Encino locksmith Corp Service Team
Local locksmith team
Apr 20, 2026 8 min read
Most break-ins aren't Hollywood heists — they're opportunistic. A burglar scans a block, picks the easiest target, and is in and out in under four minutes. The good news? A handful of low-cost changes to your doors, locks, and habits can move your home to the bottom of that list. As locksmiths who respond to calls across Encino, the Five Towns, the Rockaways, and the JFK corridor day and night, we see firsthand which vulnerabilities get exploited most — and which fixes actually work.
This isn't a pitch to replace everything you own. It's honest, practical advice from people who spend their days looking at locks, doors, and frames the way a bad actor would. Read through, walk your property with fresh eyes, and tackle what you can this weekend.
Start at the Front Door — It's Where Most Break-Ins Happen
Studies consistently show that roughly 34% of burglars walk straight through the front door. Why? Because most residential deadbolts are installed in hollow-core or weak-framed doors, and a single kick near the lock is often enough to split the frame and swing it open. The lock itself rarely fails — the door or frame around it does. The first upgrade worth making isn't a new lock; it's reinforcing what holds the lock in place. Strike plate screws are the single most underrated fix in home security: swap out the short ¾-inch screws that come standard on your strike plate for 3-inch wood screws that reach deep into the wall stud behind the frame. This turns a one-kick door into one that can withstand several hundred pounds of force, and the upgrade costs under ten dollars in hardware.
Next, look at the deadbolt itself. A Grade 1 ANSI-rated deadbolt (look for that marking on the packaging) is the minimum recommended for an exterior door. If your current deadbolt is a builder-grade Grade 3 lock — common in apartments and older homes throughout the Five Towns and Rockaway neighborhoods — it's worth upgrading. Brands like Schlage B60N or Medeco offer solid, pick-resistant options. If you're a renter, speak with your landlord; you often have the legal right to upgrade locks and share a key. A local locksmith can install a new deadbolt in under 30 minutes and ensure the alignment is perfect — a misaligned bolt is almost as bad as no bolt.
Sliding Doors, Garage Doors, and the Entries People Forget
Sliding glass doors are a favorite for opportunistic entries because their standard latch locks are notoriously weak — they can often be lifted off their track or simply forced. Two fixes: place a cut-down wooden dowel or a purpose-built security bar in the door channel so it physically cannot slide open, and add a pin lock or Charlie bar at the top of the frame. For under $20 in hardware you've dramatically improved one of your most vulnerable entry points. In areas near JFK and the Rockaways where many homes have back patios and yards with easy fence access, this matters more than people realize.
Garage doors deserve their own conversation. An attached garage is essentially a door directly into your home, yet many households leave the garage door opener visor clip visible in the car or use factory-default codes on keypads. Change the keypad code the day you move in, and consider whether your garage opener remote could fall into the wrong hands if your car is broken into. If your garage door has an emergency release cord, be aware that a simple wire through the top seal can trigger it from outside — a zip tie through the release hole is a $0 fix that prevents this trick.
Lighting, Landscaping, and the Value of Being Visible
Darkness is a burglar's best friend. Motion-activated lights on the garage, side gates, and back yard are one of the highest-ROI security investments you can make. Solar-powered motion lights have improved dramatically and require no wiring — you can install them in a Saturday afternoon with a drill and a ladder. Position them so they cover blind spots rather than just the main driveway. The goal is to eliminate any area of your property where someone could crouch or work unseen for more than a few seconds.
Landscaping plays a role too. Tall hedges and large shrubs near windows and doors look beautiful but create concealment for someone trying to work quietly on a lock or window. The classic security-landscaping advice is to keep shrubs trimmed below window height and use thorny plants like roses or hawthorn under ground-floor windows. It sounds simple, but it changes the risk calculation for someone casing your block. In neighborhoods with closely spaced homes — which describes a lot of the Five Towns communities like Lawrence, Hewlett, and Woodmere — natural visibility from neighbors is actually a significant deterrent if you're not inadvertently blocking it with overgrown greenery.
