Parts of locks

There are many locks in the world, but throughout the world there is usually a basic set up of a knob lock on the bottom and deadbolt on top.  Here in New York City everyone who lives in an apartment building usually has a jimmy proof deadbolt on top and mortise lock on the bottom.  People who live in houses usually have a tubular deadbolt on top and regular keyed entry knob set on the bottom.  So the jimmy proof consists of a drop bolt type of lock which is on the inside and a keyed cylinder which is on the outside.  When you turn your key in the cylinder the mechanism inside the cylinder lines up and your able to turn your key.  The cylinder is inserted into the deadbolt with a tail piece, so when you turn the key the tail piece turns and your are able to lock and unlock the drop bolt.  The bottom lock which is known as the mortise lock has six parts to it, it has the cylinder, the outside escusion plate, the inside escusion plate , a knob set, a spindle, and lock body.  Inside the mortise lock body which is inside the door, all the lock system is concealed.  For the house locks its usually the deadbolt on top and knob on the bottom.  The deadbolt has the bolt and the cylinder and thumb turn.  The knob on the bottom is two pieces the key part on the out side and thumb turn piece from inside.  If you live in an apartment and you only have the bottom lock and no top deadbolt, your apartment is half protected, please call your local locksmith and have them install a drop bolt.  If you live in a house and have two locks on the door, but they the regular cheap brand from home depot please call your locksmith and upgrade the deadbolt to a high security deadbolt and have them add a super strike.  Many locksmiths in Queens carry the high security deadbolts.

key finders

Always help

I did a locksmith service for a very old lady in Woodside Queens.  Everyone should know what I explained to this old lady.  So she is been living in this apartment for the last twenty five years and she said that her lock never worked right.  When I went to help her she was locked out, apparently her bottom lock collapsed and locked her out.  Normally the bottom lock on an apartment door is a mortise lock.  This lock is designed with two plates that hold all the mechanism together like a VHS video tape and sometimes these plates come loose and guess what? all the mechanisms jump out of their tracks and end up jamming into each other. So this exact thing happened to this old lady.  I had to drill the cylinder out and literally wrench out the deadbolt because it was jammed up so bad. Normally the bottom lock is the responsibility of the management, so I explained to the lady that she can take my receipt and get reimbursed from the land lord because by law the land lord has to either fix the bottom lock or pay to have it fixed. When the mortise lock is ready to collapse it usually gives you clues such as the lock not locking or unlocking smoothly.  When you feel your lock is working very tight you should call your local locksmith to come look at it for you.  Usually good locksmiths provide free estimates for their work.  The few very good locksmiths in Queens are Abco, Admiral, Jstein, Around the clock, Armor, and Joseph locksmith.  I personally have worked for these locksmith and yes they do provide a free walk through when a client requests it.

How not to loose your keys

I recommend using either the Mul-T-Lock or the Medeco Freedom.  There are many reasons for my recommendation.  Mul-t-Lock and Medeco Freedom gives you protection against being picked open, drilled , and also from being kicked in.  Both of these high security locks are designed with internal pins that does not allow raking of the pins.  Usually you would pick a lock open by raking the pins and then turning the plug.  The high security lock pins don't allow the raking motion.  The Medeco cylinder has hardened steel pins that not only have different length cuts but each pin also has a different angle.  This combination gives too many combination to manipulate.  The Mul-T-Lock has a double piston pin system.  Every cylinder has an outer piston and then an inner pin.  So on the key there are two small dimple size cuts where each piston and pin falls into before turning.  So I recommend these two high security locks because of all these security functions but my number one reason I recommend these two locks is that both come with a code card which allows you to make a copy of your key without having the key.  So if you loose your key or leave it in the office but you have your code card in your wallet you can just stop by your local locksmith and copy your key and go open your door.  Most locksmiths hate to see the Mul-t-Lock or medeco when it comes to emergency locksmith service because they are very hard to open.

