Louise Harding
Louise is a writer and editor for Top Rated Locksmiths, covering locks, home security and lockouts. When she's not writing guides, she plays five-a-side on Tuesday nights.
Articles by Louise Harding
Back Door Security and Why Burglars Often Go Round the Back
Why burglars look for easy access to the side and rear, what police advice says a timber, uPVC or composite back door needs, and a simple order of fixes from free habits to a locksmith visit.
Read guide
Business Premises Locks and What Commercial Insurers Ask For
What commercial insurers may ask for on shop and office doors, why a claim can fail over a lock standard, how fire exit rules affect locking, and what a commercial locksmith does.
Read guide
Keypad Door Locks and What to Do If You Forget the Code
What to do when you forget the code on a keypad door lock or key safe, why a reset depends on the model, what a factory reset wipes, and when a locksmith is the safe option.
Read guide
Do Locksmiths Need a Licence and What Does MLA Approved Mean?
Locksmiths in the UK need no government licence. Here is what the voluntary MLA approval scheme checks, how to look a firm up, which claims to ignore and why fake addresses matter.
Read guide
Locked Your Keys in the Car? Who to Call and What It Costs
Keys locked in your car? Who to call first, what breakdown cover usually does, when an auto locksmith or a garage is the better call, what to ask about price and why DIY entry is a last resort.
Read guide
24 Hour Locksmiths and Why Night Call Outs Cost More
Why 24 hour locksmiths charge more at night, what a fair out of hours rate looks like, what to ask on the phone and when a lockout can safely wait until morning.
Read guide
Internal Door Locks and Which Type Suits Each Room
Which internal door lock suits a bathroom, bedroom, home office or lodger's room: privacy latches, thumb turns and key locks, and why getting out in a fire matters more than keeping people out.
Read guide
London Bars and Hinge Bolts to Strengthen Your Front Door
What London bars, Birmingham bars, hinge bolts and letterbox guards do, which doors they suit, the standards to ask for and when the door itself needs replacing.
Read guide
Smart Door Locks and What to Check Before You Fit One
What smart door locks do, the security standards and settings to check, how they suit uPVC and timber doors and why it pays to have a locksmith fit one.
Read guide
uPVC Window Lock Repair and Replacement Explained
Why uPVC window locks stick or break, when the handle, key or locking mechanism needs replacing, what to do about lost window keys and what repairs cost.
Read guide
When to Change Door Locks and What It Should Cost
When changing your door locks makes sense, which locks to choose, who can change them in a rented home and what a locksmith should charge.
Read guide