Home renovation is a process that most homeowners will need to go through at least once in their lifetime. This helps them do things such as making the home more valuable, and also helps to increase the value of the home as well. However, there are a few things that people tend to neglect when doing this, one of which is ensuring that they also upgrade their security. However, this is something that you should definitely not ignore especially if you want the renovation to be holistic.
The reason you should change the locks and doors
There are a number of reasons why you should consider changing the locks and doors to your home when doing renovation. The first of these is that over time, they tend to become worn out. For instance, if you had bought a low quality lock for a door in your home, constant use could result in compromised mechanical function. This means that over time, you may find it to be less reliable as a security feature. Having it replaced will help make your home more secure. Of course, it would be necessary to use a high quality lock for this, so that you don’t have to change it again for a long time.
The other compelling reason for this is that lock technologies are always changing with time. This is on account of the fact that individuals such as burglars tend to get smarter with time, and are in a better position to pick them. When you have the same lock for a long time, the risk of having your home compromised increases. These days, for instance, you could decide to buy the electronic locks or biometrically-operated ones which are very difficult to pick.
The end result of doing all this is that not only will you be safer, but you will also find it cheaper to insure your house since you will have enhanced security.
What you need to do before deciding on how to change the locks
After you decide to get new locks during the renovation, the first thing you should do is find a locksmith to assess the state of the locks in your home. This is especially so if you had replaced them in the recent past, in which case it might not be necessary to change them. A high quality locksmith will be able to come up with a report on each of the locks, helping you determine issues such as whether they are safe enough. In addition to that, they will also be handy in helping you decide on which locks to get to replace the old ones. This is a variable that is determined by various factors including how much money you are willing to spend as well as the level of security you need the home to have. In essence, the locksmiths will help you get more value for money.
Expense: The confounding factor
When it comes to changing locks in a home, most people are usually torn between spending more on high quality locks or simply saving and buying the average ones. Of course, everyone has their own preferences. However, from an objective point of view, you would be better off buying high quality locks, even if they are slightly more expensive than the rest. In addition to that, it would also be wise to use high quality locksmith services to do the installation.
Though this might sound a bit expensive in the short term, insisting on quality has numerous long term benefits that make it all worth it. For one, the use of high quality locks guarantees that you will not need to change them for a long time in future, and still be assured of a high degree of security. In addition to that, the fact that you will have better security will also act as a deterrent against theft. This will help reduce your premiums, and the fact that you will not make too many insurance claims due to theft will also help in reducing this. As you can see, you will end up saving in more than one way, which makes getting high quality locks the cheaper option if you think about it in the long term.
In summary, whenever you are thinking of doing home renovations for your house, you should think about changing some of the locks as well. Even if you don’t have enough money for this, you can focus on the main doors in the home only, which normally include the front and rear access doors. This way, you will only have to change two locks, and then change the rest later.
The benefits of ensuring that the locks are modern are numerous. However, simply having the best locks will also give you the confidence in knowing that your house is always safe.