The safety of where you live is definitely one of the top concerns for homeowners. When you lock your doors at night or when you leave your home, you want the peace of mind that your house will stay protected. But what if maybe it’s time for a replacement?
If you know it’s time to call a locksmith for an update, but you’re not sure whether it’s best to rekey a lock or replace it, keep reading to help you make a decision!
Replace vs Rekey: What’s the Difference?
Before you go and contact your local locksmith, you’ll need to know the difference between replacing and rekeying a lock.
The biggest difference between the two can be categorized as a full replacement and a semi-replacement.
When you replace a lock, the entire mechanism will be removed from your door and replaced with a similar fitting lock.
In contrast, rekeying a lock is when the locksmith will take the circular part where your key goes in and replace the pins inside and create a new key by it, the old keys will not work. You will have brand new keys!
Whether you’re an existing homeowner, or you’ve just purchased a new home and want to make sure it’s secure, you may be looking at these two options as a solution.
When Should You Replace a Lock?
You will know when it’s time to replace a lock when you take a look at your door.
If you see that the mechanism isn’t working properly, is badly damaged, broken, and visually just looks like it’s barely keeping it together…it’s probably best to replace the entire thing.
You can also select this method if you’re looking to change up your doors’ appearance with a new lock and handle set.
Home safety is the primary concern you should have when examining your lock. If you don’t think that the lock will keep you safe, or you want to UPGRADE to high-security locks get it replaced asap by a professional to save you the worry.
When Should You Rekey a Lock?
Similarly to replacing the entire lock you’ll need to take a look at your door once more.
If the lock you have now seems in good shape without any damage, and generally just looks like it’s doing its job, Or if you are not sure who has a copy of your key, then go for a rekey.
You can also rekey multiple locks in your home if you’re looking to have a master key system with a one-key fits all doors method. This would mean your front, back, and garage doors would be accessible with one key instead of hanging on to multiple keys.
So, Will, You Replace or Rekey a Lock?
The safety of your home starts with the lock. With this info in mind, you should be able to confidently make the decision of whether you will replace a lock or rekey a lock in your home.
Ready with your lock changing decision? Contact us to schedule an appointment for a locksmith to come today.
The segment of your article that talked about having a master key system for your home really interested me. I can see my family really benefit from this kind of system, especially since we usually make trips to and from our house quite regularly. I’ll go and get a locksmith to help us out with this so everything can be done quickly.