to jam up overnight and homewoners unable to open their doors in the morning and unable to go to work. Its difficult to avoid especially if you live near Gorebridge or Pathhead where outside temperatures can be lower than in Dalkeith or Bonnyrigg. Unfortunately there is very little you can do about as most uPVC door locks just break spontaneously. If you have a lock issue in Winter give Chris from Pentland Locksmiths a call and he will fix your lock same day. 0131 663 8003.
Sadly there has been very little good news in 2023 for homeowners who are continually hearing about another home broken into with the lock snapped and car stolen. Most break-ins have occurred around newly built estates in Dalkeith, Newtongrange, Rosewell, and Straiton where high-value cars are plenty.
The problem seems to stem from the poor quality euro lock cylinders and aluminium handles fitted to the rear uPVC Patio French Doors. They just snap the bottom of the handle which gived them access to the standard Euro Cylinder lock. They then snap the lock as well and open the door. All done very quickly and with little or no noise.
So unfortunately, the only way to prevent the homeowner from becoming a target fro these thieves is to first check if your locks are snap resistant locks and if not have them change to good Anti-snap cylinders. There are various types of Anti Snap locks ranging from cheaper Snap resistant cylinders to TS007 3 Star locks. Pentland Locksmiths Supplies and fits both of these type of locks to whatever the homeowner requires. Recently we have been fitting these High Security 3 Star Caveo locks to new build homes at Straiton Loanhead. These are top of the range locks and we think the best locks currently on the market.
