Skip to content
Wasaga BeachLock Services · Glen HuronOpen 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, Glen Huron

Change or rekey · Glen Huron

Vintage Mortise Lock Service in Glen Huron

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.

Request a visit(249) 492-2389

Vintage Mortise Lock Service

In plain words

Servicing the original lock is usually the better choice for an older home, for practical reasons as much as sentimental ones. Cutting a period door for a modern cylindrical lockset means boring a large hole through the stile and leaves the old mortise to be filled; a repaired mortise case avoids all of that. Where the home is a designated heritage property, keeping the hardware may also be what the municipality expects. The service treats the door as something to preserve: minimal disturbance, parts matched to the original, a strike adjusted rather than replaced, and the old lock left running smoothly for decades to come.

Sound familiar?

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. You have one key and no idea where a second could come from.

How the visit goes

Glen Huron

How the visit goes

  1. Who owns the door

    The first check has nothing to do with the lock. The locksmith confirms that the person asking for the work owns the home or lawfully lives in it, since a serviced lock and a freshly cut key are, in the end, a way into someone's house. Photo identification and something tying you to the address usually settles it in a moment. On a rental, the landlord and the tenant are expected to agree on lock changes and share keys, so the locksmith asks who should hold the new bit keys or cylinder keys and notes it. This small formality protects the household as much as anyone, and it is done before a screwdriver comes out.

  2. Taking the lock out without marking the door

    Removal is done in a set order so nothing is forced. The knob set screws are backed off and the knobs and spindle drawn out, then the escutcheons are lifted away, their screw positions photographed for reassembly. On a cylinder lock, the small set screw in the faceplate is released and the cylinder is unthreaded from the case. The faceplate screws come out, and the case is eased from its pocket with a gentle rock, never a pry bar, because the wood at the edge of an old door is thin. Everything that comes off is bagged and labelled, and the pocket is looked at while it is empty.

  3. Looking after the finish

    The brass or bronze knobs and escutcheons on an old door have earned their patina, left alone unless you ask otherwise. Paint cleaned from a faceplate or strike leaves the bare metal as found, not polished bright. If you would rather see them shine, check the finish first: unlacquered brass takes a gentle polish well, kept off the keyhole and spindle; polishing a lacquered piece can scratch through it and start tarnish underneath. Lacquered reproduction parts resist tarnishing rather than darken to match; an unlacquered reproduction is built to age and blend in over a season or two. A light wipe when dusting is all the upkeep the trim needs; wet cleaners find their way into the case.

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. 1Parts that must be ordered

    A reproduction case or an unusual cylinder size may have to be ordered to measurement, which means a second visit to fit it. The quote separates the first visit from the return.

  2. 2Keying doors alike

    Bringing several interior locks onto one bit key, or several cylinders onto one flat key, is extra bench work per lock and is simplest to arrange while all the cases are out on the same visit.

  3. 3Condition of the wood

    Stripped screw holes, a loosened pocket or a split at the door edge need dowelling, shimming or gluing before the case can be trusted. That woodwork is quoted once the locksmith has seen the pocket empty.

What to have ready

0 of 3 ready

Call (249) 492-2389

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, Glen Huron
Lock RekeyingThe previous owners left a coffee tin of keys on the counter, some labelled, most not.

Vintage Mortise Lock Service near you

Every service listed here has been done many times on doors in Glen Huron, 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.

Open 24/7 · call(249) 492-2389Request a visit