Blog
What Is a Deadbolt Lock? Types, Grades, and How They Work
A deadbolt lock uses a solid bolt with no spring behind it. Here are the four common types, what ANSI/BHMA grades mean, whether deadbolts are universal in size, and when to replace one.
How to Change the Battery on a Keypad Door Lock
Most keypad door locks take four AA alkaline batteries behind the interior cover. Step by step battery replacement for Schlage, Kwikset and Yale, plus what to do when the lock is already dead.
What Is a Master Key System?
A master key system lets one key open many doors. How master keying works, the four levels, real cost ranges, and when to skip it.
What Is a Physical Access Control System and How Does It Work?
A physical access control system replaces keys with credentials and electronic locks. Here is how an access control system works, part by part.
What Is a Transponder Key, and Does Your Car Have One?
A transponder key is a car key with a chip that answers your immobilizer. Learn what the transponder chip in a car key does and how to spot one.
Why Does My Kwikset Lock Keep Jamming? Causes, Fixes, and Prevention
A jamming lock usually comes down to a misaligned strike plate, grit in the cylinder, corrosion, or a worn key. Here is how to tell which one you have.
How to Install a Deadbolt Lock in a Metal Door
Step by step method for installing a deadbolt lock in a metal, steel clad, or hollow metal door, including bit selection, drill speed, and strike plate alignment.
How to Open a Jammed Door Lock From the Outside
A jammed door lock means a bound latch or a seized cylinder. How to open a jammed door lock from the outside, and how to fix a lock that sticks.
What Is a Panic Bar on a Door? Crash Bars and Exit Devices Explained
A panic bar on a door lets people exit fast in an emergency. How panic bars on doors work, which types fit which doors, code triggers, and installed cost.
How to Program a Key Fob on a Push Start Car
Push start key fob programming almost never works at home. See what VW push button start, Hyundai, Kia and Nissan systems actually require.
What to Do If You Get Locked Out of Your House
Locked out? Here is what to do when locked out of your house, how to get back in, who to call, and what a lockout actually costs.
How to Change a Commercial Door Lock Without Damaging the Door
Changing a lock on a business door takes 30 to 60 minutes when the existing door prep matches the new hardware. You…
Need a Locksmith Rather Than a Guide?
If you’re locked out right now, skip the reading. Get in touch and we’ll get someone headed your way.