On top of the Roof

Fire rated doors.  When the fire codes changed in the United States the fire department required all apartment doors, storage rooms in apartment buildings, boiler room doors, basically any room door inside a residential or commercial buildings to be rated at least 90 minutes. This means the door has to be able to withstand fire for 90 minutes before catching fire.  Recently the buildings department has been going around New York requiring building owners to install self closing fire rated doors for elevator machine rooms. The fire rated doors are usually made of at least a 18 gauge steel, with a solid wood core inside. The wood inside is usually treated with a fire retardant.  Usually an experience locksmith would replace an existing door with a fire rated door with an insert iron angle frame. Using an insert frame you avoid measuring the hinges off and insuring a smooth and easy installation.  Also the insert frame usually strengthens the existing frame.  Also when the existing frame has been damaged or worn out a locksmith should use an insert frame. There are times when locksmiths have used iron angle insert frames to strengthen existing wood frames.  I personally have installed insert frames and fire rated doors on many occasions to cover up damaged frames and also to strengthen existing frames. If you live in an apartment and would like to have your existing door upgraded definitely have your locksmith install a fire rated door with an insert angle frame, mortise lock, and preferably a tubular dead bolt.  There are buildings that still have old prewar style doors, I recommend having those doors replaced along with your other reconstruction of the apartment.

 

Iron gates

Iron man gates: http://youtu.be/O8XsOyHuplY

Lost car keys

It happens at the most urgent moments, moments when you are in a massive rush to get somewhere and you need your car.  You look in you pockets, in your house, you turn everything upside down but no luck you can't find your keys to your brand new car.  What to do? You call the dealer they tell you that your car has a special transponder key which will have to be cut by code and then they have to program it to your car. So you ask how long will that take? Well usually two days.  Ok not good enough.  Next you Google locksmith for auto and a bunch of locksmith websites come up.  You start to call and most of the locksmiths are quoting you very high prices.  By the time you call the fifth one you are about to loose your mind, so very rudely you start to ask the person who just answered the emergency locksmith service phone line how much for a car key?  It turned out that the person was a certified locksmith, so he asked you what kind of car is it? By the time you gave him your info he had already started to make you feel better.  It turns out that this locksmith can send out one of their technicians to your location to cut and program the key to your 2015 Toyota Camry. Before you can tell him what kind of key he asks you do you push a button or turn a key in the ignition? You say button so he tells you that's a fob system and it cost $375 you almost faint but the you realize that it is cheaper than the dealer and also no towing the car to the dealer. The technician arrives within the hour and half hour later you have your car key.  Ain't life Wonderfull.  So in case you lose your car key search for emergency locksmith queens and choose a licensed locksmith to come make you a key For your car.

Locksmith stops a burglar

Today I stopped a burglar from breaking into a single mother's apartment.  So I was working in my shop at Abbaslocksmith when a lady came in all panicked.  I asked her can I help you? She said yeah I need a pad lock for my apartment, I asked her you mean a deadbolt? She started crying and sobbed something that sounded like "I don't know someone is trying to come into my apartment".  I knew right away that she was distressed and I needed to consul her and calm her down.  So I told her right away that don't worry you have come to the right place, I will be able to help you out. So I took her over to the display  table I have in the shop where I keep locks that we apply to doors on display. So right away she saw the locks that she has on her door and pointed them out to me.  So it turned out she had two jimmy proof deadbolts on her door but she only had key to one of them.  So I told her that everything will be ok and from what she is telling me she only needs the cylinders.  So hearing that she started to calm down and started to tell me what had happened. According to her yesterday she returned from work and picking up her son to find her apartment door wide open with her dog sitting on the sofa scared stiff.  As you would guess she almost had a heart attack.  Luckily nothing was missing in the apartment.  She called the cops they came investigated made her feel very small and left.  So I asked her did you just move in? she said yes. Did you changed your locks? No I didn't she replied. Well to me that is the first mistake she made.  Locksmith advice number one change your lock as soon as you move your stuff into a new apartment.  Upon hearing this I suggested that we install one high security cylinder in the top lock and regular cylinder in the bottom cylinder. She chose the Mul-t-Lock as her high security cylinder and a segal cylinder as her regular.  She paid me at the store with her credit card.  In twenty minutes I went over and did the installation.  While installing the cylinders she told me that last night someone had attempted to come in to the apartment again because she herd the top lock click open but the middle lock which she had no keys for was locked so the door did not open. Apparently whoever was trying to come in also did not have the keys for the middle lock, Thank God.
We service the greater Queens area, including Flushing, Corona, Elmhurst, Forest Hills, Rego Park, Woodhaven, Whitestone, College Point, Bayside, and many other neighborhoods. Please take your security serious because its the only thing that you have control over as far as how much of or how little your should have.  Most locksmiths offer free advisement on home security options and if they don't they are not really locksmiths, so please don't hire them.  Call your local locksmith and ask them to come to your house or apartment to analyze how secure you are.  If no other locksmith comes to do the service you can always count on www.abbaslocksmith.com for a free advisement on home security. 

