Re Key vs. Lock Change? Why It’s Important and What to Choose

There are many reasons you may want to change the locks on your door or re key the lock – which one do you choose ? Re keying usually refers to the ability to change a lock “from the inside” so that a different key may operate it and the former key will no longer work. Re keying is done when an individual may be concerned that unauthorized persons have keys to the lock and can gain access to a property. The lock may be altered by a locksmith so that only the new keys will work. Re keying may be done without replacement of the entire lock and are therefore usually a cheaper method then purchasing and installing a new lock to replace the old one.

In case you move into a new home, rent a new apartment, lease new commercial space, fire an employee, change cleaning companies or for any other reason you may find yourself thinking about changing your locks or re keying them. Even if you do get your keys back from previous owners, occupants, employees or contractors, they may have had the opportunity to make copies of the keys. You have no way of knowing how many duplicates may have been made, or by who. In many cases where you think a lock needs to be changed, you may also have the option of re keying the lock at a fraction of the cost and in a fraction of the time it would take to purchase new locks and installing them. Many home and business owners also use the re keying process in order to have one master key that will work on multiple locks in an establishment, home, apartment or business.

Re keying a lock is usually a cheaper way to go if the lock that you currently have installed is in good working condition. Furthermore the process of re keying a lock is much faster then installing a new one. A locksmith will be able to re key the lock for you and provide you with new keys, as the old ones will not work any longer once the re keying work is completed. It is important to note that some locks have higher security mechanism which may make the lock harder to re key. In some cases, it may not even be possible to re key a lock if it’s a lock that has a higher security level but any professional locksmith will be able to let you know if that is the case once they see the type of lock you have installed. In that case your best bet would be to purchase a new lock and have it professionally installed by a locksmith. Many locksmith companies can provide you with new locks as well as install them for you. In most cases if you end up purchasing a new lock from a locksmith company they will install it for you for a cheaper rate then they will charge for installing a lock which you have independently purchased separately.

If you end up needing to replace your lock be sure to research various brands and type of locks. These days there’s a very wide variety of locks available to consumers with various security levels and mechanisms. Just be sure to always keep an extra set of keys at a secured location in case of emergencies.

While it is possible to re key a key yourself, it is not recommended as you may end up damaging the lock and therefore making it impossible to re key by a professional locksmith. Always consult a professional locksmith before attempting to re key a lock yourself.