Rekeying your locks - why and when to do it
What should you do about the security of the locks on a house or office you just bought? Previous owners or other people might still have copies of the keys…
Or, perhaps, you just renovated or remodeled and the contractors were using your keys to gain entry while working on your building?
Even with a trustworthy company there is a risk of someone getting hold of your keys in the process and making an illegal copy to access your property later on.
Or you might have two or more different entry points in the building that you currently need different keys for and you want to be able to use just one key to open them all.
And maybe you are simply considering replacing the locks just because you’ve had them for a long time and both the keys and the keyway slots are getting worn down and loosening up too much… Whatever the reason, when it comes to updating the security of a building there usually are two options:
First option - Replacing the locks
this is a more complex, more time-consuming, and more expensive process of the two.
Consider it in case the whole locksets are very old and in a deteriorated condition or if there was serious damage done to the locks, like, for example, during a forced entry attempt.
Second option - Rekeying the locks
if the locks are still good, especially if you have higher quality and higher security locks which can be even more expensive to replace, then rekeying them is the way to go.
It is a significantly cheaper procedure, and doesn’t take very long for a professional locksmith to complete.
So, what is rekeying and how does it work?
The most common type of lock mechanism used for both residential and commercial properties today is a pin tumbler lock, usually made by Kwikset, Schlage, Master, Weiser, Yale or some other lock manufacturers.
Pin tumbler mechanism refers to the core cylinder part of the lock – the one that has a slot for the key to go into. And while this is the most common type of the actual locking mechanism itself, it can be housed in a variety of different locksets.
Deadbolt:
A deadbolt would usually have the cylinder with the locking mechanism facing outside, with a thumbturn on the inside of the door –
this is called a single-cylinder deadbolt, although sometimes owners choose to install a double-cylinder deadbolt –
so that you would need a key to open it from the inside as well.
(this is typically done if there is a weak point near the door, like a glass window, which could potentially be broken to gain access to the thumbturn on the inside to open the deadbolt)
Doorknob :
Knob locksets use retractable spring-loaded latches, as opposed to deadbolts, and often have the key-in-knob configuration, where the locking mechanism cylinder in built into the knob.
Deadbolts and knob locksets are also often installed together for enhanced security.
Mortise/ Rim cylinders:
Pin tumbler mechanisms can also be found in mortise locksets – where a pocket (a mortise) is cut into the edge of the door and the lock body is installed into this pocket. These typically have a deadbolt in the lower part of the lockset and a spring-loaded lever door handle above the deadbolt.
So, regardless of the lockset configuration the pin tumbler locking mechanism can be rekeyed, whether you have a deadbolt, a key-in-knob lockset or a mortise lock.
Inside each pin tumbler mechanism there is a unique set of 5 or 6, sometimes 7, pins of different lengths – you can actually check how many pins your lock has by counting the number of the little ‘valleys’ in the profile of your key.
Each set of pin lengths corresponds only to the profile on the blade of the key that opens that lock.
When a wrong key is inserted, the lengths of the pins don’t match the ridges and valleys on the key blade profile, not allowing the lock to open.
During a rekey process a locksmith will carefully disassemble the lock and only replace your unique set of pins inside with a different one – of course, also providing you with the new keys to match the new set of pins.
Then the lockset is put back together and that’s it! Depending on the lock’s security level, it typically takes anywhere between 15 and 30 minutes to rekey a lock, and then reassemble and reinstall it.
When you want one main key to open two or more different locks, your locksmith will need to rekey all the secondary locks to accept the key from the main one.
First, the locksmith will analyze the profile of the main key and determine what pin lengths it requires – experienced professionals can sometimes do that just by looking at the key blade, otherwise there are special tools that measure exactly how long each pin has to be.
Then the secondary locks will be dismantled and the pins in them will be replaced with a new set of pins, the lengths of which have just been determined to correspond to the main key.
One thing to remember here is that while core cylinders of pin tumbler locks from different manufacturers are now all made in the same industry-defined standard size, the actual keyway – the slot into which the key is inserted – can vary quite significantly from brand to brand.
Therefore, for the above procedure to work it would be ideal if all secondary locks were of the same brand as the main one, otherwise the main key might not fit into the keyway of the secondary locks.
After looking at your locks the locksmith will be able to tell you whether or not you can rekey them all to accept the same key.
If you are in doubt regarding the condition and reliability of your locks – feel free to contact us and we will help you decide whether it’s time to replace your locks or if just rekeying them would suffice to ensure the safety and security of your home or your business.
Magic Lock is your trusted local locksmith, serving Charlotte, NC – and we are just a phone call away!
