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Wasaga BeachLock Services · Coutnac BeachOpen 24/7(249) 492-2389Request a visit
Closed mortise lock case with spindle opening, keyhole, latch and deadbolt on a wooden workbench. — Vintage Mortise Lock Service, Coutnac Beach

Change or rekey · Coutnac Beach

Vintage Mortise Lock Service in Coutnac Beach

The old skeleton key still fits the keyhole, but it now needs a jiggle, a lean on the door and a little luck before the bolt moves. Last week it took three tries.

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Vintage Mortise Lock Service

In plain words

Vintage mortise lock service is the repair of the original lock in an older door rather than its removal. The lock is a rectangular steel case that lives inside a pocket in the door edge, and nearly everything that goes wrong with it, a tired spring, dried grease, a worn hub, a lost key, can be put right on the bench. The locksmith confirms you own or occupy the home, takes the case out through the door edge, rebuilds it, sorts out the keys and puts it back in the same pocket. The door keeps its knobs, escutcheons and history, and it locks as it did when new.

Sound familiar?

The knob flops loose on its spindle and never springs back to level. When you turn it the latch pulls in, but you have to push the knob back yourself, and lately the latch has started staying inside the door instead of catching.

How the visit goes

Coutnac Beach

How the visit goes

  1. Repair, replacement cylinder or replacement case

    The last step of the check is deciding what the lock needs, in plain terms, before any of it is done. Most cases need cleaning, springs and adjustment, and that is the recommendation. A cylinder lock with a worn plug may be better served by a new mortise cylinder of the same thread and cam, keeping the case. A cracked case, a bolt worn thin or a hub broken through calls for a replacement case in the same pocket, and the locksmith measures for it on the spot. You hear which of these applies and why, and if the answer is a replacement case, the choice between a reproduction and a modern case is yours to make.

  2. Reassembly and setting the trim

    The case slides home and is screwed off, then the cylinder or keyhole escutcheon goes on, followed by the spindle, knobs and rosettes. The spindle is trimmed to length so the knobs sit against the door without pinching, and the set screws are tightened so there is no free play before the latch moves. The thumb-turn is aligned with the deadbolt tail so it throws with a light touch. Paint is cleared from the faceplate and strike edges where it was catching. Then the door is closed and the whole lock is worked from both faces with the key, the knobs and the turn, several times, listening for the latch to seat.

  3. Keys that fit the lock, and a spare

    You are handed keys made to the restored lock, counted into your hand, and each one is tried in the door before the locksmith drives away. For a bit-key lock that means keys filed to your case; copying one needs the right blanks and equipment, which most hardware counters do not stock, so the locksmith keeps the record needed to make more. For a cylinder lock it means keys cut to the new combination, with any old keys now useless. Keep one spare somewhere other than the door, ideally with a neighbour or in a lockbox, and treat bit keys gently: they bend in a pocket and a bent key is how most of these locks become stiff again.

Vintage Mortise Lock Service

In the van

  • Latch and hub springs
  • Cylinder set screw
  • Mortise cylinder and cam
  • Deadbolt lever springs
  • Spindle and knob set screws

What affects the quote

Same fees day, night or weekend

  1. 1Replacement case

    A case that is cracked or worn through is replaced with a reproduction or modern mortise case sized to the pocket. The case itself, any trimming of the pocket and the refitting are itemised separately from a repair.

  2. 2Paint and seized parts

    Hardware buried under decades of paint takes time to free and clean without damage. A faceplate, strike and thumb-turn that have to be stripped back add to the visit and are noted in the quote.

  3. 3Number of locks in the visit

    One entry lock is the simplest case. A whole floor of interior latches, or the front and back doors together, is a longer visit, and each case is quoted on its own so the total is easy to follow.

What to have ready

0 of 3 ready

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Vintage Mortise Lock Service: questions

What do I get at the end of the visit?

A lock you have tested yourself from both sides, keys counted into your hand with a spare, any parts that were removed if you want them, and a short written note of what was done: case type, parts replaced, keys made, strike adjusted. For a bit-key lock the locksmith keeps the details needed to cut further keys later. You also get shown where the yearly drop of oil goes.

Is it worth repairing an old mortise lock instead of replacing it?

Usually, yes. The mechanisms are simple and robust, and what fails is nearly always a spring, dried grease or wear on one part, all of which are repairable on a bench. Replacing the lock with a modern cylindrical set means boring a large hole through the door stile and filling the old pocket, which is more work and changes the door for good. A rebuilt case keeps the original trim and keeps the door intact.

Do I need to prove I own the house before you work on the lock?

Yes, and it is a normal part of any lock or key work. Photo identification together with something that ties you to the address is enough. If you rent, the locksmith will ask who should receive the keys, because landlords and tenants in this province are expected to agree on lock changes and share keys. This check takes a moment and it protects every household the locksmith is asked to work for.

Change or Rekey Locks

Two detached brass lock cylinders and four house keys on a wooden counter. — Lock Rekeying, Coutnac Beach
Lock RekeyingThe previous owners left a coffee tin of keys on the counter, some labelled, most not.

Vintage Mortise Lock Service near you

A door in Coutnac Beach has more parts than most people think: the cylinder, the latch, the deadbolt, the strike, the closer, the hinges and the frame around them all. The services listed here touch every one of those parts, from a straightforward rekey to a full storefront hardware overhaul.

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