Tech Talk: Chris R
by Stacey Simmons
| Who better to ask about locks than the knowledgeable technicians who work on them every day? This month, we’re featuring Chris. He has over 10 years of experience and is knowledgeable about many types of hardware. Chris began his career as a technician and is now a Senior Estimator on our proposal team. Q: What is your favorite type of lock to repair/replace? Why? A: One of my favorite locks is the current model of Sargent mortise locks, series 8200. It is a much-improved version over the previous model and offers all the flexibility of functions and trim options needed in today’s market. Q: What advice would you give about home locks and why? A: Many people are only concerned about security. I like to remind homeowners/tenants that they should consider how easy it would be for them to escape in an emergency when making hardware upgrades. Items like double-cylinder deadbolts can offer improved security but at a much greater risk of personal endangerment. If a fire or another situation arises that could cause panic and/or visibility issues, hardware that does not allow one-motion egress can impact your safety and the safety of others in the residence. Q: What is the most memorable job you’ve completed? A: One of my most memorable jobs was a complete hardware replacement for a US government tenant in a commercial building. They needed a full hardware replacement and rekey before they could move in. We replaced over (100) locks, (125) cylinders, and rekeyed everything to a new bitting chart according to the tenant specifications. Upon completion of the listed work, the tenant had everything they requested and they were able to move into the suite on time and on budget. |