Rekey or Replace Locks

At some point in time, whether it’s because you’re moving into a new place, renting a new property, or even because your locks are getting old, you’re going to wonder if you should make some changes with your locks. Specifically, you might be wondering if you should rekey or replace your locks.

Let’s start with rekeying locks. In many cases, people who own properties make the assumption that a lock replacement is necessary. But the truth of the matter is, sometimes you can go with rekeying the locks instead. Here, we are going to go over situations which might warrant rekeying your locks, or having an expert rekey them for you, like a licensed and insured locksmith.

Rekeying a lock, for the record, entails changing the key of the lock to a new key, while avoiding needing to replace the actual lock. Keeping the same lock allows people to save money, and they don’t have to worry because the previous key will no longer work. Parts like key pins and tumblers have to be replaced to get this method to work. So, why should you rekey your lock? Take a look…

• You should rekey your locks if you moved into a new place. It’s better to be safe when others like realtors and contractors might have a copy of the key to your lock. Because even if they are trustworthy, what if they drop or lose the key and someone else is able to figure out where it goes?
• If you lost your key, you should have the locks rekeyed so you don’t have to worry about someone else accessing said key.
• You should rekey your locks if someone has access to a copy of your key who you don’t want to be able to get into your property. Maybe you went through a bad break up. Or maybe you had an employee leave on bad terms. Don’t take chances – just rekey the locks.

So, now that you have a better idea of situations that would warrant rekeying locks, let’s take a look at when you should have locks replaced. Take a look…

• You might just want something different. Maybe you saw locks in a different design that you like better than your current locks. Or maybe your locks are starting to show signs of rust, and in this case, you want something that looks better and will last for longer. In these cases, replace your locks!
• You will want to replace your locks if you are interested in going with electronic locks or high security locks. There are many reasons for wanting to upgrade! A locksmith will be able to answer your questions to help you make the best choice.
• If you want to have one key work on all of your locks, and you have different lock brands in your home, then you will want to replace your locks. Some enjoy doing this for the convenience of it.