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The Homeowner's Guide to Home Safety & Security

LOS ALTOS — If a door in your home is difficult to close, lock or unlock, it could be more than a mere inconvenience. In fact, a doorknob latch or deadbolt that isn’t functioning properly can actually make your home more susceptible to break-ins. To ensure greater security, it’s important to test all door latches and deadbolts for proper functioning and take steps to amend any malfunctioning components. Testing a door latch A doorknob latch consists of two parts: the main latch (the larger of the two) and the dead latch. When you close a door, the main latch falls into the hole in the adjacent strike plate, while the dead latch is held back. Read more

<h1>Gary Lekan: Locked In</h1>
<h6>By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter</h6>
LOS ALTOS – While many people enter a professional field with full intention, for some, the catalyst of a lifelong career emerges from a completely chance occurrence. When asked how he became a locksmith, Gary Lekan relates just such an account. “I broke the key off in my car’s ignition, so I took it to a local locksmith shop where a friend of mine was working. There was a long line of customers, so he handed me a couple little extraction tools and gave me a quick rundown on what to do. Within a couple of minutes, I got the key out and handed the tools back to my friend. He was impressed by my promptness and said, ‘You might be good at this!’ That was the beginning of what has been an interesting career to say the least!” Today, nearly 40 years later, Gary continues to impress as owner of First Lock &amp; Security Technologies.
Originally from Chicago, Gary moved to the Bay Area when, just a year into his locksmith career, his employer made the impulsive decision to move the business west. “I had just been out to visit my brother-in-law, who was attending Stanford, and I really fell in love with the Bay Area,” he remembers. “When I returned to Chicago, my boss came up with an idea to move the business out to California. Within four months, I was back on the West Coast.” Almost four decades later, Gary still appreciates the attributes that first attracted him to the Bay Area. “The hills, the ocean, the year-round greenery—there’s just so much beauty around here and I absolutely love it.”
In his life and career, Gary espouses the value of integrity as the key to happiness. “Rather than taking the easy way out of hard situations, you have to take the time to patiently work through your problems,” he says. “Life has its ups and downs, but if you live with integrity, you’re likely to come out on top in the end.”
When asked the first thing he’d do if he could retire tomorrow, Gary says he would employ his expertise to help educate others in his trade. “I would like to start a locksmith school. There’s a lot of demand for qualified locksmiths these days, and I enjoy passing on my knowledge.” However, he says retirement wouldn’t be all work and no play. “I’d definitely try to do more of the things I love. I’d go on more ski trips, play more golf and spend more time working in my garden.” 
Ask Me Anything!
Q: What’s your favorite band? 
A: The Band.
Q: If you could immediately master a musical instrument, what would you choose? 
A: The saxophone.
Q: What’s your favorite restaurant? 
A: Napoletana Pizzeria in Mountain View.
Q: Do you do any celebrity impressions? 
A: I used to do Louis Armstrong when I was a kid.
Q: What’s your favorite dessert? 
A: Cherries jubilee.
Q: What’s the most memorable situation you’ve encountered on the job? 
A: I was changing the locks at this guy’s house, when all of a sudden he brings out an armful of two-by-fours and says, “OK, I need you to help me barricade these doors. My wife is coming with the police and they’ll be here any minute.” I said, “I don’t think so, you’re on your own!” and got out of there as fast as I could!

Owner

Gary Lekan: Locked In By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter LOS ALTOS – While many people enter a professional field with full intention, for some, the catalyst of a lifelong career emerges from a completely chance occurrence. When asked how he became a locksmith, Gary Lekan relates just such an account. “I broke the key off in my car’s ignition, so I took it to a local locksmith shop where a friend of mine was working. There was a long line of customers, so he handed me a couple little extraction tools and gave me a quick rundown on what to do. Within a couple of minutes, I got the key out and handed the tools back to my friend. Read more

Gary Lekan is a 42-year veteran of the locksmith industry and owner of First Lock &amp; Security Technologies, a Diamond Certified company since 2011. He can be reached at (650) 204-4376 or by email.

Gary Lekan: Locked In

SANTA ROSA – Upon finding mold in their homes, people often take it upon themselves to get rid of the problem. However, when it comes to removing mold, there are right and wrong ways of going about it. Not only are some methods ineffective, in some cases, they can create a bigger problem than there originally was. That’s why it’s important to know the proper ways to deal with mold, as well as common mistakes to avoid. The most common way homeowners try to remove mold is by wiping it down with bleach. However, while bleach is an effective cleaner and sanitizer, it’s also a toxic chemical, with a byproduct that can be more harmful than the mold itself. Read more

