Most people call me and ask whats it cost to change my locks? My first question to them is well that depends on what kind of hardware you want? They usually sound confused from that question. Anyway lets discuss it, if you lost your house keys, or have concerns over moving into a new home, a common solution is to replace your existing lock with a new one. Most home owners…
Most people call me and ask whats it cost to change my locks? My first question to them is well that depends on what kind of hardware you want? They usually sound confused from that question. Anyway lets discuss it, if you lost your house keys, or have concerns over moving into a new home, a common solution is to replace your existing lock with a new one. Most home owners mistakenly think that replacing their locks is their only available option. However, more often than not, there is a much better and cheaper solution: re-keying your lock. So, what’s the difference between the two and when should you choose rekeying rather than replacing your lock?
Rekeying Vs Replacing A Lock
Replacing a lock just like it sounds can be pretty easy to understand: the locksmith changes your old lock with a new one. Rekeying, on the other hand, is a bit different – the locksmith replaces the working key of the lock but keeps the same lock. The lock is, however, taken apart and some parts inside are replaced (the “key pins” or “tumblers”). Replacing the key pins is a simple procedure, where the pins are changed or rearranged so the old key will no longer work but the new keys will work very well, infact they often times work even better!
When Should I Rekey My Locks?
The biggest reason to rekey your lock, is if you lose a copy of your keys and are worried someone might find it, or if you recently moved into a new home without knowing who else has the keys, rekeying is the perfect option. Another reason and great benefit is when you want to match different keys of different locks in one key for convenience. This requires the locks are of the same brand or keyway, if not ACH Locksmith can swap out the lock for one that matches so one key will open all your locks.
When Should I Change My Locks?
You should change your lock if you want to upgrade your security – for example, if you want to upgrade a deadbolt to a electronic lock such as the Schlage Encode series. Another reason to consider changing is style, just like your carpets or paint lock hardware does go out of style. Or you may have found that the new place you’ve moved to has old and rusty locks. Finally, changing your lock is a must if you want to match different keys of different locks to just one key.
The cost of rekeying your locks is almost always cheaper than replacing a locks. Also something to think about is your original lock hardware may actually be substantially better built than what you can currently find in most hardware stores especially the big box stuff. Rekeying your lock is a procedure that requires in-depth learning and having the right tools, which can be expensive, time-consuming and very risky, if the pins of your lock or lock body is not put back together correctly its only a matter of time until that lock will fail, causing you to potentially be locked out! To avoid such risks, it is always best to contract a highly reputable and highly regarded locksmith such as ACH.
ACH Locksmith is here to help whether you need really need you locks changed or are wanting them rekeyed. ACH is locally owned and operated known to provide reliable, prompt and professional locksmith service, by the owner himself! If you’re in the Madison WI area, call me today to save the time and hassle of rekeying or replacing your lock!