Rekeying vs. Replacing — What to Do After Moving In (or After a Breakup)
One of the most common mistakes new homeowners and renters make is assuming they know who has keys to their home. Previous owners, old tenants, contractors, real estate agents — keys get copied and passed around more than people expect. Rekeying changes the internal pin configuration of your existing lock so that all previous keys stop working. It's faster and less expensive than a full lock replacement when the hardware itself is in good shape, and it's something a mobile locksmith can do on-site in minutes. We strongly recommend rekeying every exterior lock within the first week of moving into any home or apartment.
The same logic applies after any relationship change — a breakup, a falling out with a roommate, or a housekeeper you've let go. People rarely think to rekey in these situations until something goes wrong. It's not about distrust; it's about maintaining control over who can enter your home. If you've recently gone through any transition where keys were shared, a rekey is a modest cost for real peace of mind.
Smart Locks and Tech: What Actually Helps (and What Doesn't)
Smart locks get a lot of hype, and some of that hype is deserved. Keypad and app-controlled deadbolts are genuinely useful for households that frequently need to give temporary access to dog walkers, cleaners, or family members — you can create codes that expire automatically and get an alert every time the door opens. Brands like Schlage Encode and Yale Assure have solid security ratings and don't sacrifice physical lock quality for tech features. If you choose a smart lock, make sure it still has a physical key backup and that it uses 128-bit encryption for its wireless communication.
What tech doesn't fix: a weak door frame, a hollow-core door, or windows with no secondary security. A $300 smart lock installed in a hollow door is still a hollow door. Also worth noting — any connected device is theoretically hackable, though real-world wireless attacks on residential smart locks are far less common than physical forced entry. If you're adding a video doorbell like Ring or Nest Hello, position it high enough that it can't easily be grabbed or pointed away from the door, and make sure your Wi-Fi network uses WPA3 or WPA2 encryption. Technology layers on top of physical security; it doesn't replace it.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my locks are actually good quality, or just builder-grade?+
Look for the ANSI/BHMA grade marking on the lock or its packaging — Grade 1 is commercial/heavy residential quality, Grade 2 is mid-range, and Grade 3 is the bottom tier commonly found in new construction and rentals. You can also check whether your deadbolt has at least a 1-inch throw (the bolt that extends into the frame) and whether the strike plate is secured with long screws into the stud. If you're unsure, a locksmith can assess your current hardware in a quick visit and give you an honest answer about what's worth upgrading and what's fine as-is.
What does it cost to rekey the locks in my house?+
Pricing varies based on the number of locks, the lock brand, whether you need a mobile visit, and the time of day. A locksmith will typically charge per lock rekeyed plus a service call fee, and after-hours or emergency calls carry a premium. The best way to get an accurate number is to describe your situation — how many locks, what brand if you know it, and your location — when you call. We'll give you a clear quote before any work starts, with no surprise fees.
Is it worth getting a home security system if I already have good locks?+
Good locks and a security system do different jobs. Locks are your first line of defense — they deter and delay. An alarm system detects a breach after it happens and triggers a response. For most homeowners, the combination is stronger than either alone, but if budget is a constraint, prioritizing good physical security (solid locks, reinforced frames, motion lighting) tends to give you more deterrence per dollar spent. Monitored alarm systems add a response layer and can lower your homeowner's insurance premium, which is worth factoring into the real cost.
I'm locked out late at night — can you actually come out to the Five Towns or Rockaways area at that hour?+
Yes. Encino Locksmith Corp is a true 24/7 mobile service, which means we dispatch for lockouts, emergency rekeys, and lock repairs at any hour — including weekends and holidays. We regularly serve the Five Towns communities, the Rockaways, and the JFK area. If you're locked out or have an urgent security concern, call us directly at (516) 346-5505 and we'll get someone to you as quickly as possible. We'll always give you an honest time estimate and pricing before we arrive.
