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Beginner's Guide to Choosing Childproof Locks

Acme Lock — Tue, 05 Mar 2019 17:43:00 GMT

Few things define a toddler as much as their curiosity. They are at an age where their brains are in full development mode, and as a consequence, they’re driven to learn as much as they can about the world around them. Unfortunately, this often drives toddlers to go places they shouldn’t, often faster than mom or dad could ever notice or catch them! Of course, around the house, a great tool to keep your child safe is childproof locks to secure doors, both internal and external, so your child can’t easily roam out of sight.

But these locks are so popular, it can be difficult to choose the right one. As a parent, particularly if you’re a first time parent, you want to make the right choice, but there’s often no clear guideline to differentiate between the different options you might see on the shelf. While we don’t sell childproofing sets, we do know quite a bit about doors and locks, and thought might be able to offer some unbiased and helpful advice on your journey by highlighting some criteria you want to consider when choosing a childproofing plan.

Durability: Kids are rough on pretty much everything. Your house, your furniture, and even you. With that in mind, when choosing a childproof lock, you want to find one that will stand up to the abuse of a curious toddler. Kids unfortunately don’t try to open a door then walk away when they fail on the first attempt. Chances are, they’ll keep trying. Again, remember their curiosity is in high gear at this point, so they’ll keep at it, trying to get through. This may mean pounding on the door, or shaking at the nob repeatedly, so you want to find a lock that won’t snap on the first good push.

Ease of Use: You’re going to have your hands full as a parent, both metaphorically and literally from time to time. With that in mind, you want to find a lock that’s easy for you to use. If a childproof lock is too difficult to use, you’re creating possible safety hazards by leaving yourself stuck fiddling at a door you can’t open. The alternative is you may find it too tempting to leave the childproof lock disengaged for a significant portion of time, making it easier for you to pass through the doorway, but also negating the safety that should be provided by the childproof lock in the first place.

Childproofing: Of course, the final factor to consider is whether the child proof lock is actually childproof. This isn’t a binary choice however, some locks may be fine if you have a younger child who hasn’t developed the fine motor skills that will come with time, but as your child grows and develops, your childproof locks will need to advance as well. A simple latch or over handle barrier is fine for restricting the movement for some toddlers, but you may find your child needs something more advanced. A child that’s curious enough to figure out how to open some childproofing locks may also be curious enough to venture into places they shouldn’t go unsupervised. While you will do your absolute best as a parent, the simple fact is that children can be unpredictable at times, and you’re doing what you can to protect them.

Ultimately, parenting can be a rewarding experience, even as it is sometimes stressful. And when it comes to actual security locks for your home, we are the experts ready to assist you. Come into any of our local showrooms and our staff will be eager to assist!

What Security Should Your Business Have?

Acme Lock — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 21:06:00 GMT

When it comes to your business, you have thousands of decisions that need to be made on a regular basis. Choosing a security system is simultaneously the decision that you may feel the least motivated to make, but also one of the most important. You invest time, money, and hopes into your business, and you want to protect that investment, giving you the peace of mind knowing you’re covered. To have that peace of mind, you’ll want to ask a few questions to ensure you’ve got the right system that works for you. It’s important to remember that there’s not really a “best system” so much as the “best system for you.”

You’ll want to first consider the space you’ll be monitoring. The amount of space that needs coverage will impact many of the rest of the decisions you’ll need to make. Keep in mind, this can always be scaled later, but it’s good to plan ahead. For instance, if you’re running a retail location, you may want cameras on your cash register and safe location at first, but later may want to expand to cover your sales floor. You don’t necessarily need to set everything up on day one, but it can make the process run more smoothly if you begin planning from the beginning for the eventual expansion of security. This is also important if you’re looking at expanding your business down the road. If you have a restaurant and set up security for your front of house, knowing that you plan on adding a drive thru service at some point in the future is something that can help you plan your security now, at the least knowing you want a security system that can be easily amended down the road.

