Steve Marsden
Steve is a writer and editor for Top Rated Locksmiths, covering locks, home security and lockouts. When he's not writing guides, he plays the guitar badly but often.
Articles by Steve Marsden
Restricted Key Systems and Why Some Keys Cannot Be Copied
What a Do Not Copy key really means, the difference between restricted and patented keys, what proof a locksmith asks for before cutting a spare, and why no key is impossible to copy.
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How to Become a Locksmith in the UK and What Training Is Needed
Whether you need a licence to be a locksmith in the UK, MLA beginner courses and costs, the Level 4 qualification, how long it takes to get good and whether apprenticeships exist.
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Letterbox Security and How to Stop Thieves Reaching Your Keys
How thieves fish for keys through letterboxes, what police and Secured by Design advise, how a letterbox guard helps, and the simple habit of keeping keys and fobs well away from the front door.
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PAS 24 and Secured by Design Doors and What They Prove
What PAS 24 and Secured by Design (Police Preferred Specification) actually prove on a new door or window, how they differ, what Approved Document Q requires, and how to check a claim before you pay.
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Key Won't Turn in the Lock and What Usually Causes It
Why a key will not turn in a door lock, with the usual causes for uPVC and composite doors, night latches and mortice locks, what not to do and when a locksmith is the safe answer.
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Are Steering Wheel Locks Worth Buying to Stop Car Theft?
Do steering wheel locks stop car theft? What police backed advice says, what a good one needs, why a lock alone is not enough on a keyless car and what else to do on the driveway.
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Home Insurance Lock Requirements and What Your Policy Expects
What home insurers usually ask for on locks: BS3621 on timber doors, snap resistant cylinders on uPVC, window locks, and why your own policy wording is the only thing that counts.
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Should You Change a uPVC Door Lock Yourself or Call a Locksmith?
Should you change a uPVC door lock yourself? What the job involves, why size and standard matter more than the swap, which faults need a locksmith and what it costs to pay for one.
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Sash Window Locks and How to Make Sash Windows Secure
How sash windows are locked, why the central catch is not enough, how many locks each window needs, how sash stops work and what to know in a listed home.
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Garage Door Lock Replacement and Security Options
What to do when a garage door lock fails, the lock and extra security options for up and over, roller and side doors, and what a locksmith usually charges.
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What to Do When a Key Snaps in the Lock
Key snapped in your door lock? What to do first, why digging it out can make things worse, what a locksmith does and what broken key removal costs.
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How Much Does a Locksmith Cost in the UK?
What UK locksmiths charge for lockouts, lock changes and out of hours work, what pushes the price up and how to get a firm quote first.
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