Difference Between Lock Replacement and Lock Rekeying
There are times when you simply can’t find your house keys. They may be lost or may show up at some point, or they could have been stolen. You will need to do something with the lock. Another scenario many of us have faced is moving into a new house, and you are concerned about who might still have copies of the door keys. Yet another situation is when you have had someone move out of your home, and you want to be sure that they no longer have access.
In any of these circumstances, you will want to choose between replacing the lock and having the lock rekeyed. Here is the information you need to make a reasonable decision.
Replacing the Lock
Replacing a lock is self-evident. The locksmith removed the current lock and installs a new device. However, rekeying is when the same lock remains in place, but the locksmith takes the lock apart and makes a new key. The lock remains the same, but the old key will no longer work because the pins are changed. The question is, which will be the better option?
Changing the entire lock is more expensive. However, if the locks are old, you are having difficulty with them, or you want to upgrade your security, then a replacement is the answer. Another situation might be that you have different locks or brands of locks on your doors, but you want to be able to use all of them using only a single key. In any of these conditions, you will want the locksmith to replace the entire lock.
As mentioned, rekeying is when the locksmith changes the pins inside your current lock so that it will take a new key to open the door. If all your locks are the same model and brand, but it takes different keys to open them, you can simply have them rekeyed so that you only need to deal with a single key. This also works if you have moved into a new home or someone has moved out of your current home, and you want to be sure no one else can enter, rekeying is a cost-effective method to take care of the problem. So you will only be charged for the cost of cutting the new keys and for the service of adjusting the pins on existing locks.
Unless you need to upgrade or if you have a number of different types of locks on your home but want to only use a single key, then rekeying is the better decision.
Whichever your choice, you should have this task completed by a professional locksmith. To tackle the problem on your own will probably take more time and frustration than hiring a technician. Also, if you have to invest in tools, you may not really be saving any money. If you have questions or concerns, contact our team today. Our friendly representatives are happy to explain anything you need. We also stock a full array of locks from various manufacturers and models from within those brands.