Consider the needs that make your business unique. Most security systems are set up to cover a variety of businesses, but you may have some specific needs that require adjustment. Are you likely to have a large amount of cash on premises? You may want to add a monitoring system that encompasses your safe, or buy a safe that has compatibility for alarm coverage. Is shoplifting a specific concern? Having wireless cameras that can be deployed to ensure thorough coverage of customer accessible areas will be important.

Another important question to consider will be whether you want a system that includes professional monitoring. This can allow you to have a more agile response in the case of a break in or other security occurrence. Most professional monitoring systems will also include coverage for other risks, such as fire. Without professional monitoring, you’re going to be stuck only using your security system after the fact, getting information that helps with reporting loss to the authorities, while professional monitoring can notify the authorities in the moment and provide a faster response. You’ll want to weigh these benefits with the cost that professional monitoring can include, and what the specific cost risks for your business are.

These are some of the basic facts to consider, but as you begin to sort through the wide array of options available, you’ll find dozens of other questions to ask. Our business security professionals are here to help though, and we have long years of experience to help you make the best choices for your business. Call us today!

Happy New Year from Acme Lock

Acme Lock — Sat, 05 Jan 2019 15:45:00 GMT

2018 was quite a year for us here at Acme Lock, and before we dive into the new year, we want to take a moment to look back at some of the awesome things we’ve seen this year.

We had a chance to talk about the benefits of a CCTV system for your business. CCTV allows you to not only have increased security, but also make better business decisions!

We had a two part look at how to deal with a filing cabinet that you’ve been locked out of that got some great laughs. While it was certainly a humorous story, we hope it was a helpful reminder that calling a helpful professional can save you some time and frustration.

We had some more practical conversations, like talking about the high cost of getting replacement car keys or what to do if your home is broken into. We’re always here to help in any situation, and if you call us today we’ll be ready to help make sure these situations don’t come up again.

We also had some great customer reviews this year, leaving us always more thankful for the fantastic people who choose to let us be a part of your lives! Here’s a few of our favorites:

“I went into the shop for a broken safe, and it was open and fixed within minutes. I would recommend Acme for any of your locksmith needs. Very helpful, friendly, and above all honest.” - Stephanie

“Such a great, helpful place. I have trusted them for years with my personal and business lock needs. Great people, honest, and fair.” - Drew

“I had a broken car key from an older model Hyundai and these guys made me a key that worked perfectly. Could have cost me $200 to have a new key made and it turned out it only cost me $5.00. All thanks to ACME locks. Highly recommend.” - Stephen

“Excellent Service!! I needed a key cut for my truck because mine finally wore out and would not work properly in my ignition. I called to discuss what the process would be and spoke to Jack. He was able to explain the process, set up a time that work around my schedule, and during the process when there was a potential issue; he went above and beyond and was able to resolve it. With the amazing service I got from Jack; it is not hard to understand why this place gets a high rating. I will definitely reach out to you all for any further locksmith needs as well as recommend you all to anybody. Thanks Jack!!” - Joshua

We could never thank you all enough for being such wonderful customers, and we thank you for all of your kind words! We here at Acme are going to continue to be here in the coming year to give you the best possible service and continue to be your neighborhood locksmith experts in 2019!

Protecting Your Home Against Chimney Invaders

Acme Lock — Sat, 15 Dec 2018 16:43:00 GMT

Dear readers, as our customers, we care greatly for your safety. And that's why, at this crucial time of year, we feel the need to remind you that your chimney is a real risk to your home security.

"But I don't have a chimney!" you might say, "I don't live in the Victorian Age!" you may continue, but the unfortunate truth is that at this time of year, we see a real rise in the risk that comes from magic elves that install chimneys overnight, just for their temporary home invasion, then remove them by morning.

How can you tell you’ve been targeted by this conniving band of criminal elven culprits! Well, for starters, they are oddly attracted to well lit homes, which immediately sets them apart from other kinds of their ilk. Specifically, they prefer homes that have dozens, if not hundreds, of small lights cast all over your home, with a particular focus on the side facing the street.

