05/03/09 Crime is up in Warwickshire by 4% on last month – and don’t we know it. Sadly there is a lot of crime related work in my job mostly from burglars breaking in to houses to steal car keys. They seem to target houses that have Upvc doors as these can be opened very easily. You wouldn’t think it would you – what with all the hooks and shoot bolts on the locking mechanism – however the weakness is in the cylinder. Which can be snapped open in just 5 seconds in some cases, we can fit anti snap cylinders. These locks are institute of certified locksmiths approved and a worth while spend as well as sash jammers these help in stopping the door being spread or forced open with a spade or jimmy.

© Clements Locksmiths

One thing I here often in my trade is “if they want to get in they will get in” – well in one sense this is right but what you have to remember is thieves are opportunists they are looking for an easy job, they want to be in and out and make the least amount of noise as possible. Statistics show that a burglar will spend no more than 5 minuets trying to gain entry to your property and then move on to the next house. I can identify all locks by either looking through the keyhole or from markings on the cylinder. I know what is easy to open and what is hard to open – by even looking at some handles on Upvc doors I am to know what sort of locking mechanism is in the door. Now admittedly this takes years of experience but if I know it so do burglars. What I am trying to say is for very little money I can secure your house and burglars will move on to an easier option. This will not cause you all the heartache and inconvenience of what has happened to 3 properties in the same street in Bulkington today – cars, cash and credit cards gone! All opened by the same method (French Upvc doors) so simple to open – if I had knocked there door last week and said I can secure your property for £90.00 they would have said there not interested – to day its no expense spared and go the whole hog and have every form of security fitted… Homes that rarely get targeted are those with timber doors and alarms and dogs. Forget cameras they just wear hoodies and hide there faces and security lights don’t bother them as they push them up with clothes lines or such like. Your 1st line of defense is a lock and it should be a good one that has an identifying symbol on it that burglars recognise as a good lock and will move on such as the a cylinder with the ICL logo stamped on it.

Also sash jammers are absolutely imperative on French Upvc doors. Being a good locksmith isn’t just about picking locks open – it’s about product knowledge and knowing what to fit where and what is the best product for your aperture type

27/02/09

Well what a day and what a 1st post to add to my blog.

The day started off relatively normal – I had a couple of jobs booked in – 1st to adjust a Upvc door that the customer was having difficulty locking. Although the handle could be lifted up all ok when in the open position when they come to lift the handle up when the door was closed it was very hard to do. They did the right thing and got me in as soon as they realised that they had a problem as if they had of left it there is no doubt that this would cause pressure on the gearbox of the locking mechanism. This will cause it to fail which of course could happen in the open or locked position – if it fails in the locked position it requires a bit more work to get them open – but I can do it an I enjoy doing them. So I adjusted the door for them, stripped down the mechanism and give it a service which now locks fine.

On to the next job, just a simple lock change in Coventry the customer’s daughter went out and had her handbag stolen with her front door key in – so to be on the safe side they had the lock changed.

Liz took a call from one of my letting agents asking if I could go to some city centre apartments and change the locks as one of their tenants had abandoned the property without paying the rent. They needed the locks changed just in case the tenant tried to get back in.

Then another call taken - a young landlady had a property in Warwickshire that she rents out although the tenants pay her on time and there was no problem - one of the neighbours of the property had noticed water running down the side of an outside wall. The landlady had tried for a couple of days to get hold of the tenants but to no avail. So she went around with her key to see if she could get in and see what the problem was with the water. Her key wouldn’t fit the lock (the tenant had changed the locks) I was called and asked if we could gain entry and change the lock as she needed to have a key to her property. I gained entry via non destructive methods i.e. picked the lock and opened the door. There was black plastic covering all the doors and windows inside the house. The girl’s Dad went in, pulled back the plastic to find it as a cannabis growing house, full of special lights and plant pots with cannabis plants in. The whole house was full of it. The police were called and did a full search of the property which is now all boarded up and is being treated as a serious crime scene. What a shame for this young girl she had every intension of moving back in to the house in due course and found it all very upsetting. As the old saying goes you just don’t know what goes on behind closed doors!

All in a days work for a locksmith…………

21/02/09

Welcome to Clements Locksmiths Blog…

I will be adding things to my blog on a regular basis and sharing with you what sort of things we have been up to during our normal working week.

I know that when I go to jobs a lot of my customers ask me all sorts of questions from how do you become a locksmith to help and advice on securing their property.

I would like to add further pages to my site about the locksmith industry and what I am capable of doing along with an online testimonial page where my customers can leave me feedback on the service they received.

I am personally in favor of good old fashioned service and always do the right thing. This is how I have built my business – on honesty and integrity and being able to walk away from my customer’s door knowing that a good service has been offered and at the right price. You will always know the price before we start any work and a receipt and guarantee will always be given – I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The cartoon logo is a caricature of me (well it was when I was fitter, it should have a bigger belly now and a couple of more chins to be an up to date version). I asked the designer, an American cartoonist called Mike Ray to do it for me. I asked him to emphasise honesty and integrity I think he has done a good job and I am very pleased with it.

I drive around in a high top Renault Master van and this image has pride of place on the side of the van – so you will definitely see me coming!

I am a very lucky man indeed to have a job that I absolutely love with a passion. My family take a keen interest in the profession also and when you call us my wife Liz will more than likely answer the phone – who is very knowledgeable in the industry and manages my day for me and is able to give you a price for any work that you need to be done. I have Holly my 6 year old daughter going on 21 who with my guidance can pick basic locks in my workshop. I then have the terrible two, Charlie and Joe my twin boys aged 3. The only thing they can pick is their nose, but love being taken for a ride in the van and looking at my tools and key cutting machines.

So please feel free to browse my site and return on a regular basis as new things will posted on the blog and more pages added to the site….

Kind regards

Lee Clements
Clements locksmiths