Unless you’re the first occupant of your home or commercial property, you can never be sure how many copies of keys to your locks exist. When you move into a new house, lose your keys, or perhaps find yourself dealing with a disgruntled employee, you may decide to change your locks altogether. This can be expensive but there is a much better option: Rekeying your locks.
What exactly is rekeying a lock and when should you rekey your locks rather than change them? Changing locks means replacing your existing door hardware. Rekeying a lock means disassembling your existing locks and changing the tumblers to use a different key.
Locks found on most doorknobs and deadbolts consist of pins and tumblers inside. The lock contains a cylindrical plug that holds pins and springs. Every series of key pins in your lock correspond to a specific notch on your key so when you replace those pins with different ones, you must create a new key that will now operate the lock. While it sounds complicated, an experienced locksmith can perform this procedure in a relatively short amount of time.
Due to the low price of key pins in the locks, rekeying is less expensive than changing your existing hardware. When rekeying locks you are only charged for labor. All standard locks are rekeyable. Some high security commercial locks require special tools but a well-equipped locksmith will have those tools.
Rekeying is also a way to match all your locks to use the same key. As long as all of your hardware is the same brand, you can have the same key for your front door, back door, or any other key used in your home. Most people find this very convenient.
When is rekeying the right option?
- You have moved into a new home and want to make sure you are the only one with a key to your locks
- When you have lost a key
- If you want to prevent someone who has a key from entering your home
- When you have different keys for different locks and want just one key
When should you change your locks?
- When you want to change the aesthetic look of your lock such as a new design or hardware color/finish that matches your interior design
- Your old locks are malfunctioning, rusted, or beyond repair
- You want to upgrade to high security locks or new electronic locks like wi-fi or Bluetooth
- When you have different locks that are different brands and you want to just have one key
Can you do it yourself?
Rekeying a lock requires practice and knowledge and requires you to have the right tools. A professional pinning kit is expensive and the cost would well exceed a whole home rekey not to mention the time you will spend doing it.
Some newer locks offer the option to rekey them at home without having to take them apart or call a locksmith. The Kwikset Smartkey and Schlage SecureKey provide this option, however, they aren’t perfect. If you aren’t handy and want the job done right, call a professional locksmith like Affordable Locksmiths of Medford. We will be happy to give you a free estimate for rekeying or changing your hardware.