Certain kinds of music may put your home at particular risk. If that music mentions things like heavy snow, jingling bells, angels, or stars, we find this puts you at an even higher risk. Some homeowners inexplicably travel around singing such songs to their neighbors, ensuring they are also placed in extreme danger.

Further, there’s a real danger that certain types of biological growth could be putting your home at even more risk. If you have an evergreen tree that you’ve used to brighten up your living room, this seems to have an attractant relationship with this particular band of thieves. Interestingly enough, research has shown that this relationship holds true even if the tree you have in your living room is an artificial tree, not just for a live tree.

Perhaps it’s too late, and your home has already been targeted. We’ve found over the years that these particular brigands prepare their list for targeted homes ahead of time, and they check it twice for high reliability. In which case, we have found that leaving out some milk and cookies overnight on the twenty fourth night of the month has had some luck with distracting these swindlers before they can do much damage.

You may hear from neighbors who state they’ve experienced these invasions, but rather than objects going missing, they’ve had new items left behind. This does seem to match what we have observed over our years in helping our neighbors to see to their home safety, but somehow this is even more disturbing. What kind of person breaks into your home only to leave random objects behind? What’s worse, they mark the objects with your name, and even choose objects that would match your own needs or wants, leaving you to suspect you’ve been on some kind of year long surveillance, and isn’t that an uncomfortable possibility?

So be safe this year, make sure your home is prepared, and oh, Merry Christmas.

Interview with Matt Woods

Acme Lock — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 19:07:00 GMT

Our team is a huge part of why we’re successful here at Acme Lock, so we thought we’d take the chance to help you get to know our team! To start us off, we got to catch up with Matt Woods, our Chief Executive officer and a fourth generation member of the company, and he was kind enough to answer a few questions to help you get to know him a little better!

What’s your favorite part of your job?

Being able to work with great people and great customers. When you have both, your job is easy. :)

How do you feel about working in a business that has been in your family for so many years?

I’ve worked in corporate America, and the best thing about working with family is that you can call the shots, you don’t feel like you’re just a number and you get to see the direct impact of the decisions you get to make.

Acme has been around in your life for, well, your whole life. How has your view of the store changed over the course of that time from being a kid to where you are now?

Not much has changed in terms of my opinion. As the 4th generation, I feel it’s important that I uphold the legacy of the prior 3 generations. With 70+ employees, I feel that it’s important that we are constantly adapting and constantly changing so we can continue this business well into a 5th generation.

What is the thing about your daily work life that you think would surprise most of your customers?

I don’t have a typical office. I feel that an office creates a divide. The less I’m in it, the more I’m in the stores seeing how the day to day operations are occurring.

What’s one of your favorite customer service success stories?

My favorite is anytime I see a 5 star Google/Yelp review. Each of our stores has done so well with focusing on the customer first, sales second that in the past year, there has been success after success on how people really feel that our stores are their second home.

What’s your favorite way to unwind at the end of the day?

I have a 3, 6 and 7 year old and there’s nothing better than going home to hugs and great family.

What to do If You Have Been Robbed

Acme Lock — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 18:02:00 GMT

It can be one of the worst sights to come home to. A broken front door, a shattered window, or a compromised lock. As soon as you walk in, you see disarray, or immediately spot items missing. A home break in can be a terrible experience for anyone, and chances are you won’t be up for making a lot of decisions or thinking as clearly as you’d hope. There are some crucial steps to take, as soon as possible, to make sure you can bounce back as best as possible.

Call the Police - The very first thing to do is to call the authorities. No matter what you initially see when you come home, you need to call the police. Do not enter the home or search the area until they have had a chance to check and give you the all clear. You’ll also want to wait before touching anything. Depending on the exact circumstances, they may or may not need to take evidence, but they will likely need to at least document the space. Don’t automatically expect them to take fingerprints or other evidence, as this may not be standard for your case. Make sure you take note of instructions they will provide on how to get a copy of their report since this will likely be required for things like your insurance claim.

