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Wasaga BeachLock Services · Wasaga 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, Wasaga Beach

Change or rekey · Wasaga Beach

Vintage Mortise Lock Service in Wasaga 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

Where the door has moved, the lock gets blamed. Solid wood doors in older houses swell in humid weather, shrink in winter and settle on their hinges, and a mortise lock that was set decades ago ends up with its latch and bolt aiming a little below the strike. Part of every vintage lock service is reading how the door hangs, tightening or packing the hinges, and moving or filing the strike so the latch catches and the bolt throws without lifting the handle. Often that alignment work, plus a clean and new springs, is the entire repair, and the customer gets back a door that closes with one hand.

Sound familiar?

The interior bedroom doors on the second floor have the original mortise latches, and none of them close any more. The doors drift open, the small brass turn buttons do nothing, and the keyholes have been empty for as long as anyone can remember.

How the visit goes

Wasaga Beach

How the visit goes

  1. Reading the faceplate

    Standing at the open door, the locksmith looks at the narrow brass or steel plate in the door edge. Its height, the spacing of its screws, any maker's stamp, and whether it shows one bolt or two tell a good deal about what is inside: a latch-only case for an interior door, a latch and deadbolt case for an entry, or a privacy function with a turn button. The distance from the door edge to the centre of the knob, the backset, is measured, along with the spindle size. These figures decide which springs, followers and, if it comes to that, which replacement case will fit, so they are written down before the lock is disturbed.

  2. Cutting a bit key to the lock

    For a bit-key lock, keys are made to the case rather than copied from a pattern. A blank with the right bow, shank and bit size is chosen, then the bit is filed by hand to clear the wards inside the case and to lift each lever to the correct height. The key is tried, marked, filed again and tried again until it turns the bolt cleanly from both sides. A second key is made to match while the first is fresh. Where a working original exists, it is used as a guide and the new key is cut to it, and a worn original can itself be gently restored if the customer wants to keep using it.

  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. 1How many keys you want

    Bit keys are made individually by hand and cylinder keys are cut per copy, so the count you ask for is a line of its own. Decide who in the household needs one before the visit.

  2. 2Strike and hinge work

    Where the door has dropped or swelled, adjusting or moving the strike and tightening or packing hinges is part of the fix. It is small work but it is listed, so you see what was done to the door.

  3. 3Replacement 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.

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

Vintage Mortise Lock Service near you

Whatever brought you to this page from Wasaga Beach, whether it was a lockout, a lost key, a move, a break-in or simply a door that has annoyed you for months, one of the services below fits. Each is written to tell you what happens, what it involves, and what you have when the locksmith leaves.

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