FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions About Home Security in Vancouver
Do you have questions about lock types, installation requirements, re-keying restrictions, or other aspects of home security in Vancouver? Read our FAQ for answers! These are the questions we hear most often from our customers; if you have a question that is not addressed here, give us a call or stop by our shop for more information. We’re always happy to help!
Q. Who is really located in downtown Vancouver?
Why is it that when you are looking for a local Vancouver locksmith in the downtown core and you do a search, firms from all over the lower mainland come up in your search engine? We don’t understand that either.
So who’s really located in downtown Vancouver? Not just a post office box, but really, physically here? We are! Devak Lock and Key has operated a retail store in the Denman Mall for over 30 years.
If you are looking for a reliable local company to service your building, apartment, or condo, we are the firm for you. Stop in and say hi!
Q. What is high security, anyway?
We use locks to secure, protect, and safeguard our valuable possessions and we often choose to install stronger high-security locks for items or spaces that we care most for. High-security locks increase the resistance to compromise and are designed so that defeating the lock becomes too time-consuming or expensive for thieves.
There are several internal designs and intentions that are built into these stronger locks and the familiar brands like Abloy, Assa, Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, Primus and Primus-Everest have mastered the technology.
Q. I have an intermittent problem…
Intermittent problems with doors locking or not can be difficult to diagnose. It may take more than one visit to determine what exactly is causing your problem and the best way to repair it fully. Often several factors can be causing a problem. Closers may need to be adjusted differently to cope with changing weather conditions (wind, temperature) for example.
Q. What is the Duty Cycle?
The duty cycle refers to how often you can use an item before it breaks. Architects have developed standards of comparison to rate various manufacturers. They use these designations:
Ansi Grade I Commercial – This is the highest grade given for use in demanding environments such as hospitals, care facilities, shopping centers, etc. Hardware is quite rugged, often standing up well to abuse such as bumps from supply carts and repeated heavy use, every few seconds all day long, day after day.
Ansi Grade II Commercial – Also referred to as standard duty commercial, Ansi Grade II Commercial meets or exceeds requirements for fire separation doors. It is designed for use in office buildings, condominiums, stores, etc.
Residential Grade – This designation is for any product which doesn’t meet the two classes mentioned above. There are no standards for this grade. A buyer would do well to hesitate about using this type of product anywhere but in low-usage environments.
Q. I need to change my lock…
So, maybe you just moved into a new place, or maybe you lost your keys or had them stolen.
While we can actually take off your existing lock and replace it with a new one, perhaps all you need is for us to change it so the old keys don’t work anymore. You would keep the same lock but with new keys for it. We call this re-keying the lockset. It costs considerably less than replacing the lock.
On the other hand, if your existing lock doesn’t work well anymore, or if you want a better one, replacing it is probably a better choice for you. Our dispatcher would be happy to discuss your options. You could also drop by our store and take a look, and we can explain what makes one lock better than another.
Q. A word about counterfeiting…
Money isn’t the only thing that gets counterfeited. Offshore manufacturers try to copy popular products made by quality manufacturers every day. Sometimes mass merchants will approach a manufacturer to design and produce a special, lower quality product designed to look very similar to their popular quality design, keeping the same brand name, but able to sell for a much lower price. A less sophisticated consumer will often be fooled into thinking they are comparable products, believing they are getting a much better deal.
When it comes to locks, Schlage® is generally considered to be the standard against which other manufacturers are judged. Many importers are bringing in offshore copies of popular Schlage products. Some in our industry will present these products as being “just as good” or something similar.
Our philosophy about lock hardware is to use the same quality product or better when servicing or repairing an original installation. The reason is simple: Reverse-engineered copies of products never last as long as the original product. They can’t, since the prime motivator behind the practice of reverse engineering is to make a product cheaper.
Service calls by competent tradesmen are always expensive. Installing an inferior product that breaks quicker, needing more service calls to complete repairs makes no sense. It’s more economical in the long run to use high-quality hardware that requires less servicing.
Unfortunately, the product isn’t the only thing that gets counterfeited in our industry. Some untrustworthy types take shortcuts on installations, leading to less secure situations or other problems. We at Devak Lock & Key have quality standards that every one of our techs must meet on every service call to ensure that your work is done properly.
Q. Help! I’m locked out!
We’ve got you covered! We are now able to send a locksmith your way, day or night. Just call us at 604-669-6947!