<h1>Dave Keith: The Remediator</h1>
<h6>By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter</h6>
SANTA ROSA — A longtime construction professional, Dave Keith saw the burgeoning mold remediation industry as a chance to utilize his expertise to help those in need. “I have a family background in construction and development, so I’ve basically been involved in the field since the fourth grade,” he explains. “As the public awareness about mold and its effects began to rise in the late ’90s, I realized it was an area I could specialize in that would allow me to help people who were having mold problems in their homes.”
Dave’s first foray into professional mold remediation was a joint venture with his brother, who brought along his own pertinent experience as an insurance agent handling water and fire damage claims. “In 2002, my brother and I started a mold remediation company that was very successful—so much so that we ended up selling the company. The sale included a five-year non-compete clause, so I took a break from mold removal and started running a web company. Once the non-compete period ended, I went into partnership with my dad and started doing mold remediation and fire damage restoration, as well as general construction and remodeling.”
Today, as owner of NorthBay Environmental, Inc., Dave says his favorite part of his job is reassuring stressed-out customers. “Dealing with mold, water or fire damage is a lot different than doing general construction, in that it’s not something you plan for. It’s more of an emergency situation, and in many cases, the client’s home is inhabitable, so there’s a lot of anxiety and stress involved. That’s why I like going in and reassuring the customer that we’re going to take care of everything for them.”
A resident of Santa Rosa, Dave expresses his appreciation for life in the Sonoma County area. “I’ve lived for short stints in Southern California and the Reno/Tahoe area, which were both nice, but Sonoma County has a special place in my heart. It’s where my roots are, and I have a pretty large extended family, so there’s a real sense of support and belonging. This is home to me, and I love living here.”
Outside of work, Dave’s favorite thing to do is spend time with his family, including his four children and one grandchild. “Everybody is local, so we get to see a lot of each other,” he says. “As a parent, it’s great when your kids become young adults, because your relationship with them is quite different than when they were kids.” Dave also enjoys active hobbies like wakeboarding, hiking, playing competitive indoor soccer and working on his property. “I have a three-acre piece of property and I’m constantly doing things with it, like building a barn, tending to the garden or putting in a sandbox for my grandson.”
In regard to a personal philosophy, Dave says it’s all about integrity. “I’ve always believed that working hard and doing things right pays off. For me, there’s no such thing as a shortcut. Whether I’m working on my own house, a friend’s house or a client’s house, I treat it the same and always try to do a quality job.”
When asked the first thing he’d do if he were to retire tomorrow, Dave says he’d split his schedule between home improvement and world travel. “I would probably start another home project—fixing up my house is still one of my favorite things to do. At the same time, I want to travel more after I retire, so I’d do some of that as well.”
Ask Me Anything!
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? 
A: Scotland, because of my family heritage. I read in a history book that the Keiths ruled Scotland for 200 years, so it would be neat to find a castle where my ancestors lived.
Q: What’s your favorite sports team? 
A: The Pittsburgh Steelers. My family is from near Pittsburgh and I’ve always been a diehard Steeler fan.
Q: Do you collect anything? 
A: Sports memorabilia. I have a lot of autographed jerseys, helmets, balls and photos.
Q: Music or talk radio? 
A: Music.
Q: What’s your favorite style of music? 
A: Blues rock, especially stuff that not everyone has heard of. Some of my favorite players are Eric Gales, Chris Duarte and Stoney Curtis.

Dave Keith is a 25-year veteran of the mold removal and repair industry and owner of <a href="http://www.diamondcertified.org/report/northbay-environmental-inc" target="_self">NBE Property Restoration</a>, a Diamond Certified company. He can be reached at (707) 200-7524 or by <a href="http://www.diamondcertified.org/contact/northbay-environmental-inc" target="_self">email</a>.

Dave Keith: The Remediator

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<img src="http://live-diamond-certified-wp.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/Scammed-by-a-locksmith1-1024x460.jpg" alt="Scammed" style="height: ;width: "/>
I delete emails from down-and-out Nigerian royalty. Stranded hospital-bound strangers get nothing. And when Bernie Madoff made me an offer I couldn’t refuse, I said, “No way!” Or I would have, if he had…you get the drift. Consequently, it is with great humility (and some shame) that I admit this in a public forum: I got scammed by a locksmith—or more accurately, a con artist posing as a locksmith. Here’s how it happened.
One bright fall morning, I carefully locked all the doors to my house, walked my kids to the bus stop and handed my only house key to my son (who had forgotten his). As the bus disappeared around the corner, I realized what I’d done. Luckily (or so I thought),&nbsp;
<img src="http://live-diamond-certified-wp.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2014-10-03-at-9.31.22-AM.png" alt="Don't" style="height: ;width: "/>
The “locksmith” arrived fairly quickly. After 20 minutes, though, he still couldn’t get the front door open. He said it was because it was a newly installed lock  and went to work on the back door while I continued weeding. As I later learned, this is common practice among reputable locksmiths, so points to me for not worrying about it.  After another 20 minutes, he finally picked the lock. As I was thanking him, he handed me a bill for $400! I balked. He said it was so expensive because it had been a particularly difficult job. I asked for a receipt; he said he would email it to me. Then he asked me to write my check out to “Cash.” I was now at least an hour late for work, so I paid him.
At some point during my commute, I realized something was wrong. I tried to stop the check (already cashed) and find contact information for the locksmith company (nothing). I’d been scammed. He was good. Not a good locksmith, but an accomplished con artist who understood how to prey on easy targets like me. He was friendly, if a little harassed. He said he’d already been on three jobs that morning, but he still seemed to want to do a good job for me. He thanked me profusely when I found a pick he had dropped. “I could have lost my license for that,” he said. By mentioning his license so casually, he made me assume he had one.
Obviously, I made a series of dumb mistakes. I didn’t ask to see his license or any identification; I didn’t ask him the price before he got to work. Looking back, I see that my worst mistake was not knowing the name of a reliable locksmith before handing my house key to my son. I paid the price for these mistakes—quite literally. But some good came out of this: Not only have I done my homework and know who to call should I get locked out again, but my carefully weeded garden looks better than ever.
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How it Is: I Got Scammed by a Locksmith

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