Your home is sacred to you, and the security of it is paramount. In December 2014, there were 36,000 burglaries in the UK, so it is important to make sure that your house is not an easy target for opportunists. There are a few simple things you can do to make your home more secure by repelling potential thieves. Read on for some helpful tips to improve your home security.

Locks

It sounds obvious, but many burglaries happen as a result of doors and windows being left unlocked. This makes things all too easy and tempting for a thief to come in without having to break a sweat. Make sure that all your exterior doors have good quality locks, and use them whenever you leave the house and if you leave the room or go upstairs. Most burglars try to avoid confrontation, so a locked door is enough to scare many of them away.

Keys

Keep your keys out of sight of any windows, and take special care to move them away from doors as the letterbox is often used to fish out keys that may be on the arm of a sofa or on top of a side table. If you have a spare key, it’s unwise to leave it under a door mat or plant pot as this is the first place an opportunist will look.

Valuables

Don’t tempt burglars by displaying your valuable belongings in plain sight. If you can see any items such as TV’s, laptops or mobile phones through a window, it’s a good idea to move them. If you have any valuable jewellery or other items, it may be wise to invest in a safe that will keep your valuables safe even if an intruder enters your home.

Lighting

A great way of deterring burglars is by installing lighting outside your property as it stops them from being able to work in darkness. It’s also a good idea to make use of the lights inside your home when you are away for any period of time. Use lights on a timer to give the impression that the house is occupied to scare off thieves.

Here at AFS Security, we’re committed to your safety, which is why we have a wide range of services that will improve your security. As expert locksmiths in Essex, you are our top priority, so if you want to know more about how you can make your property more secure, please don’t hesitate to contact us by calling 0208 471 9000 to speak to a member of our team.

Last time, we brought you the story of one of the most famous locksmiths of all, Linus Yale Junior, but he’s by no means the only influential locksmith over the ages. Sometimes, a historical figure that had a huge role to play in locksmithing may not be commonly renowned for those specific deeds, but may instead be more acclaimed for another form of innovation. Such is the case with Joseph Bramah, who is perhaps more lauded for being one of the two ‘fathers of hydraulic engineering’.

Joseph Bramah

Joseph Bramah was originally apprenticed as a carpenter, and started work as a cabinet maker in London during his early working years. However, his talent for invention soon began to shine through, as he was instrumental in improving water closets during the 1770s. Although this might not sound very glamorous, the existing models were notorious for freezing in the cold, yet Bramah managed to assuage this difficulty by sealing the bottom of the bowel with a newly patented hinge flap. Some of these water closets still work today, and the design was used until the 19^th century.

Locksmithing

From our perspective though, Bramah’s real appeal comes from his dealings with locks. Having patented his own lock design in 1784, Bramah opened his own business, the Bramah Locks Company, in London, Piccadilly. The branch still exists today around the country, but at the time the reputation of Bramah locks was based upon their notable resistance to being tampered with.

The ‘Challenge Lock’

The window of Bramah’s store played host to a ‘challenge lock’ for many years, with a contest that offered a 200 guinea reward to any ‘artist’ who could pick or open the lock. For 67 years, nobody was able to aspire to this feat, until an American Locksmith, Alfred Charles Hobbs, succeeded in meeting the requirements. Despite initial scepticism, the prize was awarded as promised, although it must be said that it took Hobbs 51 hours in total to crack this impressive lock! You can still see a rebuilt version of this famous lock in the London Science Museum, and it’s well worth a look.

Other Works

Bramah also worked upon precision machine tools, but the aforementioned area of hydraulics is perhaps what he’s most known for. The hydraulic press was his brainchild, although he was actually a prolific inventor in numerous respects. Even today, the hydraulic press carries the moniker of ‘Bramah Press’, so, despite not being a household name, Bramah is far from forgotten.

We may not have a hydraulic press to our name, but if you’re looking for a locksmith in Kent then be sure to consider the team at AFS Security. We take just as much care to ensure high standards as any locksmith over the ages, so be sure to contact us today by calling +44(0)208 471 9000 or send an email to enquiries@afs-security.com and we’ll be happy to help.  

Locksmithing has been a traditional trade for centuries, and there have been some truly talented individuals and ingenious inventions over the years. However, when you hear the two words ‘famous locksmiths’, we bet you’d be hard pressed to come up with even one name, and that’s a shame. So in this, the first of a new series, we’re going to look at some of these historic individuals…

Linus Yale, Junior

If ever a surname gave away what someone was famous for, this is it! Linus Yale was an American mechanical engineer who made his name as a result of creating the cylinder lock. Actually, Yale was the second member of his family to specialise in locksmithing, as his father, Linus Yale Senior was the owner of a lock shop in 1840s New York. Yale Senior was himself an instrumental figure behind the design of the pin-tumbler lock, but it was his son, Yale Junior, who refined the concept.

