Locksmith in Southampton

Do Locksmiths Need A License?

If you’re in the UK, the simple answer to this question is no. The locksmithing industry in the country is an unregulated one by the United Kingdom’s government. Ultimately, this implies that anybody can be a locksmith with their competence, background or motive being irrelevant. Areas in the security industry that are licensed by the government include door staff as well as keyholding businesses, with the government overlooking the locksmith industry as they do not want to heighten the legislative burden on small businesses.

There are a number of implications for an unregulated industry such as the locksmithing industry. This includes:

• Anyone can wake up in the morning, pick up a set of tools and call themselves a locksmith without being termed as illegal.

• The fact that the industry is not regulated means that there’s no price structure to follow. There’s no price guide for locksmithing services, so they are free to charge whatever price they wish to. As a result, the price of a locksmith can greatly vary from the other for the same or similar tasks.

• Irrespective of your background, competence or motive, you can decide to trade as a locksmith.

Although there are about 6,500 locksmiths in the UK that are not licensed, we do have about 350 plus MLA approved locksmiths. Being MLA approved means they’ve been fully vetted, inspected and fully qualified to operate as a professional locksmith.

The Master Locksmith Association ( MLA) possesses its very own licensing scheme for MLA approved companies. This means that the locksmithing businesses that are listed on the Master Locksmith Association’s find a locksmith page and incorporate their official logo are being inspected on a regular basis, have been vetted by using the standard level DBS checks and have passed the exam based proof of competence test.

Do Locksmiths Fix Door Handles?

If you’re leaving your house for work, coming back home after a long day or closing your bedroom door to take a quick and quiet nap, one thing your hand touches every single time is your door handle. Therefore, it’s very easy and usually quick to observe whenever there’s a problem with your door handles. In such events, your best bet would be to call on the locksmith immediately as it’s one of the various services that can be offered by a professional locksmith.

However, there are times that some key and lock problems may be mistaken for door handle issues. So how do know the exact type of issue you’re facing and know if you’d require the services of a professional locksmith?

Firstly, you’ll know that something is wrong with your door when you’re struggling either to open or close the door. You may be forced to think that this is a door handle issue, but just observe very closely and take a look at the key. If you notice that the key is a bit bent or chopped off on one part, then the problem is actually with the key and not the door handle. In these type of situations, calling the locksmith should be done immediately.

Secondly, you may suddenly feel some kind of resistance while trying to turn the key in the door or perhaps you notice your lock doesn’t look like it does any longer when the door is open. This implies the door handle’s interior is not functioning as it should. This problem is a lock problem which a locksmith can attend to.

If you, however, think the door handle has an issue, then you may have to call on your locksmith for a solution. However, in some cases, door handle issues can also be resolved by yourself. For examples, when the door handle appears loose, you can simply get a screwdriver to tighten it.

Can A Locksmith Make A House Key Without The Original?

If you’ve misplaced or lost the last set of your house keys, you’d probably be wondering if a locksmith can help replace the key without the original. If true, then you should know that a locksmith can cut a new key for you with the help of their expertise and tools without having to give them the original one. A professional locksmith can achieve this in three separate ways. Let’s have a look!

• Cut The Key By Code

What makes physical keys unique is basically the spacing and depth of their cuts. During the manufacturing process, manufacturers often stamp some characters also called key codes on the lock or include them in the lock’s manual. With these characters, a locksmith has all that’s needed to create a new key without having to see the original one. Using HPC Blitz key generator or any other code cutter and the right key blank, a locksmith can give you a new key. However, in cases whereby the key does not come with any code, the locksmith can obtain the needed information via the manufacturer or the retailer who possess such information.

• Impression The Lock

To complete this key cutting process, the locksmith will need a key blank, a file as well as a vice grip. This procedure entails inserting the right key blank into the lock, followed by turning it to bind pins within the locks cylinder. This process will enable the locksmith determine the sections that requires to be filed on the key blank. It also involves inserting and removing the key from the lock several times in order to get all the needed cuts. However, it must be noted that various key blanks like brass, steel and aluminium blanks require a special attention to ensure they do not break during the process

• Disassemble The Lock

To disassemble a lock, the locksmith will first pick the lock. However, in the event whereby a broken key is stuck in the keyhole, then you may want to consider an entire lock replacement. The disassembling process is a very delicate one that involves the internal mechanisms of the lock and should not be done unless by a true professional.

Does House Insurance Cover Locksmith?

If you happen to be accidentally locked out of your home for whatever reason, it may be costly to hire the services of a reliable and professional locksmith for help. To mitigate this risk, is home insurance the answer?

The financial coverage provided when you get locked out of your home to cover the costs associated with hiring the services of a locksmith is called home lockout protection assistance. However, it’s very rare that this type of perk is covered by a homeowner’s insurance policy. In the common cases where it’s not included, you can file a claim for reimbursement of the costs associated with hiring a professional locksmith to re-key your lock or let you into your home. Without raising your hopes, it should however, be stated that using a house’s insurance to provide coverage for lockout will hardly work in your favour.

In order to file a claim under homeowner’s insurance coverage, it’s a must to pay your deductible upfront. This can be very costly depending on a number of factors. And to state the interesting part of it all, the locksmith services in association with being locked out of your home is, at most times, even lesser than the deductible amount you’re expected to pay to file a claim. As a result, it’s simply a no brainer to pay for the home lock out from your pocket than to use the home lockout protection assistance.

There’s however an option of getting a home lock out protection via auto club membership such as AAA. They’re known to re-imburse their premium members with a good amount of money towards the costs associated with a home lockout.