How often do you lose a key or hear of somebody locked out of a car, hotel bedroom, conference room or their own house. I've had two tenants in my block of flats locked out, somebody locked out nearly every time I go to a large conference hotel. Gym locker room keys cause constant trouble with forgotten numbers, or lost keys.
Many hotels have a system where the key is kept near the door of a hotel bedroom. In fire or darkness, as your right hand reaches for the door handle - (to check it's not hot - meaning fire outside - go back towards window) your left hand reaches to brace yourself against the wall and grab the key. If your escape is blocked, there's smoke, or unknown persons outside, you might need to get back in. You can also see at a glance whether you have the key before allowing the door to slam shut behind you!
My dream is to have every key in my own house and my own family properties with a hook by each window and door and a neatly labelled and colour coded key.
Two sets of keys in your own house is enough to cause confusion - the back door and the front door - then the shed and side gate. Add on your rental property set of keys.
Then the sets of spare keys you take to copy. Best to copy the original, not the copy.
Label each set, one, two, three. Then if you are missing a set you know whether you or the tenant lost it. You know to phone them, or search your own bags and pockets, or your colleague's car or desk.
Many hotels have a system where the key is kept near the door of a hotel bedroom. In fire or darkness, as your right hand reaches for the door handle - (to check it's not hot - meaning fire outside - go back towards window) your left hand reaches to brace yourself against the wall and grab the key. If your escape is blocked, there's smoke, or unknown persons outside, you might need to get back in. You can also see at a glance whether you have the key before allowing the door to slam shut behind you!
My dream is to have every key in my own house and my own family properties with a hook by each window and door and a neatly labelled and colour coded key.
Two sets of keys in your own house is enough to cause confusion - the back door and the front door - then the shed and side gate. Add on your rental property set of keys.
Then the sets of spare keys you take to copy. Best to copy the original, not the copy.
Label each set, one, two, three. Then if you are missing a set you know whether you or the tenant lost it. You know to phone them, or search your own bags and pockets, or your colleague's car or desk.
DATE AND NUMBER ORDER
You may wish to not have the address of the keys on the keys in case they are dropped in the street. Another solution is to follow the photographer's system. Label each key (or photo) with the number of the date it was made or acquired. Keep this master list in a big hard-backed book. (If necessary photocopy a page.) Then each key has simply a date or number on it. If a key turns up under a car seat or in a pocket years later, the clue is in the date. That must be the flat we lived in during such and such a year.
You may wish to not have the address of the keys on the keys in case they are dropped in the street. Another solution is to follow the photographer's system. Label each key (or photo) with the number of the date it was made or acquired. Keep this master list in a big hard-backed book. (If necessary photocopy a page.) Then each key has simply a date or number on it. If a key turns up under a car seat or in a pocket years later, the clue is in the date. That must be the flat we lived in during such and such a year.
COLOURS
Another system is to colour code each property's keys. You cn buy sets of colours to fit over some Yale keys. And coloured key or suitcase tags. For example: The green keys are your house and garden. The red keys are the first rental property. The blue keys are the third property.
You can even tell a child, can you see a key with a blue label anywhere in the house? With dozens of sets of keys and a child or foreigner, the colour system could be faster than trying to describe a bunch with a a Yale or Chubb lock when you have several.
Another system is to colour code each property's keys. You cn buy sets of colours to fit over some Yale keys. And coloured key or suitcase tags. For example: The green keys are your house and garden. The red keys are the first rental property. The blue keys are the third property.
You can even tell a child, can you see a key with a blue label anywhere in the house? With dozens of sets of keys and a child or foreigner, the colour system could be faster than trying to describe a bunch with a a Yale or Chubb lock when you have several.
LABELLED HOOKS
Another system for keys kept in an office, as opposed to jumbled in your pocket or bag, is to label the hooks. For example, front door key on far right, back door in centre, garage or gate or postbox or shed key is always on the far left.
Another system for keys kept in an office, as opposed to jumbled in your pocket or bag, is to label the hooks. For example, front door key on far right, back door in centre, garage or gate or postbox or shed key is always on the far left.
HOOKS NEAR PATIO DOORS & WINDOWS
To escape a fire in less than five minutes in an emergency, you don't want to have to go into the hall in the dark looking for the keys to the patio door. Police and security services may suggest it's safer not to leave keys visible in doors. The reason is that a person outside can break the glass and then unlock the door with the handy key. or a person sneaking in through the front can sneak out of the back.
However, to escape in a fire, and not have to hunt through a dozen keys in the dark, it's good to have vital keys near the door or window. One solution is to have them on a hook near the door, hidden from outside view by whatever object is nearby, but visible or known to everybody likely to live in the house, sleep over or babysit.
To escape a fire in less than five minutes in an emergency, you don't want to have to go into the hall in the dark looking for the keys to the patio door. Police and security services may suggest it's safer not to leave keys visible in doors. The reason is that a person outside can break the glass and then unlock the door with the handy key. or a person sneaking in through the front can sneak out of the back.
However, to escape in a fire, and not have to hunt through a dozen keys in the dark, it's good to have vital keys near the door or window. One solution is to have them on a hook near the door, hidden from outside view by whatever object is nearby, but visible or known to everybody likely to live in the house, sleep over or babysit.
PHOTOS OF KEYS
Take a photo of the keys. Then, if you are missing a key and your colleague has several, you can email the picture and ask, 'This is what I'm missing - have you got it?'
Take a photo of the keys. Then, if you are missing a key and your colleague has several, you can email the picture and ask, 'This is what I'm missing - have you got it?'
If your tenant/colleague rings to say the key won't operate the lock, you can email the photo and ask, 'Are you sure you are using the building key and not the flat's front/back door key?'
CABINETS & Their Keys
You can tape a key to the cabinet. The duplicate key can be kept by somebody else at another address - labelled.
CABINETS STORING KEYS
On line and in stores you can find key cabinets, and shelves with hooks below. You have to decide whether your priority is to hide the keys or make them easily visible and 'a place for everything and everything in its place'.
On line and in stores you can find key cabinets, and shelves with hooks below. You have to decide whether your priority is to hide the keys or make them easily visible and 'a place for everything and everything in its place'.
KEYS FOR CLEANERS/GARDENERS
A company called Rottner makes key boxes for keys for cleaners and carers. The key is never taken off the premises, so it can't disappear if the person using it changes jobs, falls ill, goes away on business or holiday, but it is replaced every time for the owner or the next cleaner/carer. If you are using a key box for which the only access is via a code, the code can be changed regularly and given to the user on the day they need it.
These are simply my ideas. If safety suggests otherwise, or you have better ideas, I'd be glad to know. This information is simply so that you can assess the problem and find your own best solution for safety, security and convenience.
A company called Rottner makes key boxes for keys for cleaners and carers. The key is never taken off the premises, so it can't disappear if the person using it changes jobs, falls ill, goes away on business or holiday, but it is replaced every time for the owner or the next cleaner/carer. If you are using a key box for which the only access is via a code, the code can be changed regularly and given to the user on the day they need it.
These are simply my ideas. If safety suggests otherwise, or you have better ideas, I'd be glad to know. This information is simply so that you can assess the problem and find your own best solution for safety, security and convenience.
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