Door Lock Installation
By CallOrange Blog • Commercial • Home Security Tips • Locksmith • Residential • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 0 Comments

Installing a New Door Lock

How do you change a lock on a door?

That’s a question we get a lot. Installing a new door lock, while not difficult, different locks, doors and uses may have different requirements and tools to do the job right. There are a few questions that need to be asked before that question can be answered:

  1. What type of door? Is this an outside door or inside door? Is the door made of wood, metal or a metal door with a wood core?
  2. Fresh or existing install? Is there already a lock on the door or will this be a fresh install on a new door or door that has never had a lock on it?
  3. What type of lock? Do you want to swap out an existing lock for the same type or is this an upgrade to a different style of knob, handle or lock? There are all kinds of new high-security locks and smart locks for the home with keypads and Bluetooth technology.
  4. Do you really need to change the lock? Many time you don’t need to replace the entire lock, you only need to replace the pins in the existing lock for it to work like new. This is called rekeying and can be done quicker and much more affordably that a complete lock replacement.
smart door lock installation
Smart electronic deadbolt and handle installation on wood door.

When purchasing and installing a new locks on your home front door there are more things to consider. Technology has taken us beyond the simple know and deadbolt for home security. There are now smart home locks with programmable keypads and wireless entry systems. DO you have family, friends or guests that need to get into your home while away? You may want a programmable keypad lock with individual codes for each person with alerts sent to your phone anytime the code is entered. Hate fumbling with keys? You can get Bluetooth smart locks that work with your smart phone and automatically unlock when approached.  And going beyond just the lock and handle; Need to see who is at the door whether your just in another room in your house or thousands of miles away on business? A doorbell camera with motion sensor can send you an alert and live video right on your mobile device wherever you are!

Common Lock Brands

  • Schlage
  • Kwikset
  • Mul-T-Lock
  • Yale
  • Baldwin
  • Modeco
  • Prime-Line
  • Everbuilt
  • LockState
  • Anderson

Types of Smart Locks

  • Kwikset Kevo Touch-to-Open
  • Kwikset Premis Touchscreen
  • Kwikset Z-Wave SmartCode
  • Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt
  • Schlage Connect Touchscreen
  • Schlage Connect with Alarm
  • Yale Assure Touchscreen
  • Ultraloq Touchscreen Bluetooth
  • Samsung Digital Fingerprint
  • Ardwolf Keyless
door handle smart lock
Door handle with smart electronic keypad deadbolt lock.

When you call us to have a technician come out to your home or business, these are some questions that you may want to consider ahead of time to help the process go smoothly. If you know what you want to do and what to purchase you can also buy your own lock and we can install it for you. If not, we can make a recommendation for you, purchase the lock, knob or handle and then install it for you. We’re available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to best fit your schedule and make all upgrades, repairs and installation at your convenience.

Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week Nationwide!

emergency vehicle lockout service
By CallOrange Auto • Blog • Locksmith • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 0 Comments

How to open a locked car door without using a key

If you’ve ever locked yourself out of your car you know how frustrating that can be! Late for work, locked out of your car in a mall parking lot or stranded late at night, being locked out of your vehicle can ruin your day or even be dangerous. Car doors security and auto lock technology are continually improving and getting back into your vehicle quickly and without damaging the vehicle can be difficult, especially if you don’t have the right tools and experience. Our experienced auto locksmith technicians are trained and have the proper tools to quickly open your locked car door. Depending on your make and model of vehicle will dictate how we cat you back into your car. Listed below are a few different methods for opening a locked car without using the keys.

Pick the Lock and Auto Jigglers

Depending on the make, model and year of your vehicle, some technicians may be able to unlock the door with special lock picking tools. Using a tension tool and picks, they can move the pins to pick the door lock. You could also use a jiggler which is sort of a pre-made generic type key that comes in set for specific vehicle makes. Through trial and error you can test and “jiggle” each on to see if it works in your lock. Lock picking and jigglers may not work on newer cars with precision laser cut keys or transponder keys.

auto lock jigglers
Auto Lock Jigglers

Slim Jim

Popular in movies and TV shows, this is probably what most people imagine when it comes to opening locked car doors. Unlike picking, a slim jim doesn’t try to open the lock itself but opens the door by moving the mechanism in the door. The slim jim is a long flat piece of metal with a notch on the end that you slide down inside the door and hook onto the door latch mechanism and pull it open. Again, like picking, this may not work on newer cars and is usually not recommended to even ty on newer cars as it may damage electronic locks and door airbags.

car lock slim jim
Car Lock Slim Jim

Wedge & Reach

One of the quickest and easiest ways to open a locked car door and without risk of damaging the lock itself is to use tools to wedge open the door at the window and then use a reach tool to open the lock from inside the car. One method of wedging the door slightly open is to use a thin airbag that can be inserted into the door and inflated to create a gap. Then using a long bendable arm tool you can then reach inside the vehicle and unlock the door. See the video below for quick demonstration of this method.

auto wedge pump
Auto Wedge Pump & Reachers

Locked out? Call us now for fast vehicle lockout service. Available 24/7!