In the Family

The younger Yale’s aptitude lay in the area of introducing permutations and cylinders into his locks, and some of his creations were genuinely revolutionary. Many of these designs are still in use today, and Yale himself was quick to patent his locks. In fact, Yale Senior had already started this trend with eight patents for his own locks, but Yale Junior’s Massachusetts outlet had a particular association with bank locks. He opened this establishment in 1860, and it proved to be a great success.

Combination Safes

Yale locks excelled in the area of combination safe protection, and also sophisticated key operation. Modern day locks and safes still utilise the ‘pin-tumbler’ design, but, interestingly, Yale himself was inspired by lock ideas that were laid down some 4,000 years earlier by the Egyptians. Yale was always concerned that the keyhole in a lock represented an innate weak point, hence his development of combination safes, and, so confident was he in the workmanship of his locks, that he even issued a challenge to anyone who dared to pick a Yale lock, offering them a cash reward!

The Yale Legacy

Towards the end of his life, Yale cracked the clock lock and the double lock, with the post office in particular making widespread use of his new solutions. Modern day combination locks largely couldn’t have existed without the expertise of Linus Yale and his family, so the security of the world undoubtedly owes him, and his ongoing legacy, a very great debt indeed.

At AFS Security, we appreciate the efforts of bygone locksmiths, and like to think that our own services are carrying on in the same vein too. When you need a locksmith in Essex, we’re certainly on hand to help, no matter what your needs might be, so feel free to contact us now by calling +44(0)208 471 9000 or email enquiries@afs-security.com and we’ll be happy to assist you.  

Take a wander around your house – count how many different locks you have. You’ll notice that there’s actually more than you thought, from the front door to the back-door, the windows and the filing cabinet, each one is often different to the last. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at the different styles of locks that you may come across, starting with…

The Multi-Point Locking System

On newer, uPVC doors you’ll often come across the multi-point lock. As the name suggests, they’ll have at least three separate points which all lock – and unlock – at the turn of a key, which secures the door to the frame. They’ll have a central deadbolt, along with a minimum of two smaller hook bolts, and a latch. In fact, many of these come with bolts at the top and bottom of the door, in addition to the lock area. Some residential houses may have multi-point locking systems on the front door, but generally you’re more likely to find these on back-doors.

Five-Lever Mortice Deadlock

The five-lever mortice deadlock is the classic in the world of locks. Chances are, if your lock is embedded rather than externally fixed, you have one on your front door – and hey, now you can put a name to it. The centrally placed deadbolt slips neatly inside the strike-plate which is fitted into the frame itself. You’ll always need a key to open this style of lock, making is pretty secure so long as you close the door. Some versions of the five-lever mortice deadlock conform to the British standard, BS3621, which often means they’re even more secure than usual.

Rim Automatic Nightlatch

There are several different types of nightlatch – including key deadlocking, non-deadlocking, but the most familiar of all these is the rim automatic nightlatch, or deadlatch as it’s known in some quarters. So-called because both the the lock and the plate are affixed to the exterior rim of the door and frame. Rim automatic nightlatches have a deadlocking pin above or below the latch – close the door and the deadlock mechanism kicks in, preventing the lock from being opened without a key.

Here at AFS Security, we take security seriously. That’s how we’ve become expert locksmiths in East London, Essex and Kent. If you require our services, then please do contact us on 0208 471 9000 or email enquiries@afs-security.com and our experienced and professional staff will be more than happy to assist you. 

It might be the season of goodwill, but Christmas is also in possession of a rather more negative face when it comes to making the headlines. Year upon year, crime always spikes when yuletide approaches, and we don’t expect that this year will be any different. In bygone years, people have ironically referred to the ’12 crimes of Christmas’ in reference to the famous festive ditty, and, when you look at statistics, there is certainly a lot of evidence to fuel such a tongue-in-cheek opinion.

Christmas Crime

Christmas time does indeed seem to promote the growth of numerous felonies, including harassment, domestic violence, drink-driving and trying to dodge restaurant bills, but probably the most famous Christmas time crimes relate to theft and burglary. Shoplifting, car theft and plain old breaking and entering are all rife in certain districts around Christmas, and the worrying fact is that ongoing initiatives to combat such wrongdoings don’t seem to be doing that much good.

On the Rise…?

Obviously, it’s all relative, but figures are suggesting that crime is still rising, and indeed it’s doing so at the most rapid rate for around ten years. Across the country, over 75% of the police forces have recorded increases in crime, and over 800 more crimes per day are apparently being reported than previous years. Considering the number of crime-reducing proposals that we’ve seen over the years, these sorts of statistics aren’t heartening, but there is another side to the story as well.