Candid camera

In the security industry the advent of the video camera was a break through.  In the past if someone was to break into your home the police had a hard time catching them.  Nowadays the servilance camera has given home owner another tool to deter a wanna be burglar not to even come near the home, and if they do they will get caught. Abbaslocksmith employs technicians who are experts in the installation, service and sales of digital, and analog servilance cameras.  We provide the bullit, and the vandal proof dome cameras. For home owners it is affordable to have at least two cameras installed in strategic locations to catch the most valuable view. In Flushing Queens we have installed numerous sets of cameras for private homes.  All of our cameras n be programmed to be viewed from remote location and also recorded.  The system comes with cameras, DVR, a hard drive and a screen.  A good system with two cameras and a 500 giga bit hard drive can cost about $900. You can increase the recording capacity by getting a bigger hard drive. 

Locks and Love.

So Pad locks are one of those things that you can use to lock up anything. All you really need is a chain and pad lock and bingo you can lock away any door, bike, drawers, refrigerator and so on. Some of the earliest forms of locks had to do with pad lock. A pad lock is used for gym lockers, and for storage rooms.  Locksmiths love to use them on emergency in addition to hasps.  All you have to do is install a has and pad lock and boom you have just secured a room.  Whenever I go the public storage in Flushing college point Blvd I use my grinder to cut the pad lock off.  There are pad locks from Mul-T-Lock that can cost $200.  All my emergency locksmiths in Queens use pad locks to secure hard to work on doors. If you ever have a pad lock you need cut off rememeber www.abbaslocksmith.com and 5163621459.

Lever handle in Gymboree.

Today I would like to tell you about how to get the best out of your locksmith service.  So many of my service calls involve clients calling to either have their locks changed or new locks installed.  Me being the professional locksmith that I am always end up doing extra work besides what they paid for because I always want my clients to rememnber me for a positive experience.  So if I install a deadbolt lock I always check the hinges on the door and if necessary tighten them up. There are locksmiths that are sub contractors they want to be in and out as fast as possible for that reason they don't bother checking other aspects of the door. So it is up to the client to ask the locksmith to check the frame, hinges, saddle, and so forth.  Now when I go to clients to either rekey or change their cylinders there has been times I have walked off the job. Why you ask? Well this one client in Bayside wanted me to rekey all her locks around her house. So she had three dead bolts and three knob sets. These locks were the standard level one kwikset locks you get at home depot. So her total was going to be about $350, I told her that it wasn't worth rekeyong those locks because they are not so secure and not that sturdy. She would not try to understand me. So I went and brought out some Arrow tubular deadbolts and some Mul-t-Lock deadbolts just so cn show her the comparison. So the difference between the arrow deadbolts was about $105 more then the rekeys and the Mul-t-Lock was a difference of about $900. So after showing her all her choices she still felt like it was ok to rekey the kwiksets so I refused to do the job, maybe I was wrong but know for sure that I was thinking of her safety because after all that I even offered her the arrows for the same price as the rekey but she wouldn't budge. So anyways after some thought I agreed to rekey the locks under objection off course.  After all the client should get what they want.  So back to getting the most out of your locksmith, no matter if you live in Corona, Flushing, Elmhurst, Whitestone, Woodhaven, Rego Park or Astoria you have the right to make sure all your security needs are looked at when the locksmith is in your house. So if your locksmith is changing your cylinder have him/her lubricate the lock and make sure it's in working condition before he puts it back.  And remember people just like everything in this world locks need maintenance also, so every year have abbaslocksmith check your locks it's free.
Today I had the pleasure of installing a lever handle for the Gymboree in Forest Hills. This lever handle operated a push bar exit device.

A door for the dungeon.

Today we installed a full framed fire rated Hollow metal door in a sub basement of an apartment building in Forest Hills.  The FDNY has implented a rule of fire code law that requires building to have fire rated 90 minutes on all apartment door and all other room doors.  This particular room was going to house all appliances that tenants threw out for recycling.  Previously the room had a wood door with a wood frame that actually had broken apart so all the equipment inside was vulnerable to vandalism. So we had Supreme Fire Proof Doors in the Bronx make up the door for us. So we started to install the frame into the opening of the entrance to the room, unfortunately we realized that it was to wide for the opening. So we had to come up with a fix on the spot, we couldn't me it back to the Bronx. So Raule and I came up with the idea to cut one inch off one side of the frame so we can squeeze it into the space. So we cut the frame and long be hold it worked, we were able to squeeze it in and bolt it onto the cinder blocks with bang in bolts.  We use bang in bolts to secure doors, gates and any kind of iron work into cement, brick or cider blocks.  The door fit perfectly.  We installed a mortise lock and strike plate. We sealed up any crevices with calking and we were done.  What a relief because we thought that we were gonna be stuck.  To be considered a master locksmith you gonna have to come up with on the spot fixes.  Abbaslocksmith employs some of the most innovative technicians out there.  We have technicains that are able to open any safe. Technicians that can make a car key from scratch, and technicains who install doors in no time.  For the past ten years I have personally Have installed doors in the Bronx, all parts of Queens and some parts of Brooklyn.  My locksmiths can provide service for any locksmith emergency.

