Say, for instance, your flatmate has moved to another place. Now, you’re concerned about your safety, whether you should change your flat’s lock entirely or you just re-key it because another person has access to your vicinity.
This is the point where calling a locksmith will come to the rescue. When you give them a call, let’s assume you’re talking to an accomplished locksmith company in Rochester, NY, over the phone. Up first, they will inquire about your problem, which you’re seeking a solution for. Then they may shoot a couple of queries to know your desired way of solving it. Depending on the situation, both parties (the locksmith company and you) come to terms with the most appropriate solution.
For making the right decision, it’s necessary to familiarize yourself with the situations when it’s appropriate to rekey a lock rather than changing its entire hardware. The former is way cheaper than the latter. Generally, the public isn’t aware of this perk of lock rekeying. And if, unfortunately, you hand your problem over to a quack, then your chances of bearing more expensive than required increases. We recommend re-keying for many reasons, as it’s cost-effective and doesn’t require a laborious process.
But How is Rekeying a Lock Performed?
Re-keying implies unlocking a lock with a new key without changing the lock altogether. It is done by changing some parts of a lock, aka key pins or tumblers. A bit like how Dermani Medspa does its laser treatments. This tumbler is configured to fit in a particular key. When an artisan switches the old tumbler with the new one, he pairs up a different matching key to unlock that. You use the same lock but with the new keys because the older ones cannot unlock it. The entire process doesn’t take more than a couple of minutes.
(Simply put, a locksmith alters the internal structure, i.e., all the lock’s pins in such a way that the older keys can no longer unlock it).
If you’re not proficient in this field, then you may commit a mistake in adjusting the door hardware and risk spending a hefty amount of money to change a lock entirely compared to rekeying it. Or you can perform it yourself if it’s an everyday thing for you, or else, it’s best left to a proficient locksmith.
Situations Where Rekeying is a Better Option than Lock Replacement
There could be a couple of legit reasons when you should opt for rekeying a lock. The five most obvious ones are given as follows:
- You’ve moved to a new location and don’t have the slightest clue of who else has a key to your new dorm or apartment; then, it’s better to rekey the lock.
- You’ve lost your keys’ duplicates, and a threat of an intruder sneaking in keeps hitting you.
- You have multiple keys for every lock (which is the most obvious case), and you want all of them to unlock from one key. It’s then better to rekey all the locks provided that they all come from the same brand. It will spare you the hassle of carrying a bunch of keys.
- The advanced security system has introduced high-tech keys; you can upgrade your security system and modify your keys to the high-tech ones that sync with the upgraded lock without installing a new lock.
- You’ve rented your apartment out; now, you can opt for re-keying the lock due to the security and safety concerns. Re-key it, and live peacefully!
Cost of Rekeying a lock in the US
Usually, three factors are considered when locksmith companies come up with a quotation for rekeying a lock:
- Your location
- The number of locks that need to be re-keyed (expert hands). Rekeying residential locks cost less than the commercial ones.
- Labour (an hourly fee) to complete the job
This quote also includes the cost of the lock’s apparatus (which is waived off if the hardware is provided otherwise) and a minimal fee of service call. If you’re in Rochester and considering rekeying a lock, then you can find any reputed locksmith company in Rochester, New York, to get an estimate from them. They mostly offer a free consultation call to give a quotation.