Alternative Viewpoints

Some argue that, because crime has fallen consistently over the last 10 years or so, an increase was almost inevitable. After all, misdeeds couldn’t keep dwindling away until they became altogether extinct. It’s a fair point, but what shouldn’t be overshadowed is that you need to be very careful at Christmas. In terms of attractive possessions and the like, buildings are fuller during the festive season than at any other time of year, and that’s something that you need to take into account.

How We Can Help…

When it comes to security and peace of mind at Christmas time, but also all throughout the calendar year, it’s very important to have robust locks and other systems like alarms in place, and at AFS Security we’ve definitely got your back. If you need a locksmith in Kent or the surrounding areas, we’re the go-to service, as we’ve successfully met the needs of hundreds of domestic and commercial clients over many years in the industry. Our professional craftsmen use only products from the most respected brands, so whatever your security requirement might be, we can help. Contact us now by calling +44(0)208 471 9000 or email enquiries@afs-security.com to find out more.

For thousands of years we have been putting our faith in locks to keep us and our belongings safe, and these are by far one of the simplest and most effective security solutions available. Here we take a quick look back at the fascinating history and evolution of these unsung heroes.

Locks have been around for much longer than you might think; around 4,000 years in fact, and the earliest known example of a lock and key was discovered in 612 BC, in the ruins of the ancient city of Nineveh.

Locks were commonly used by ancient civilisations such as the Egyptians, who developed a wooden pin lock, consisting of a wooden post secured to a door, and a horizontal bolt that fitted into this. This bolt also had a series of pins that could be lifted using a key to allow the bolt to move and unlock the door. Another ancient civilisation to make use of lock technologies was the Romans, who kept their valuables safe in secured boxes, wearing the keys to these as rings on their fingers. These rings also acted as a form of status symbol demonstrating their wealth and power. 

Over the following centuries lock designs evolved significantly as their mechanisms became increasingly more intricate. However it was not until the arrival of the 18th century industrial revolution that locks really came into their own. During this period, thanks to the development of more advanced engineering technologies and manufacturing methods, it was possible to produce locks on a larger scale than ever before, and these were also increasingly sophisticated.

This period also witnessed a new wave of lock innovations. For example in 1778, the inventor Robert Barrons patented the lever tumbler lock. This type of lock will only yield if its tumbler is lifted out of its slot to exactly the right height, and is still in use today. Barrons design was later perfect by Jeremiah Chubb who incorporated a spring into the locks design that added an extra layer of security against potential lockpickers. The 19th century also witnessed a number of developments in the lock market, for example in 1848 Linus Yale patented the famous Yale lock. 

Interestingly whilst there have been a number of new lock innovations since these early years, many of today’s locks designs are still based on the original designs created by the likes of Chubb and Yale. 

Today locks are more advanced than ever before, and are available in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and designs. Here at AFS Security we are expert locksmiths and are able to assist you with all aspect of your security needs. So if you’re looking for a locksmith in Essex please do not hesitate to contact us and a member of our friendly team will be happy to help you with your enquiries.

Hello, and welcome to our brand new blog here at AFS Security! Firstly, we’d like to thank you for visiting our website, and hope you continue to do so in the future. 

If this is the first time you’ve come across us, we’re extremely happy that you’re here, and if you’re a returning customer – thank you! Throughout our blog, we hope to share business news with you, as well as plenty of relevant and interesting bits of information and advice about our range of professional services and the security industry.

As expert locksmiths in East London, we are dedicated to providing you, our customer, with a range of quality security services, for both domestic and commercial properties. We believe ourselves to be the very best option when it comes to the industry, and we hope that our future blog articles will go some way towards proving is right!

The security of your home is important to us; and our business aim to provide a service you can trust, giving you peace of mind and the highest level of security in your home or commercial property! We provide a well-recommended service, using top quality locks from brands such as Yale, Garrison, Tigris and many more. 

We have a base in London, and an associated office in Dover, so we can provide our professional services to a wide range of clients in Essex and Kent. Our team of qualified installers promise a quality service, ensuring every product gives you complete security and the comfort and reassurance that comes with it!

As well as our services as locksmiths in Kent, Essex and East London, we also provide a range of other security services, from intruder alarms and safes, to CCTV installation and access control – whatever your security needs; we can provide the service to suit!

We are extremely proud to be building up the high level of customer reputation that we are, and our knowledgeable team are always happy to answer any questions you may have! So, if you are looking for expert locksmith services – please do not hesitate to contact us on 0208 471 9000, and don’t forget to check back on our blog again soon!