Sunday full of broken locks

Sundays are usually slow and uneventfull, but today we helped people in Forest Hills, Woodhaven, Jackson Heights, Corona, Astoria, and Sunnyside. In Forest Hills I sent my locksmith Michael to open the door for the newly opened Pediatrics PM and then fix the lock. In Woodhaven there was a lady locked in her house, so I got Michael over there. He opened the security storm door lock which was jammed and then replaced it.  In Jackson Heights I had Raule open an apartment door mortise lock. In Corona Raule replaced an Adams Rite latch lock and push paddle. In Sunnyside I had Raule let a gentleman back into his apartment. The couple in Astoria couldn't open their bathroom door so Raule unjammed the door and opened it. When it comes to emergency locksmith service in Queens abbaslocksmith gets locksmiths to locations in under 30 minutes.  So out of all the jobs on this Sunday we ran ten minutes late to the Sunnyside location.  Abbaslocksmith does not charge extra for Sunday service.  We don't charge a visit fee and our prices are determined by the type of locks our clients want.  Our locksmith service in Queens is considered the best by our clients.

They broke the door down.

Whenever the FDNY goes out on a call for an unresponsive person locked inside the apartment, they don't usually call a locksmith to open the door, they usually break the door down either with a sludge hammer or they use their heavy craw bars to wedge the door open. Either method they use they usually damage the door beyond repair. So we received a call at abbaslocksmith last week from one of our commercial account management company. They told us to go to an address on Yellowstone Blvd to see if we could secure an apartment door that the fire department broke down.  I got to the location and saw the apartment door bent out of shape. There was no repairing it. Since the tenant had been taken to the hospital I had to secure the apartment, so I went ahead and straighten out the frame and door as much as I could in order to install a Jimmy proof deadbolt on it. Once I had the apartment secured I took measurements of the door and ordered a new fire rated door.  Usually a Kalamine fire rated door can cost between $650-$900 depending on the size and hardware. I requested a rush delivery and thanks to Supreme fire proof door company in the Bronx I was able to receive my door within a week. Usually it takes two to three weeks. They equipped the door for me with a peep hole chime, a mortise lock, an iron insert frame and spring loaded hinges. @abbaslocksmith we are able to repair, replace and refurbish any type of door.  For the quickest door delivery just call 24 hrs, 516-362-1459. Our clients have used our door service in Rego Park, Forest Hills, Corona, Woodhaven, and Elmhurst.  Abbaslocksmith deals with fire rated doors, wood frames and doors, Kalamine, hallow metal, and fiber glass doors on a regular bases.

Emergency Locksmith Flushing

Today I went to the heart of Flushing to help a gentleman get a key for his Ford Windstar.  So he called abbaslocksmith around 12:30 pm asked if we had a locksmith in Flushing so I told him sure, what do you need sir? He said he lost his car keys so I got the make and model sent my Tec Oscar over to the location and by 2 pm he had his key to his car. We at www.abbaslocksmith.com always get technician to any location in Queens within the hour. At about 5pm the guy called me again this time he wanted to tell me how good Oscar was. We appreciate our clients who tell us about their experiance with our technicians. So back in the days making a car key required us to remove the door cylinder, the ignition and sometime even the trunk in order to decode all the cuts for the key.  Now a days we take the VIN number call a special company to receive a key code and then cut the key with our HPC key machine. Please feel free to call 516-362-1459 to book your next great locksmith experiance in Flushing Queens.

Stop and secure

Your door is as strong as the deadbolt that's on it.  Having a heavy deadbolt such as a Mul-t-Lock tubular deadbolt will increase your doors strength. Now if you accompany the deadbolt with a heavy duty super strike then you have successfully stoped anyone from breaking your door down. We at abbaslocksmith use the Mul-t-Lock on all our residential door applications.  This lock is designed to withstand blows from sludgehammers, and it is completely pick proof. Also the key can be restricted from being copied without permission.