Do an inventory - Once the police have given you the all clear to enter your home, you’ll want to go around and take an inventory of what is missing. You’ll also want to document and photograph any damage that’s been done. You will of course want to pay close attention any high ticket items, such as a TV, other entertainment equipment, or jewelry. You’ll want to accurately tally the value of any items you identify as missing. Once this inventory is completed, you’ll contact your insurance. They’ll need the inventory you’ve taken as well as the police report information you’ve been provided.

Tell the neighbors - After the fact, you’ll want to make sure you notify your neighbors as well. Let them know what you learned after taking a look around your home so that they can work to make their homes safe. Raising awareness of a real risk in the neighborhood helps to not only ensure your neighbors have a chance to be safe, but also increases the chance that those responsible are caught. If your neighborhood has a homeowners association or neighborhood watch, you’ll want to make sure that organization is made aware.

Talk about it with someone - Having someone break into your home can be an incredibly stressful experience. It’s normal to feel violated and it may take some time for you to feel comfortable in your own home again. Feelings like fear or anger, as well as losing patience over seemingly small things are totally normal responses. It can be a great idea to find someone to talk to. This may mean a trusted friend, a faith leader, or a professional.

Reassess the security of your home - Finally, you’ll want to take some time to re-evaluate the security of your home. Identify what opportunity was taken advantage of by the burglar when they invaded your privacy and seek a way to close that. Call our office to have a professional advise you on what tools are available to provide you with the necessary protection. It’s always worth remembering that there is no certainty when it comes to home security, but taking the time to look at ways you can do what is possible will not only help your home be safer, it will help give you back some of your lost peace of mind.

The High Cost of Car Keys

Acme Lock — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 18:22:00 GMT

At the beginning of the 20th century, the first Model T Ford cars required a simple car key, but it was separate from the starting process itself. The first true ignition key for a car was introduced in 1949 by Chrysler. Ignition keys for cars were largely the same for years after. What’s more, they were relatively simple keys that could be copied for only a few dollars.

Then in 1986, things started to change with the Chevrolet Corvette, which had a special chip installed that would prevent the car from starting if the chip wasn’t present in addition to the proper key pattern. This began the slow process of car manufacturers introducing more and more complicated. Leading us today to keys that require specialized programming, in some cases the computer chips in these cars are the only process used to start the car, not even requiring a ground metal pattern like traditional keys.

These more complicated car keys unfortunately include higher prices. It’s not unusual for a dealership to require as much as $500 for a replacement key. Such a high price can be an uncomfortable surprise when you’re already dealing with the unexpected crisis of being locked out of your car. It doesn’t help that this is usually a situation that has you feeling like you don’t have any real choice in what to do.

Fortunately, we at Acme have worked with automotive keys since the beginning. Better yet, since 2009 we’ve been a preferred partner with AAA, offering on call assistance when you find yourself locked out. Our 15 automotive locksmiths are capable of getting to you nearly anywhere in the Greater Cincinnati area in 90 minutes or less with a factory cut key and remote to get back into your car. We carry the most state-of-the-art tools to program nearly every key for most makes and models of cars. We can also program factory-original remotes and electronic transponder keys in the field. When you find yourself stranded and locked out of your car, we have you covered. Better yet, plan ahead by working with us to create a backup key for your car before you find yourself in a pickle. And the best part? We are often able to provide these services at a prices far lower than a dealership.

So don’t leave yourself stranded or desperate in the case of a car emergency. Give us a call today!

How to deal with being locked out of your filing cabinet Part 2

Acme Lock — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 16:13:00 GMT

What, we’re doing this again. Just a few weeks ago, we went over all the ways you could break into your filing, reminding you all the while that you’d be better off calling us. But you, oh you know it all, you’ve decided that you’re going to do it yourself because you just don’t want to be bothered taking the few minutes it would take to dial our number. Seriously it’s 513-241-2614, I bet you could dial that faster than I can finish this bag of potato chips. (but just barely, because seriously I’m hungry) Your bathroom still hasn’t been fixed after that viking gerbil funeral, but instead you’re going to invest your time in some of these silly ideas. Well, fine then. Here we go with some new suggestions for you.

