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Two detached brass lock cylinders and four house keys on a wooden counter. — Lock Rekeying, Creemore

Change or rekey · Creemore

Lock Rekeying in Creemore

The previous owners left a coffee tin of keys on the counter, some labelled, most not. The house is yours now, but you have no idea how many copies were cut over the years or who still has one in a drawer somewhere.

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Lock Rekeying

In plain words

Moving into a home is the moment most people first hear about rekeying, and it is the most sensible time to do it. A resale house has usually passed through owners, real estate agents, home inspectors, cleaners and trades, each of whom may have held a key at some point. Rekeying every exterior cylinder on move-in day means the only keys that work are the ones cut for you, and the same visit is a chance to put every door on one key so the coffee tin of mystery keys can go in the recycling.

Sound familiar?

The previous owners left a coffee tin of keys on the counter, some labelled, most not. The house is yours now, but you have no idea how many copies were cut over the years or who still has one in a drawer somewhere.

How the visit goes

Creemore

How the visit goes

  1. Counting the keys that are already out there

    Part of planning a rekey is understanding why it is happening. The locksmith asks how many keys exist as far as you know, who has held one, and whether any went missing with something identifying the address. The answers do not change the pinning, but they shape the advice: whether a padlock or mailbox shares the same risk, whether a garage keypad code should change on the same visit, and how many new keys make sense to cut. It also helps to know whether any key is a restricted or patented type, since those are cut from a record rather than duplicated and may involve the original supplier.

  2. Cutting the new key and gauging the depths

    On this cylinder type, the new key comes first, then the pins to match it. The locksmith cuts a fresh key from a blank on a code cutter or duplicator, choosing a combination that is not close to the old one, and reads each cut with a key gauge to find its depth on the manufacturer's scale. Bottom pins of the matching lengths are picked from a graded pin kit and dropped into the plug chamber by chamber, so that when the new key is inserted every pin top sits exactly at the shear line. A key cut from a clean blank and pins matched to it by gauge is what gives a rekeyed lock that crisp, new feel.

  3. Handing keys out with a little method

    Rekeying gives you a clean start on who holds a key, and a few habits keep it clean. Give a key only to people who need one regularly, and know who they are. If a dog walker, a cleaner or a contractor needs access for a season, a lockbox with a code you can change afterwards is simpler than a key you have to ask for back. Tag spares with a colour or a number rather than the address. When a key does leave your control, a lost ring, a departing tenant, a relationship that has ended, that is the trigger to rekey again, and the next visit is simpler because the doors are already on one system.

Lock Rekeying

In the van

  • Cylinder shim
  • Graded bottom pin kit
  • Code cutter or key duplicator
  • Retaining clip tool
  • Replacement cylinder for odd keyways

What affects the quote

Same fees day, night or weekend

  1. 1Restricted or high-security cylinders

    Patented keyways use controlled blanks and pins that cost more than standard ones, and their keys are produced from a controlled record instead of being copied, so a system of that kind is quoted differently from builder-grade hardware.

  2. 2Upgrades chosen during the visit

    Some people take the opportunity to replace a double-cylinder deadbolt with a thumb-turn model, add a reinforced strike or move to a heavier deadbolt. None of it is needed to rekey; each is a separate line.

  3. 3Access to each door being rekeyed

    A rekeying visit goes smoothly when every door is reachable without delay: an empty unit, a cleared hallway, or someone available to let the locksmith into each room. Locked common areas, tenants who are out, or furniture blocking a cylinder all add time the locksmith accounts for on site.

What to have ready

0 of 3 ready

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Lock Rekeying: questions

Will my door hardware look any different afterwards?

No. The work happens inside the cylinder, so the bolt, handle, finish and strike plate stay exactly as they are, and nothing new is cut into the door. The only visible change is the key in your hand. If a cylinder does have to be replaced, because its keyway is incompatible with the others or it has worn out, the locksmith picks one in a matching finish so the door keeps a consistent look.

Should I rekey when I move into a new home?

It is the single most common reason to rekey, and a sensible one. A resale home has typically passed through owners, agents, inspectors, cleaners and trades, any of whom may have had a key cut. A newly built home has been opened by construction crews using a builder's key. Rekeying on move-in means the only working keys are yours, and the same visit can bring every exterior door onto a single key, retiring the assorted keys you inherited.

How is rekeying different from replacing the lock?

Rekeying keeps your existing deadbolt or handle set and gives it a new key, commonly by changing the pins inside, though some cylinders reset a different way. Replacing removes the whole lock or cylinder and fits new hardware. Rekeying suits locks that are in good condition and simply need a fresh key. Replacement is the better call for hardware that is worn or damaged, built to a low grade, on a keyway the other doors cannot share, or due for a change of style or a keypad.

Change or Rekey Locks

Close view of a satin-nickel deadbolt thumbturn and edge faceplate on a painted timber door. — Deadbolt Installation, Creemore
Deadbolt InstallationThe front door has a handsome lever and a keyed knob, and that is all.

Lock Rekeying near you

Every service listed here has been done many times on doors in Creemore, which is why each page can be specific about what gets checked, how the work is carried out, and what you are left with afterwards. Read the one that matches your situation, then reach out with any question the page did not answer.

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