Many people don’t know much about rekeying locks, so we asked the professional locksmiths over at EVkeys.net in Tempe, AZ give us some info about it. Actually, rekeying is a sophisticated process of removing some internal pins of the lock and replacing them with totally new pins so as to provide a completely new key combination configuration.
Rekeying all your existing locks in home or office is one of the most cost-effective way of ensuring that your old locks continue to work and to block unauthorized access. This successfully eliminates stolen or lost keys, rending them completely useless, as they can no longer be used to open the lock. Once rekeyed, your lock can only be operated with new keys and you can now also account for all new keys.
Rekeying process can be performed by a professional locksmith, and it will render inoperative all pervious keys that may have inadvertently fallen in wrong hands.
So why would anyone want to do this?
Well, anybody can go and buy new locks, so what’s the benefit of rekeying old ones? Well, there are many reasons why there’s no need to go out and invest in new locks. First, it’s more expensive to buy new hardware. Second, when you buy a new lock that costs you less than rekeying your old lock, you’re actually buying cheap lock that will fail relatively quickly. Also, many professional locksmiths won’t or can’t re-key cheap locks. That’s mainly because they’re not made to set specifications and are not meant to be rekeyed, but just thrown away.
Many locksmiths charge $10 and upwards to rekey a lock (depending on who you call). If a locksmith has to travel to your place, then you’ll be charged for a service call and the rekey charge. Some locksmiths also charge a labor and some hourly rate at the top as well.
When you want to call any locksmith, you should ask beforehand if they charge an hourly rate or a flat rate. Find out what their service call is and also rekey charge per cylinder. Many locks come with two cylinders (double sided deadbolts, so you’ll be charged accordingly. So it all depends on the cylinders and not doors. One door may have a knob and a deadbolt. That usually means two cylinders.
Ultimately the decision to replace or rekey is really a matter how your lock is holding up. Many quality locks can last a lifetime, and may occasionally need a squirt of WD-40 every few months. Others, especially the cheaper locks can fail faster.
You really never know when you might need to rekey your house. Let’s have a close look at few scenarios:
* When you purchase a new home- Whether your home in a manufactured one or it has been built as per your specification, you’re not sure who all may have keys to your home. Even if you get all keys from your contractor, how can you be sure that all subcontractors have turned them all in? They could also make few extra copies so that it’s easier for them to put in the flooring or paint the walls. Just because your house is new doesn’t mean that you have complete peace of mind, and there’s no need to rekey your locks. Even if your contractor is nice person, rekeying all your locks is a good practice.
* When you move into a rental- You should have your landlord rekey all locks before you move in, or you can seek permission to have them rekeyed as soon as you move in. You don’t know how many previous tenants may have been given keys.
* When you buy a pre-owned home-Are you sure how may keys did your realtor have out there? How many neighbors, friends, or family members did its previous owner give keys to? Personal safety and peace of mind are worth the cost of rekeying your locks. Some people say that they know the previous owner and they’re sure they had all the keys, but did they ask the previous owner how many of their keys have been lost over years?
* Your keys were lost or stolen-Yes, that’s an easy one. If you’re not sure who has your keys, then you should immediately rekey your locks.
In case of office of businesses, locksmiths can rekey their existing locks upon turnover of employees, and thereby ensure safety of their doors if their departing staff still holds keys. Many locksmiths also sell high quality security keys that will ensure your keys cannot be copied at all without your approval.
You can also opt for master keying multiple locks. It’s a process where internal pinning combination allows multiple keys to easily operate the locks within a system. With master keying you just have one master key to operate several locks and have a totally different key for operating every lock. Master Key System works well in industrial complexes, commercial buildings, hospital and medical facilities, school campuses, and governmental buildings. Master Key Systems offers security and convenience.