Use a bobby pin- You read a Philip Marlowe book once, you know how this is done. Start by doing your best Humphrey Bogart impression, maybe say the word “Dame” a few times to get into character. Make sure you’re wearing a trenchcoat and a fedora, and pretend you’re getting evidence about some gangster’s construction company who’s sister’s brother’s wife faked her death to steal the Maltese Falcon. Shove a bobby pin in there, heck shove two in. Then twist them around and look around like you’re afraid you’re going to get caught. This is almost certainly going to jam the lock and make sure that even if that gerbil were to return to life right now, coming back from it’s rodent themed Valhalla, and present you with the key, you still couldn’t get in. We, on the other hand, have specialized in all kinds of locks over the years. Our CEO, Chuck Woods, recently cracked the safe at the Hilton Hotel in Cincinnati without ever needing to drill. (Seriously, read about it here ) But you obviously can pretend you could figure this out on your own. After all, it’s not like you’d rather be doing something more productive with your day than getting frustrated at a lock you really have no idea what to do with, right?

Explosives - Okay, no. Seriously. You aren’t really thinking about this, right? I mean, yeah you’re frustrated with this thing, and you certainly have some anger issues to work out here, but blowing it up couldn’t possibly be a good idea. You have to know that, don’t you? And of course, you’d love to see something blow up, after all you have six crates of discount fireworks in your basement that you bought in the parking lot of an abandoned grocery store two days after the Fourth of July, why not put them to good use? You could just strap them all to the side of the filing cabinet with six rolls of ducktape, then pour a few gallons of gasoline over the whole thing, then light ‘er up! If you call us right now, we could come out and get that lock undone and have you moving on with your day and there wouldn’t be the slightest risk of blowing off your left thumb, and where’s the fun in that?

Finally, with all of this said, if you’re still locked out of a filing cabinet, a safe, or even your home or car, don’t try to get through the lock on your own. Give us a call today and our staff will be ready and waiting to help in whatever way we can.

How to deal with being locked out of your filing cabinet Part 1

Acme Lock — Mon, 02 Jul 2018 16:23:00 GMT

Look, today was supposed to be a productive day. You had PLANS. A trip downtown, because you’d heard that the lines at city hall were shorter in the middle of the week. Maybe you need to file your Form 10-Oh-7-C with the local government and have to show your house title, car purchase receipt, and birth certificate, all of which you keep in the locked top drawer of your filing cabinet you bought at Office City Warehouse 10 years ago. But lo and behold, the key to that drawer was eaten by your roommate’s pet gerbil 6 weeks ago and they forgot to tell you. Wouldn’t be so bad, except the gerbil died right after and your roommate flushed it down the toilet in order to give it a viking style funeral, complete with a set of burning roman candles to simulate the firey arrows.

The bathroom hasn’t been the same since.

So here you are, facing down a jammed shut super secure Max-O-Plus fire resistant filing cabinet, and you’ve blown what little paid time off you had saved up at work to get these errands done today. So how are you going to get into that locked filing cabinet without a key? Well, we’d obviously recommend you call us for one of our locksmiths to come out and give you a hand so that you can get on with your day. Simple and stress free But maybe you want to try something...different. Something less simple. Something a little more outside the box.

Well, here’s some ideas. And we should note, we’ve checked with our lawyers and you should absolutely not do any of these, just call us. You’re already on a locksmith’s website, why would you want to try any of these ideas?

