Champion Lock & Safe Co.

It’s been one heck of a summer here in San Antonio, we’ve had a terrible drought this year, tree’s are dying and the grass is drying up. My backyard is a mud pit right now. Fortunately, the last couple of weeks we’ve finally had a respite, and it’s been raining again. It’s funny, after a good rain we always get service calls and complaints from people about their key getting ”stuck” in the lock, or the locks not working smoothly anymore. Alas… all the lubrication has been washed out. It’s a good idea to keep your locks lubricated on a regular basis, not just after a down pour. Common wisdom is to use a graphite product, and if you go to e-how.com that’s what they will tell you, however in our experience, in south Texas it’s too humid and the graphite gets sticky/muddy, and does not stay smooth and dry. It’s better in dry/cold climates, we recomend  a Teflon based spray lubricant, or in a pinch, WD40. WD40′s a better cleaner then lubricant but it works ok, a good teflon lubricant (Dupont, Tri-Flow) will outperform it and last longer however. In our shop we sell Tri-Flow and it works great, as the boss says, “locksmith in a can”.

When I was browsing around on the web looking for a locksmith San Antonio, I was a little concerned about finding someone who offered credible services. I had heard horror stories about people who were referred to local locksmiths that turned out to be no where near local; they only advertised themselves as such. These pseudo-local locksmiths take your calls from a call center, give you an estimate, and then when the contracted locksmith arrives he will ask for a significantly greater amount of money. Luckily, I found Champion Lock & Safe Co. to handle all of my locksmith needs at affordable rates. But if you aren’t in the Central Texas area and are looking for a legitimate local locksmith, here are some tips from the Better Business Bureau:

•    Get recommendations from friends, family, co-workers and neighbors.
•    Be wary if a company you call answers with a generic phrase like “locksmith services” and not a specific company name.
•    Get an estimate on EVERYTHING before work begins. Also ask about any additional charges. Verify it at least twice before you agree to services.
•    Find out if the locksmith is insured.
•    When the locksmith arrives, ask for ID. In addition, a credible locksmith should verify your information as well.
•    After the work is complete get an itemized report on all of the charges and parts used.

Local locksmiths should do more than just make you keys. If you’re looking for the premier locksmith San Antonio, Champion Lock is your go- to commercial locksmith. Not only do we fix, replace and install locks, but we cover your entire spectrum of safety needs.

We install security cameras , sell intercoms, set up card entry systems, and we even cut car “chip” keys. Security cameras keep your business safe by allowing you access to see whatever area of your building – inside or out – that you desire. Intercoms for business or home are great for communicating without cell phones or the interruption of getting up and looking for the person you want to talk to. Card entry systems are a very popular form of admittance because they restrict employees and patrons in ways that locks and keys just can’t. Cutting chip keys for your car takes replacement car keys one step further, because we use the code for your car to design a perfect duplicate.

How many other local locksmiths do you know that can do all of the above? Not many, right? Well come to Champion Lock and Safe Co. for all of your lock and safety needs.

There are many simple, common sense ways to increase your home security in order to avoid the chances of burglary.

Firstly, it’s a good idea to consult a locksmith to ensure you are using the most suitable door locks and window locks, including dead-bolt locks, and install a good-quality security alarm system that will deter any intruders.

It may sound obvious, but always make sure you lock the doors and lock the windows before you go out. Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, the days when you could leave your home unlocked are past. Never leave notes on your door that can reveal you’re not home.

If you’re going out at night, be sure to leave some lights on, or use automatic timers to turn on the lights. It’s also a good idea to place automatic timers on radios on loud volume so they can be heard from outside, but be sure to lower the volume of your telephone ring and answering machine so they can’t be easily heard. There are also security systems that can automatically open window curtains and blinds by timer.

Finally, though it’s tempting, never leave spare sets of keys outside your home or provide keys to service people. Instead, give a spare key to a trusted neighbor.