Home

Should You Rekey or Change Your Locks?

If you’re like many, home security is a must. Therefore, one thing you must think about is whether you should rekey or change your locks. One of the most important things on your to-do list when you arrive at a new house should be changing the locks. After all, you don’t know who has access to your home. Additionally, there are times when this is a good idea even if you’ve lived at the same place for a long time. However, the question is often whether you should change the locks completely or have them rekeyed. The answer depends on your situation. Here is what you need to know about changing versus rekeying your locks and how to rekey them.

When You Should Change Your Locks

Changing a lock involves taking the old hardware off the door and replacing it. This will give you brand new locks and keys, although the process can be expensive. Because of this steep price, it is only recommended that you change your locks when you absolutely must. Typically, you will only need to change your locks when they are old and worn out. At this time, it is not possible to alter the locking mechanism with rekeying, so you will need to install a new lock.

Another time you should change your locks is when you are ready to replace the traditional key entry with modern, electronic locks. If you’ve got multiple brands and want one key for getting in your house or want a streamlined appearance, this may be a good time to change your locks so they all match. Also, if you lose all the keys to a lock, it is often cheaper to change the hardware than having it rekeyed without the key.

When You Should Rekey Your Locks

Rekeying locks involves altering the inside of the locking mechanism so that older keys won’t work anymore. Instead, you will need to have a new key made. In most circumstances, it is cheaper to have your locks rekeyed than to change them. For instance, if your locks are all the same brand but use multiple keys, they can be rekeyed so that you only need one key to get in each door. In this case, you will only have to pay for one rekeying fee instead of purchasing multiple locks and installing them.

Additionally, if you’ve lost one of your keys and are worried someone will be able to get in your house, rekeying is a good option if you still have a spare key. Similarly, rekeying is a good option for improving the security of a new house and ensuring that you are the only one with a working key. After all, you don’t know who may have a key to your home or if there are copies are floating around the community.

Rekeying a Lock

When you have great DIY skills and know what brand your locks are, you can often buy a rekeying kit at your local hardware store. However, the big issue with this is that it can be an expensive option because it requires special tools that you will have to pay for. Therefore, any required lock changes are much more likely to be made by a local locksmith. Additionally, this is a great option to resolve landlord and tenant issues when you don’t know what type of lock you have or have more than one brand throughout the home. Furthermore, hiring a locksmith will prevent you from making any mistakes and doing irreparable damage to locks that don’t need to be changed yet.

Fortunately, hiring a locksmith is easy. A quick online search, calls to friends or family in the area, or looking at a local magazine or newspaper will give you some ideas on who to call. Then, you need to contact this company and ask about rekeying services. Often, they will have a phone number that you can call or an online inquiry form that you can submit. An individual from the company will likely be able to come to rekey any non-electronic locks on the exterior of your home for a set fee. Once they have finished the task, you will receive several identical copies of your new key. These act just like any key you would receive with a standard lock hardware purchase, and you can make copies of them if you need more keys.

Changing or rekeying the locks on your home is an important step when it comes to security. While it is generally cheaper to have your house rekeyed, there are certain instances when you should replace the hardware instead. A good locksmith will help you with rekeying services so that you don’t do any damage to your locks if this is the option you choose. Taking this step will help you feel secure in your home.

Related Articles

Back to top button