Earthquakes, fires, and your locks. . . Related? A heads up!

What transpired in Japan is truly a tragedy and it’s hard to watch the events unfold.  The videos almost seem unreal, but the sad truth is, we Californians could find ourselves in the midst of a major earthquake at any time.  That brings up the question:  Are your locks “One Step Egress”?  This simply means can you get out quickly if you have to?  Businesses need locks that fall under the one step egress rule to abide by fire and life safety codes, while most houses have one deadbolt and one lock (two step if they are both locked).  That’s fine.  The real danger is in double cylinder deadbolts.  These are deadbolt locks that take a key on each side to lock and unlock, rather than a keyhole on the outside, and a thumb-turn on the inside.  Double cylinder deadbolts can add extra security to doors but present a fire hazard.  Replacing a double cylinder deadbolt with a single cylinder, or putting a key close by the door (and out of view) can help prevent you from getting locked in when you need out quickly, such as in the event of a fire, or after an earthquake or other emergency.

These locks are easy to swap out.  The hole in the door is the same standard footprint from one lock to the next in most cases.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to shoot us an email, and if you would like us to come out and evaluate your locks we can do that too.

Be safe.

Michael ~ Owner & Operator, All About Locks & Safes