Each accredited locksmith company has included in their list of professional activities “rekeying locks” service. If you have ever moved into a new home or wanted to restrict access to the property of the person you gave a key to, you are certainly looking for a way to change the lock. In this case, there are two options – changing the lock or rekeying.
Few people are familiar with this professional operation. They do not know that instead of replacing the available locking mechanism with a new one, there is a far easier and cheaper option. There are locksmiths who will not tell this fact to their customers. However, in one case you pay only for the work of the specialist, and in the other case for the work and for the new lock.
WHAT IS THE REKEYING OPERATION ITSELF?
Rekeying locks means replacing an existing key with a new one without changing the lock itself. This means that the key you gave someone will no longer be able to unlock the door of your home, office, or commercial property. Rekeying is an activity of changing the pins inside the lock cylinder in order to make the existing key not work on the lock anymore.
Each series of pins in a lock corresponds to the pins of the key so that when they are changed, the old key will no longer unlock the door. While it may sound rather complicated, it may take a few minutes for the experienced person to make it, as long as the necessary tools are available.
Rekeying locks neither increases nor decreases their security. One of the factors that determine the security of the lock is the number of pins. As soon as the locksmith changes the old 5 pins with 5 new ones, the lock remains as secure as it used to be. To increase the security level, the only option is to change the lock.
Any locking software available on the market provides a similar opportunity. The difference is mainly in the methods and tools used to change the lock. For example, high-end locks like Medeco and Mul-T-Lock require a special set of professional tools and key pins to complete the procedure.
Rekeying locks is done for many reasons, one of which is comfortability. If you have several doors, each of which is unlocked with a separate key, it is much more convenient to synchronize them through this lock operation. However, the locks must be of the same brand or at least with the same key openings. Otherwise, synchronization is not possible.
WHY REKEY?
As we said before, it will not increase the security of your locking system, but it will restrict access to your property of a person who you no longer wish to enter your home or office freely. And since the procedure is simple and the price is affordable, we recommend that you not delay calling the locksmith company for a long time.
If you find that your key is missing, your first reaction should be a step toward eliminating any possibility of a crime being committed. Look for a trusted locksmith who is ready to visit your home as soon as possible and do the necessary to make you feel comfortable that no one will take advantage of your distraction.