business door lock

Business Security Tips to Protect Building Access

Business owners need to make security a top priority. Threats are everywhere, and being careless can lead to lost money, inventory, or data, as well as injuries to employees or customers. Focusing on your company’s physical security can keep your business and everyone who works there or visits safe.

Restrict and Control Access

If you operate a business that is open to the general public, you need to carefully secure storage rooms, record rooms, and computers containing sensitive information. If you operate a business where customers do not routinely visit and where only employees are generally on-site, you need to control access to the building, and possibly the entire property. Security cameras can help you keep tabs on anyone who enters or tries to enter secured areas.

You can make sure that only authorized personnel enter sensitive areas by providing employees with keyless entry access cards. This system offers several benefits over traditional locks and keys.

With a keyless entry system, you can grant individual employees access to different areas based on their roles in the company. You will have an electronic record of who entered each area and when to help you narrow down a pool of potential suspects if theft or vandalism occurs. In addition, if an electronic keycard is lost or stolen, you can simply deactivate the card instead of replacing locks and issuing all employees new keys. If an employee quits or is fired, you can deactivate that person’s access card in a matter of seconds.

Conduct Routine Training and Periodic Security Reviews

Implementing security procedures is important, but those procedures will only work if employees understand and follow them. Hold regular meetings to discuss potential threats, procedures that are currently in place, the reasons for them, and penalties if they are not followed. Encourage employees to report any suspicious activity they notice.

You should routinely review your access control procedures and figure out if they are as effective as they could be. Sometimes circumstances and needs change. For example, if you hire more people or reorganize internally, you may need to reconfigure your access control measures to keep vital areas secure. If you become aware of a security threat, you may need to implement new procedures. Technology may advance and new products may become available that could make your business more secure.

Install a Keyless Entry System

Keyless entry is one of the best ways to control access to your business. With electronic cards, you can control who has access to each area and know who entered each building or room and when. All American Locksmiths can install a keyless entry system at your Connecticut or New York business to keep your employees, customers, property, and data safe. Contact us today to learn more or to schedule an installation.

SECURITY

Keyless Entry Systems Are an Important Element of Modern Building Security

As schools and government buildings update their security procedures to prevent unwanted intruders from gaining access, so too should businesses think about whether their security procedures are outdated. One way to modernize building security is by installing keyless entry technology.

What is a Keyless Entry System?

Keyless entry into a building is the safest, most secure way to control access to a building or to important restricted areas. Traditional keys or keypads offer entry to anyone who can copy a key or learn the access codes. (And employees can’t always be relied upon to not share either keys or entry codes with family members, friends, ex-coworkers or others.)

Any business, industry or another enterprise with a building that houses offices, inventory, supplies, documents and more can benefit from a modern keyless entry system. Each controlled access system can be designed for a specific company or organization’s individual needs and requirements.

How Are Keyless Entry Systems Safer?

Because keyless entry systems do not utilize a key, unwanted visitors cannot use a bump key to access your business property. In addition, these systems are ideal for any business that needs to—or wishes to—monitor those that enter the premises. It shows proof of what time as well since they use electronic codes, cards, or key fobs that can record entry data. Because these systems are programmable from within your business, you also have the capability of denying access to specific persons without having to purchase a new system or even change the locks each time.

The software interface with a keyless entry system can be designed to automatically lock and unlock doors based on a time system, restricting access to only employees who should be there at that time. You can use the software to set alerts for irregularities and run reports later about who accessed the building and when.

Call a Professional Locksmith Service

In Connecticut and Westchester County, New York, All American Locksmiths provides residential, commercial and automotive services for customers of all types, including the installation of keyless entry systems. We are a family-owned and operated locksmith business; we care about every job and offer professional, reliable, fast, and affordable service to the community. For more information, contact us today!  

 

antique door

Updating Antique Doors for Lock Security

Many people love the charm of older houses and strive to maintain or restore them to their original condition. This requires special skills and training, especially when it comes to doors and locks. An antique lock may have become damaged or sensitive from years of wear and tear or disuse, but it may still be in good enough condition to keep your home secure if it receives the right repairs.

In past centuries, locksmiths often made locks themselves and experimented with a variety of techniques. That means antique locks are not standardized the way modern locks are. Not all locksmiths have the tools and training necessary to repair them. Any work on an antique lock should be left to an expert. You could also opt to add newer lock security elements that make the door secure while leaving its aesthetics intact.

Common Issues with Old Locks

Many problems with antique door locks are a result of rust that caused the lock to seize up or made it hard to turn the door handle. You might be able to take a rusted lock apart yourself, soak it in vinegar, and clean it yourself, but putting it back together would most likely require help from a locksmith. If the rust is so bad that the metal has worn down, cracked, or broken, you will definitely need the assistance of a locksmith. All or part of the lock may need to be replaced.

If there is an internal problem with the lock, it is most likely due to a foreign object that has become lodged inside and is blocking the key path. Since the internal workings of antique locks can vary widely, hiring a qualified locksmith is essential.

Sometimes an antique lock falls apart. This can usually be fixed by tightening the connections, but sometimes there is a different problem and more investigation is required to diagnose the source of the issue.

If you had a broken antique lock repaired and it worked for a while, but the same problem arose again, it might be because one component is not aligned correctly and is damaging another component. It is also possible that the house’s foundation has shifted. If that is the case, no locksmith will be able to permanently fix the lock. The foundation issue will need to be addressed for the lock to function consistently.

In some cases, an antique lock is so damaged that it cannot be fixed. A locksmith may be able to find a lock similar to the old one or help you to make a modern upgrade that protects your property and still looks good on the door.

Trust Your Antique Door Lock to a Professional

If you have an antique door lock that is damaged, don’t attempt to fix it yourself. Antique locks are complicated and often fragile, and you could make the problem worse. All American Locksmiths has a team of professionals who are up to the task of repairing or updating door locks. Contact us if you need help.