But we know you’re going to try anyways, so here we go

Shake it vigorously You’ve probably tried this method already, but maybe you should try it again. Grab the sides of the filing cabinet, or maybe just tightly lace your fingers firmly around the handles of the filing cabinet drawer. Plant your feet firmly, put a little bend in your knees. Make sure your hips are firmly set, with maybe a slight twist to them. Now, using your entire body mass, shake that thing for all your worth. You’re not doing it right unless the filing cabinet is coming up off the floor on at least one end. You should hear the items inside shaking about, probably coming loose, and something inside has almost certainly broken. Bonus points if you now scream a few words your mother would be ashamed to hear you say. This will likely not work, but you’ll work up a sweat and feel like you’re doing something. You’re getting hands on and taking action! Certainly this is more productive than picking up the phone and calling us, one of the most trusted locksmith businesses in the Greater Cincinnati area?

Get a brick Or maybe a rock. Either way, something big and heavy, preferably with enough heft to it that you need to use both hands and if you lift it up over your head you’re taking a fifty-fifty shot of dropping it on yourself and getting a concussion so severe you think you’re suddenly that villain King Tut from the old Adam West Batman TV show. The goal here is to channel your inner caveman or cavewoman, and really go to town on that thing. Just bash it up the sides and on the top. You should see large dents forming and flecks of paint coming loose. Chances are, you’re bending the filing cabinet in such a way that even if it weren’t locked, the drawer would never come out. On the other hand, you’re following in the hallowed tradition of our prehistoric ancestors who used rocks just like this to charge after and kill their sabertooth prey. We’ve been in business since 1933, you’re using a “Bash thing I don’t like with heavy rock” method that dates back millions of years, what do we know?

Really though, if you’re locked out of a filing cabinet, a safe, or even your home or car, don’t try to get through the lock on your own. Give us a call today and our staff will be ready and waiting to help in whatever way we can.

A Fresh Look at Glass Doors

Acme Lock — Mon, 04 Jun 2018 22:25:00 GMT

It’s a wonderful feeling as summer has come on strong and beautiful. The long grey days of winter are gone. Even though it’s only been a few months since we were still seeing snowy days, those days seem like a distant memory as the summer heat and even better the bright sun has overtaken us. As these summer days leave us feeling warm and hopeful though, there’s a frustration that’s likely to come. You still have just as many things that need doing indoors around the house. Laundry, cooking, cleaning, all the things that keep your home running like clockwork, and chances are you’re not getting to enjoy those longer days of sunlight. Look around you and see just how much of the outdoors you get to see?

A great way to solve this problem is to consider glass doors for your home. They’ll create a more open view, and take the beauty of your interior to a whole new level! But there’s other benefits to consider as well!

First and foremost is the increase in natural lighting. Science has found that there’s a whole range of health benefits we get from natural sunlight, from building our immune systems to helping to better regulate our moods. By increasing the natural light in your home, you’ll be able to take advantage of these benefits even on a busy day when you may not be able to spend as much time outdoors as you’d like.

Next to consider is the benefit of space. Because a sliding glass door doesn’t need to have the room for the door to swing open and closed, you get a little bit of space back. This can be a great benefit if you have a smaller home. Or maybe you can consider using that space to set a small planter to take advantage of that sunlight and bring some natural green into your home as well! (not to mention the benefits of cleaner and fresher air a live plant brings) Not only this, there’s a feeling of more open space a glass door brings beyond the actual physical space itself. Because you have a more open view, your brain will perceive a more open feeling, removing the claustrophobic sense we can get on days where we’re cramped indoors all the time. Just imagine come winter when you can sit by your glass door enjoying the view of the pristine snowfall, sipping some hot cocoa, and yet still warm indoors, the perfect cure for winter cabin fever!

Finally, there’s some possible energy savings to consider as well. With a high-quality glass door, you get the benefits of insulation you can find in a traditional door, while reducing your dependence on electric lighting during the day. This lets you save while still keeping the quality of life you expect.

For all these reasons, consider coming in and chatting with our helpful sales staff on if a glass door is right for you. We’ll help you find the right model and size for you home and budget. Remember, summer is the best time for projects like this, so give us a call!